I have been goofing around with steaks lately and trying some different cuts of beef. While I was searching for new ideas to try I came across some references to “The Tom and Jerry Steak” and it caught my attention.
This steak is the real life version of the MONSTER steak the cartoon characters would fight over. The steak in the cartoon is defined by it’s enormous size, distinctive shape and circular bone.
I was finally able to figure out what this steak actually is and where you can buy them.
Let’s take a closer look at this steak including how I decided to cook it!
What is a Tom and Jerry Steak?
This steak is a cross section of a steer’s leg and is often sold as a “Bone in Arm Roast”. Because the steak is a cross sectional leg cut it results in several noteworthy features.
- Multiple Muscles
- Less Tender
- More Flavor
- Marrow Bone
Multiple Muscles
The arm roast is made up of seven to eight different muscles that are held together by a network of silverskin, gristle and fat.
I have seen some people cut each muscle into its own unique steak before cooking. This allows you to trim away the silverskin and gristle before cooking and lets you cook each individual steak to perfection.
While I appreciate the logic behind that approach, I wanted to have the full cartoon experience so I left this beast whole while it cooked. My approach meant that I did need to do some trimming and pay attention while slicing the finished meat.
Less Tender
The muscles in this steak were literally used for every single step the animal ever took. The meat from a muscle that is used this much will never be as tender as that from a ribeye or other such lightly used muscles.
More Flavor
The flip side of this steak coming from working muscles is that while they will never be as tender as a filet they will always be much more flavorful.
Working muscles have a much deeper beef flavor than ultra tender cuts.
Marrow Bone
When you do a cross sectional cut on the leg you get a circular bone that is loaded with marrow.
If you are into marrow bones then this steak packs a special treat for you!
Where to Buy a Tom and Jerry Steak?
You might be able to find a Bone In Arm roast at your local grocery store but I would save those for making pot roast.
The issue is that if you cook a regular arm roast like a steak, which is the whole point here, it is going to come out pretty tough.
The solution is to buy one that, despite being from the leg, has incredible marbling and is more tender than regular beef.
I am talking about buying a Tom and Jerry steak that is Wagyu beef.
I got my Tom and Jerry Steak from the Mason Hill Cattle company (you can order online). The steak was a little over three pounds and beautifully marbled.
While Wagyu is going to cost more than the cheap beef at Walmart the flavor and tenderness make it worth while. This steak is actually one of the more affordable ways to sample Wagyu beef as this is not considered a Premium cut like the ribeye.
And hey, if you are going to take the time to cook a famous cartoon steak, why not go ahead and do it right?
How to Cook a Tom and Jerry Steak
The two most popular ways of cooking this steak are grilling and Sous Vide. I didn’t have any Sous Vide bags that were big enough to hold this steak so I threw it on the grill.
If you do have a Sous Vide bag that can hold this cut then I have instructions and a video for that technique below.
On the Grill
Going with the theme of a “Cartoon Experience” I decided to cook the biggest steak I have ever tackled on the smallest grill that I own, the Weber Q1200.
I had the Weber Q1200 set to High and used a set of GrillGrate panels to raise the temperature even more, manage the grease and get some grill marks.
The Grill Technique
There were two key steps in the technique to grilling this steak to perfection.
- Letting the beef warm before cooking
- Flipping the steak frequently
Warming: I took the steak out of the refrigerator, seasoned it liberally with salt and pepper and then let it rest, covered on the kitchen counter for one hour before grilling.
This was a massive steak so it probably only warmed up to 50-55F but even that much helps it cook more evenly.
Flipping: To make sure the steak cooked evenly all the way through I flipped the steak every 60-90 seconds. This method prevents you from having a large amount of grey, overcooked exterior.
It took about 18-20 minutes for this steak to reach an internal temperature of 130F so that had me pretty active at the grill. That was just fine by me though as it gave me plenty of time to stand by a fire and drink a cold beer.
Some people will tell you that you should only flip a steak once. I disagree and stand by the results this technique produces.
Sous Vide
As much as I love grilling I would have preferred to cook this steak Sous Vide. If I had gone the Sous Vide route then I could have gotten the steak even more tender by extending the cooking time.
Here is a wonderful video from the Sous Vide Everything channel where they simmered this steak for 14 hours at 131F.
In the end the Sous Vide guys were not a fan of this steak but that is because they were eating one from a regular steer. If they had cooked a Wagyu steak the results would have been much better.
How to Serve This Steak
I served this steak by first separating each muscle and trimming any excess fat or gristle. I thinly sliced each muscle and served on a platter with sautéed mushrooms and asparagus.
I was aggressive when I trimmed the steak before slicing. This steak wants to be tough and I was not going to give it any extra help by leaving any interconnective material in place.
These steaks weigh in at over three pounds so even after an aggressive trimming there was still enough beef to feed six of us.
The flavor of this Wagyu beef was amazing and I was impressed that it was relatively tender.
If you are looking for a new and entertaining grill experience, then give a Tom and Jerry Steak a try.
I strongly recommend starting with the best piece of beef possible to make sure that the experience is not only fun but also tender and delicious. Here is the link to get this Wagyu steak from Mason Hill Cattle.
Grilled Tom and Jerry Steak
Ingredients
- 1 Tom and Jerry Steak About 3 lbs, Bone in Arm Roast. Use Wagyu beef for maximum flavor and tenderness.
- 2 tbsp salt
- 2 tbsp black pepper
Instructions
- Season the steak liberally with salt and pepper and let it rest, covered, at room temperature for one hour.
- Heat your grill to High (about 500F)
- Place the steak on the grill and flip it every 60-90 seconds. This will help the steak cook evenly.
- Grill the steak for 18-20 minutes until an internal temperature of 130F is reached.
- Separate the steak into its individual muscles and trim of any excess fat and gristle.
- Slice the resulting steaks thinly and serve with sautéed mushrooms, grilled asparagus or other sides of choice.
