New "ranch steak" premieres this weekend

The arrival of Labor Day weekend signals the end of summer, but it doesn’t need to spell the end of grilling out. Nancy Degner, executive director of the Iowa Beef Industry Council, says a new cut of steak, called the “ranch steak,” is being rolled out in Iowa this holiday weekend. Degner says the physiology of cattle obviously hasn’t changed but this steak has emerged through research and a new cut of beef. The new “ranch steak” comes from the chuck section of beef where there are 35 different muscles. She says it comes from the chuck and it’s the beef shoulder center steak from the heart of the muscle in the chuck steak, also known as a charcoal steak. Degner says it’s similar to a sirloin steak in tenderness and is tender enough for grilling. Degner says the steak is being featured at Fareway Stores across the state and first went on sale September first. The Boone-based Fareway has more than 80 stores in Iowa.