The steak pairing guide
The cut decides everything else. A lean steak wants a sauce and a light red; a marbled one wants neither of those things and a bigger glass. This is the whole table in one place.
| Cut | Sauce | Side | Glass |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scotch fillet | Pepper sauce, or nothing at all | Chips, and something green and sharp | Shiraz |
| Rib eye on the bone | Red wine jus | Roast potatoes | Shiraz or cabernet sauvignon |
| Tomahawk | Chimichurri, to cut the richness | Share plates, because everyone else will want some | Shiraz |
| Eye fillet | Bearnaise, or a red wine jus | Potato puree | Pinot noir |
| Sirloin | Pepper sauce | Frites | Cabernet sauvignon |
| T-bone | Nothing, or garlic butter | Chips and salad, for two | Cabernet sauvignon |
| Rump | Mushroom or pepper | Chips | Shiraz, or a schooner |
| Brisket | The bark is the sauce | Slaw and pickles | Malbec |
| Skirt | Chimichurri | Grilled vegetables | Shiraz |
| Short rib | Sticky glaze | Slaw | Malbec |
The rule underneath the table
Fat is the variable. A heavily marbled cut carries its own richness, so it needs something to cut through: a sharp sauce or none at all, and a red with grip. A lean cut carries none, which is why it pairs well with a sauce, a pepper sauce, a red wine jus or a bearnaise all add the richness the steak does not carry on its own.
Sides work the same way. Chips beside a fatty steak are a lot of the same thing twice; something green and acidic does more. Beside a fillet, chips are exactly right.
Smoke changes the rules
Brisket and short rib are not grilled steaks, and smoke is the loudest thing on the plate. Most reds lose to it. Something ripe and generous holds its own, and the sides want acid rather than starch, which is why slaw and pickles turn up next to everything at a smokehouse.
Doneness, briefly
Every cut in the table has a doneness it is built for, and it is on its own page in the steak guide. The short version: the fattier the cut, the more forgiving it is. A scotch fillet cooked a little past where you meant still eats well because the fat is doing the work. An eye fillet does not forgive anything.
Frequently asked
What sauce goes with a scotch fillet?
A pepper sauce, or nothing. A scotch fillet is heavily marbled, so it carries its own richness and a heavy sauce competes with it.
Why do lean steaks come with sauce?
Because they are lean. A pepper sauce, a red wine jus or a bearnaise add the richness the steak does not carry on its own.
What goes with smoked brisket?
Acid rather than starch: slaw and pickles. For a glass, something ripe and dark such as malbec, because smoke overwhelms lighter reds.
What is the best side for a steak?
It depends on the cut. Chips beside a fatty steak are the same thing twice, so something green and sharp does more. Beside a lean fillet, chips are exactly right.
