The Best Cuts of Beef for Grilling: A Premium Butcher's Guide
There is a moment at the grill — usually around the time someone's confidence outpaces their thermometer — when a beautiful steak goes from perfect to just past it. It happens fast. Faster than you'd think, especially if the protein in your tongs isn't the forgiving grain-finished beef you grew up grilling.
Here is what most grilling guides miss: the best cuts of beef for grilling aren't just a cut decision. They're a sourcing decision, a protein decision, and — if you're cooking bison steaks or Wagyu — a whole separate set of rules that nobody warned you about. A beef ribeye and a bison ribeye are the same anatomical cut from two entirely different animals with two entirely different fat profiles. They do not behave the same on a grill. The one you cook the same way you've always cooked is the one you'll regret.
This guide covers the cut hierarchy across beef, bison, and Wagyu. The specific grill protocols for each protein. Why sourcing determines how the fat behaves long before the steak ever touches the grates. And the pull temperatures that actually matter — not the ones listed on a generic chart designed for supermarket ribeyes from animals that never saw a pasture.
Why the Cut Is Only Half the Answer
Most grilling articles cover the same five cuts in the same order: ribeye, strip, T-bone, tenderloin, flank. Most of them are correct as far as they go. A ribeye is the right answer for someone who wants maximum flavor. A tenderloin is the right answer for someone who prioritizes tenderness above all else. A flank steak is the right answer for someone cooking for a crowd who will accept bold flavor over delicate texture.
What these articles almost never address: the sourcing determines how the fat behaves on the grill. A Wagyu ribeye at BMS 8 grills differently from a USDA Choice ribeye at BMS 3 to 4, even though both are ribeyes. A pasture-raised bison ribeye is the same anatomical cut as a beef ribeye but it cooks faster, needs a lower pull temperature, and benefits from a two-zone grill setup that conventional beef can get away without. Know which animal you're working with. The rest follows.
1. The Cut Hierarchy: Which Grills Best and Why
Ribeye: The King of the Grill
The ribeye earns its reputation as the best grilling steak because of one variable that never lies: intramuscular fat. The rib section of the animal carries more fat distributed through the muscle than any other commonly grilled cut. That fat renders during the sear, bastes the muscle from inside, creates the rich drippings responsible for the flare-ups you're either cursing or considering a feature, and produces the bold, deeply savory flavor that makes ribeye the cut most serious steak eaters would choose as their last meal.
The spinalis dorsi (the rib cap) is the most prized portion of the cut. On a bone-in ribeye or tomahawk, the cap wraps around the outside of the eye muscle, rendering faster and developing a crust that many experienced buyers consider the single best bite in the entire beef category. A properly fabricated boneless ribeye retains as much of the cap as possible. Start here if you're building your grill repertoire: the pasture-raised beef boneless ribeye from Beck & Bulow is the right introduction to what a properly sourced ribeye does over real heat.
NY Strip: Balanced, Reliable, Forgiving
The NY strip is the ribeye's more restrained counterpart: moderate intramuscular fat, firm muscle structure, and a fat cap on one edge that renders during cooking without the flare-up drama. The NY strip is for the buyer who wants a proper grilled steak experience without the richness of the ribeye — balanced, beefy, firm-textured, and clean under medium-high direct heat. It doesn't ask much of you. That's part of the appeal.
Tomahawk: The Showpiece
The tomahawk ribeye is a bone-in ribeye with the full rib bone attached - typically six to eight inches of exposed bone that makes an immediate statement when it lands on a table. The cut is the same muscle as a boneless ribeye; the presentation is entirely different. The long bone requires reverse sear rather than direct grill-only cooking: bring the tomahawk to 120 to 125°F in indirect heat first, then sear over screaming-hot direct heat for two to three minutes per side to develop the crust. The bone retains heat throughout the rest and helps carry the steak to the final pull temperature. It's theatrical. It's also genuinely delicious. Both things can be true.
Tenderloin: The Queen, Not the Grill King
The tenderloin is the most tender cut on the animal and (this is not a popular take) the least suited to high-heat grilling. Its near-complete absence of intramuscular fat means there is nothing to protect the muscle from the aggressive heat of a grill running at 500°F. A tenderloin on a screaming-hot grill produces a beautiful crust and a dry interior in roughly the same amount of time it takes to have this exact conversation.
For tenderloin on the grill: two-zone setup, medium-high heat maximum, thermometer non-optional. A flat-surface grill insert does a lot of work here. The tenderloin shines in a cast iron sear-and-oven-finish method far more reliably than it does on open grates. It knows this about itself.
Flank: Underrated, Versatile, Built for the Grill
The flank steak is the cut that grilling guides consistently underrate. It's lean, intensely flavored, and specifically designed for high-heat cooking: the wide, flat muscle allows maximum surface contact with the grill grates, producing a sear-to-interior ratio that the thick steak cuts cannot match. One critical rule that is not optional: slice against the grain. The long muscle fibers run parallel to each other. Cutting with the grain produces tough, chewy slices. Cutting against it shortens every fiber and turns a naturally firm muscle into something tender and yielding. This is the difference between a flank steak people rave about and one they quietly set aside.
T-Bone: Two Steaks, One Complication
The T-bone is a NY strip and a tenderloin in the same cut, separated by the T-shaped vertebral bone. The problem: the two muscles cook at different rates. The strip side is thicker and fattier. The tenderloin side is thinner and lean. On a grill at uniform heat, the tenderloin overcooks before the strip reaches temperature. The solution: angle the T-bone so the strip side runs closer to the hottest part of the grill, or use a two-zone setup that allows you to manage each side independently. The T-bone rewards the attentive grill cook and punishes the distracted one.
Also Read: Where to Buy Bison Meat Online: What to Look for Before You Order
2. The Complete Grilling Cut Reference
| Cut | Fat Level | Grill Suitability | Pull Temp (Beef) | Key Grill Rule |
| Ribeye | High: most marbled steak cut | Excellent: the best grill cut | 135°F | Two-zone grill. Direct heat sear, indirect finish. Watch for fat flare-ups. |
| NY Strip | Moderate: one-edge fat cap | Excellent: forgiving and reliable | 135°F | Direct medium-high heat. Fat cap toward the flame for extra crust on the edge. |
| Tomahawk | High: bone-in ribeye variant | Excellent with reverse sear | 130°F (reverse sear pull) | Indirect heat first to 120 to 125 degrees F, then direct sear. The bone holds heat: rest fully. |
| Tenderloin | Very lean: minimal fat | Good with careful heat management | 130°F | Two-zone setup only. Medium-high maximum. Cast iron insert if possible. Thermometer essential. |
| Flank | Lean: no intramuscular fat | Excellent: high-heat specialist | 130 to 133°F | Screaming hot direct grill. 3 to 4 minutes per side. Slice against the grain: non-negotiable. |
| T-Bone | Moderate: two-muscle cut | Good with zone management | 135°F (strip side) | Angle so strip runs hotter than tenderloin. Or use a two-zone setup with separate monitoring. |
3. Grilling Bison Steaks: The Complete Species-Specific Guide
Let's talk about something most grilling guides get wrong by omission: bison steaks on the grill follow the same cut hierarchy as beef steaks — ribeye first, NY strip second, tomahawk for the occasion — but bison is not beef. It's approximately 30% leaner, with fundamentally different fat distribution, a narrower cooking window, and specific protocol requirements that any beef-only grilling guide will quietly get wrong.
Why Bison Grills Differently from Beef
Bison has never been industrially bred for fat production. The animal evolved on open grassland, moving continuously, building dense, finely grained muscle with minimal intramuscular fat relative to domesticated cattle. On the grill, that leanness changes two things in ways that actually matter.
Cook speed: Bison heats faster than beef at the same grill temperature because less intramuscular fat insulates the muscle from the heat. A bison ribeye that would take four minutes per side on a medium-high grill for beef may reach the same internal temperature in three to three and a half minutes per side. Use a thermometer, not a timer.
Pull temperature: Bison is pulled at 130°F for medium-rare, not 135 to 145°F like beef. The leanness means there is no fat to compensate for overcooking the way a well-marbled beef ribeye forgives you. A bison steak at 145°F is dry and tough. The same steak at 130°F is tender, rich, and deeply satisfying. Pull three to five degrees below target to account for carryover during the rest. This is the rule you cannot unlearn once you know it.
The Two-Zone Grill Setup for Bison
For any bison steak on the grill, use a two-zone setup: one side of the grill at high heat for the sear, one side off for temperature management. Sear the bison steak over direct high heat for two to three minutes per side to develop the crust, then move to the indirect zone to bring the interior to 125 to 127°F before pulling and resting. This setup produces the best of both worlds — a proper sear from the high-heat zone and gentle, controlled interior cooking from the indirect side. The free-range bison collection at Beck & Bulow covers every cut that works on the grill, from the everyday Bison Boneless Ribeye to the showpiece Bison Tomahawk Ribeye.
Bison Grill Cut Reference
| Bison Cut | Grill Protocol | Key Difference from Beef |
| Bison Boneless Ribeye | High heat sear 2 to 3 min per side. Two-zone if thick. Pull at 128 to 130°F. Rest 6 to 7 min. | Most forgiving bison steak. Slightly higher intramuscular fat than other bison cuts. |
| Bison New York Strip | Direct medium-high heat. 3 min per side. Pull at 127 to 129°F. Rest fully. | Clean, firm. Cooks fast. The everyday premium grill steak in the bison lineup. |
| Bison Tomahawk Ribeye (30 to 36oz) | Reverse sear: indirect to 118 to 120°F, then direct sear 2 to 3 min per side. Pull at 128°F. | Long bone requires indirect heat management. Budget 45 to 60 minutes total. |
| Bison Medallions (Teres Major) | Screaming hot grill or cast iron. 2 min per side. Pull at 125 to 128°F. Rest 5 to 6 min. | Teres major: petite tender. Tenderloin-level texture. The best first bison grill experience. |
| Bison Flank Steak | Screaming hot grill. 3 to 4 min per side. Pull at 130 to 133°F. Slice against grain at 45-degree angle. | Less fat than beef flank. Benefits from a 2 to 4 hour marinade before grilling. |
| Bison T-Bone | Two-zone grill. Strip side toward heat. Pull strip at 128°F, tenderloin at 125°F. | Same two-muscle complication as beef T-bone, amplified by the leanness of both muscles. |
4. Grilling Wagyu: Why the Protocol Is Completely Different
If bison needs you to slow down and pay attention, Wagyu steaks on the grill need you to rethink the entire premise. The fat composition and density of Wagyu behaves differently under high heat in ways that will surprise you the first time if nobody warned you.
American Wagyu on the Grill (BMS 5 to 9)
American Wagyu at BMS 5 to 7 can be grilled using a modified version of the standard beef grill protocol: two-zone setup, direct sear, indirect finish. The higher fat content means more fat will render during the sear, producing more dripping and a higher flare-up risk than conventional beef of equivalent size. Keep the lid open and have the indirect zone ready. Pull American Wagyu at 128 to 130°F for medium-rare, slightly lower than USDA Prime beef because the rendering fat produces more carryover heat. Rest six to seven minutes. The eating experience is rich and buttery from the grill in a way that conventional beef simply cannot produce at the same cook. The Wagyu Beef Boneless Ribeye is the right starting point.
Japanese A5 Wagyu on the Grill: Handle With Care
Japanese A5 Wagyu at BMS 10 to 12 is not a conventional grilling steak and should not be treated as one. The extraordinary intramuscular fat density means that open grill grates will receive so much rendered fat from the A5 that flare-ups become intense and continuous at standard grill temperatures. The protocol for A5 Wagyu on a grill: use a cast iron skillet or griddle plate on the grill surface to create a flat-top effect, keep the temperature at medium, cook thin slices for 60 to 90 seconds per side, and never cook at high heat directly over open grates.
The honest truth: a cast iron pan on a stovetop produces better results for A5 Wagyu than a backyard grill in most conditions. If outdoor cooking with A5 is the goal, use a Binchotan charcoal grill or a flat-top gas griddle rather than open grates. The tradition and the science point the same direction here.
Also Read: Venison vs Beef: The Nutrition Case for Wild Game
Grass-Fed and Pasture-Raised Beef on the Grill
Beck & Bulow carries grass-fed beef ribeye from New Zealand and the Pasture Raised Beef Boneless Ribeye. Both grill differently from grain-finished USDA Choice beef in ways worth knowing:
- Less intramuscular fat: Grass-finished beef carries less intramuscular fat than grain-finished beef at the same cut, producing a cleaner flame character on the grill and requiring slightly more attentive heat management.
- Better omega ratio: The grass-finished fat profile is oleic acid-forward rather than saturated-fat-heavy, which means it renders at a slightly lower temperature and produces a different crust character.
- Cleaner, more expressive flavor: Grass-finished beef on the grill has more going on flavor-wise than grain-finished equivalents. The forage diet comes through clearly at high heat where flavors concentrate.
- Pull temperature: Grass-finished beef ribeye at 130 to 133•F, slightly lower than grain-fed beef due to the leaner fat profile.
| Protein / Product | Grill Protocol Summary |
| Wagyu Beef Boneless Ribeye (BMS 5 to 7) | Two-zone grill. Direct sear medium-high. Manage flare-ups. Pull at 128 to 130°F. Rest 6 to 7 min. |
| Grass Fed Beef Ribeye (New Zealand) | Two-zone grill. Direct medium-high. Pull at 130 to 133°F, slightly lower than grain-fed. Rest fully. |
| Pasture Raised Beef Boneless Ribeye | Standard grill protocol. Medium-high direct heat. Pull at 132 to 135°F. Rest 5 to 6 min. |
| A5 Wagyu Petite Ribeye (Kagoshima) | NOT an open-grate grill product. Use cast iron on grill surface. Medium heat only. Thin slices, 60 to 90 sec per side. |
5. The Complete Grill Setup Guide for Premium Steaks
Gas vs Charcoal for Premium Steaks
The gas vs charcoal debate has a genuine answer, and it's not the one most charcoal evangelists want to hear: for lean proteins like bison and grass-finished beef where the cooking window is narrow, the controlled heat of a gas grill is more forgiving for most home cooks. Charcoal grills produce surface temperatures of 600 to 700°F compared to 450 to 550°F for most gas grills at maximum output. That ceiling matters for conventional beef ribeye and grass-fed beef where charcoal produces a more complex, expressive char. For Wagyu, gas allows more precise heat management to prevent the flare-ups that the rendering fat will generate. Know what you're cooking and choose accordingly.
The Two-Zone Setup: The Most Important Grill Configuration
For every premium steak on the grill, the two-zone setup is the method you want:
- On a gas grill: light all burners to preheat. Before placing the steak, turn one side to high for searing and one side off for the indirect zone.
- On a charcoal grill: bank all coals to one side after they are fully ashed over. The coal side is the searing zone. The empty side is the indirect zone.
- Sear over direct heat to develop the crust (two to three minutes per side for a 1-inch steak). Move to the indirect zone to bring the interior to within five degrees of the pull temperature. Rest off the grill entirely.
The Thermometer Argument
For conventional beef, experienced grill cooks can estimate doneness by touch and get away with it. For pasture-raised bison, grass-fed beef, and Wagyu, a thermometer is not optional. The cooking windows are narrower. The consequences of missing the pull temperature are more severe, particularly for lean bison. And the value of the product is high enough that a $15 instant-read thermometer is genuinely the best insurance available in your kitchen.
Resting: The Step Most Home Cooks Skip
Every premium steak needs to rest after leaving the grill. Resting allows the muscle fibers — which contracted from the heat and pushed their moisture toward the center — to relax and redistribute that moisture throughout the steak. A ribeye cut immediately off the grill loses a meaningful amount of moisture to the cutting board. The same steak rested for six to seven minutes loses almost none. The rule: rest time equals approximately half the cook time, with a minimum of five minutes for anything under an inch and seven to ten minutes for anything over. A wire rack rather than a flat plate helps the bottom of the steak maintain its crust instead of steaming against its own surface moisture.
Also Read: Dry-Aged vs Wet-Aged Beef: Which One Wins and When
6. The Sourcing Argument: Why the Same Cut Grills Differently Depending on Where It Came From
Here is the part that most grilling guides skip because it's inconvenient: two ribeyes from the same USDA grade can behave completely differently on the grill based on their specific fat composition, their moisture content from the cold chain, and the muscle structure from the animal's life. The cut label is the starting point. The sourcing is what determines the outcome.
Pasture-Raised vs Grain-Finished Fat Behavior on the Grill
Grain-finished beef fat is high in palmitic and stearic saturated fatty acids, which have melting points of 145 to 162°F. On a hot grill, these fats render slowly, producing the continuous basting effect that makes USDA Prime ribeye so forgiving to cook. Pasture-raised and grass-finished beef fat, with its higher oleic acid content, renders faster and produces a different fat drip character.
For the grill cook, this means: grass-finished beef ribeye and pasture-raised bison produce their crust faster and need more attentive heat management than grain-finished USDA Prime. This is not a negative. It is a characteristic that, managed correctly, produces a cleaner and more expressive crust flavor from proteins that have a more interesting story behind them. The steak collection at Beck & Bulow covers all three sourcing profiles: pasture-raised beef, free-range bison, and Wagyu.
The Cold Chain Advantage
A Beck & Bulow steak arrives flash-frozen at peak processing quality, vacuum-sealed against oxygen and moisture loss, and thawed in the refrigerator 24 hours before cooking. Its moisture content is identical to what it was at processing. A grocery store ribeye has been sitting in refrigerated display, losing moisture continuously since it was cut. On the grill, moisture content is one of the key variables in crust development. A drier surface from proper refrigerator thawing of a vacuum-sealed steak produces a faster, more complete Maillard crust than a wetter surface from a display-case cut. The difference is visible in the pan within the first thirty seconds.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best cut of beef for grilling for maximum flavor?
The ribeye. The intramuscular fat of a well-marbled ribeye renders during the sear, bastes the muscle from inside, produces the char and dripping that drive Maillard flavor development, and creates the bold, deeply satisfying eating experience that earns it the King of Steaks title. For maximum flavor from a pasture-raised or grass-finished ribeye, the same principle applies but requires a two-zone grill setup due to the leaner fat profile versus grain-finished equivalents.
At what temperature should you pull bison steak off the grill?
Pull bison steak at 125 to 128°F on the grill, accounting for carryover heat during the five to seven minute rest to arrive at 130°F (medium-rare) at the table. Bison is approximately 30% leaner than conventional beef, which means there is no intramuscular fat to compensate for overcooking the way beef fat does. A bison steak at 145°F is dry and tough. The same steak at 130°F is tender, rich, and deeply satisfying. A thermometer is non-optional for bison on the grill.
Can you grill Wagyu beef the same way as regular beef?
American Wagyu at BMS 5 to 7 can be grilled with a modified beef protocol: two-zone setup, direct sear at medium-high, manage flare-ups from the rendering fat, pull at 128 to 130°F. Japanese A5 Wagyu at BMS 10 to 12 should not be grilled on open grates. The extraordinary fat density produces intense, continuous flare-ups on open grates that char the exterior before the interior is cooked. A5 Wagyu requires a cast iron insert or flat-top griddle plate on the grill surface, medium heat only, thin slices, and 60 to 90 seconds per side maximum.
Is a gas grill or charcoal grill better for premium steaks?
Both work. Charcoal grills produce 600 to 700°F surface temperatures versus 450 to 550°F for most gas grills at maximum output. For lean proteins like bison and grass-finished beef where the cooking window is narrower, the controllable, consistent heat of a gas grill is more forgiving for most home cooks. For Wagyu, gas allows more precise heat management to prevent flare-ups from the rendering fat. For grass-fed beef ribeye, charcoal produces a more complex, expressive result that the protein's natural flavor can support.
What is the reverse sear method and when should you use it?
Reverse sear is the method of bringing a thick steak to within five to ten degrees of the target internal temperature in a low-heat environment — oven or indirect grill zone — before finishing with a high-heat direct sear for crust development. It is specifically suited for thick cuts (1.5 inches and above). The Bison Tomahawk Ribeye and any thick beef tomahawk should be reverse-seared: indirect heat to 118 to 125°F, then direct sear two to three minutes per side for crust. The reverse sear produces more even edge-to-edge doneness in thick cuts than any other method.
How long should you let a steak rest after grilling?
Rest time is approximately half the cook time, with a minimum of five minutes for steaks under an inch and seven to ten minutes for steaks over an inch. The purpose of resting is to allow the muscle fibers to relax and redistribute moisture throughout the steak after the heat has contracted them. Place resting steaks on a wire rack rather than flat on a plate so the bottom of the steak does not steam in its own moisture and lose the crust you developed on the grill.
Should you oil the grill grates or the steak before grilling?
Oil the steak, not the grates. Applying oil to grill grates produces initial smoke but the oil burns off quickly at grill temperatures before the steak goes on. Oiling the steak's surface directly ensures the oil is present at the contact point throughout the sear. Use a high-smoke-point fat: bison tallow (smoke point approximately 420°F) or avocado oil (520°F) are both appropriate.
What is the teres major and is it a good cut for grilling?
The teres major, also called the petite tender, is a shoulder stabilizer muscle that produces a cut with near-tenderloin texture and more flavor than tenderloin. Beck & Bulow cuts bison medallions from this muscle. It's an excellent grilling cut: the fine muscle grain produces tenderness, and the moderate size allows fast, precise cooking over high direct heat. Grill bison medallions at screaming-hot direct heat for two minutes per side, pull at 125 to 128°F, rest five to six minutes.
What is the best grill temperature for a 1-inch ribeye?
For a 1-inch conventional beef ribeye: preheat grill to high (450 to 550°F on gas). Sear three to four minutes per side on direct heat. Move to indirect to bring to pull temperature (135°F). For a 1-inch bison ribeye: preheat to high, sear 2.5 to 3 minutes per side, pull at 128 to 130°F using a thermometer. For a 1-inch American Wagyu ribeye (BMS 5 to 7): medium-high heat, three minutes per side, manage flare-ups, pull at 128 to 130°F.
Also Read: Bison Nutrition Facts: What the Science Actually Says
The best cuts for grilling come down to three things working together: the cut itself (ribeye leads, NY strip follows, tomahawk for occasions), the protein (bison needs lower pull temps and a two-zone setup, Wagyu needs adjusted heat and care, grass-finished beef grills clean and expressive), and the sourcing behind the product.
Beck & Bulow's steak catalogue covers every cut for every protocol: bison ribeye, bison NY strip, bison tomahawk, bison medallions from the teres major, Wagyu boneless ribeye, A5 Wagyu Petite Ribeye from Kagoshima, New Zealand grass-fed beef ribeye, and pasture-raised Angus ribeye. Everything ships frozen, packed with dry ice.
Sources cited: USDA FSIS safe internal temperatures (fsis.usda.gov). Cook's Illustrated grill temperature research (cooksillustrated.com). ThermoWorks Thermapen (thermoworks.com).