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We here at the Beijinger love to sink our teeth into a juicy steak cooked just the way we like it. However, sometimes getting it cooked the way you like it or finding the right cut to cook at home is easier said than done here in China. So we've put together a complete guide for ordering steak (牛排 niú pái) in Chinese to make it super simple!
Ordering doneness
When ordering a steak in China, your server will normally ask "你要几分熟 nǐ yào jǐ fēn shú" which means "how would you like it cooked?" To reply you use the word 熟 shú*, which literally means "cooked", preceded by how many minutes (分 fēn) you want it cooked for. You can see how the number of minutes correspond to English doneness below:
Rare: 一分熟 yī fēn shúMedium rare: 三分熟 sān fēn shúMedium: 五分熟 wǔ fēn shúMedium well: 七分熟 : qī fēn shúWell done: 全熟 quán shú
* can also be pronounced as shóu
Different types of beef
Here are some of the most common types of beef you'll see here in Beijing:
Angus beef: 安格斯牛 Ān gé sī niúWagyu beef: 和牛 Hé niúUS beef: 美国牛肉 Měi guó niú ròuArgentinian beef: 阿根廷牛肉 Ā gēn tíng niú ròuAustralian beef: 澳洲牛肉 Ào zhōu niú ròuGrain-fed: 谷饲 gǔ sìDry aged: 干式熟成 gān shì shú chéngWet Aged: 湿式熟成 shī shì shú chéng
Different cuts of steak
Knowing different cuts of steak in Chinese is particularly useful if you're planning on making yourself a nice steak at home and need help finding the right cut on waimai or your local shop.
Filet: 菲力牛排 fēi lì niú páiRib eye: 肋眼牛排 lèi yǎn niú páiSirloin: 西冷牛排 xī lěng niú pái/牛脊肉 niú jǐ ròuT-Bone: T骨牛排 T gǔ niú páiNew York Strip: 纽约西冷牛排 Niǔ yuē xī lěng niú páiTomahawk: 战斧牛排 zhàn fǔ niú páiBone-in: 带骨牛排 dài gǔ niú páiShort rib: 牛小排 niú xiǎo páiTenderloin: 牛里脊 niú lǐ jǐ/牛柳 niú liǔPorterhouse: 上等牛排 shàng děng niú pái Flank: 扇面牛腩 shàn miàn niú nǎnRump: 臀尖 tún jiānShoulder: 牛肩 niú jiānBrisket: 胸腩 xiōng nǎnShank: 牛腱子 niú jiàn zi
Sauces
Lastly, here are some of the most common sauces usually offered to pair with your steak.
Mushroom sauce: 蘑菇汁 mó gu zhīBlack pepper sauce: 黑胡椒汁 hēi hú jiāo zhīMustard sauce: 芥末汁 jiè mo zhīBéarnaise sauce: 法式伯那西酱 fǎ shì bó nà xī jiàng
来源：The Beijinger编辑：万月英