CarneAtlas

Denver steak

Beef · Chuck
Grill
Also called
🇲🇽🇦🇷🇪🇸🇵🇹🇧🇷🇮🇹Denver🇫🇷Onglet de palette🇩🇪Denver-Steak
Raw Denver steak — Beef Chuck cut

An 'innovation cut' identified by the US Beef Checkoff in 2009, sliced from the under-blade of the chuck (the serratus ventralis muscle). The fourth-most-tender muscle in the steer despite coming from a heavily-worked primal — the secret is that the muscle is well-supported by surrounding fat and connective tissue, so it stays tender. Rich beefy flavour, good marbling, considerably more affordable than ribeye. Best cooked rare to medium-rare on a hot grill or in a cast-iron pan.

Names by country

CountryNameNotes
🇺🇸United StatesDenver steakprimaryAn innovation cut popularised in the US in the 2010s; now widely available at butcher counters.
🇬🇧United KingdomDenver steak
🇲🇽MexicoDenverSometimes 'bistec Denver' on butcher counters.
🇦🇷ArgentinaDenver
🇫🇷FranceOnglet de paletteSometimes sold under this descriptive French name in Parisian butchers; the English loanword 'Denver' is also common.
🇪🇸SpainDenver
🇵🇹PortugalDenver
🇧🇷BrazilDenver
🇮🇹ItalyDenverEnglish loanword used in specialty Italian butchers; sometimes 'polpa di sottospalla'.
🇩🇪GermanyDenver-SteakSometimes 'Schaufelstück' in traditional German butchery.

Similar cuts

→ See all Denver steak substitutes by country
TenderloinRoundBottom SirloinRibPlateChuckShort LoinBrisketFlankSirloinShankShank

Classic recipe

Reverse-Seared Denver Steak with Chimichurri35 min

Cut from the under-blade chuck and trimmed thin, the Denver is one of the most marbled cuts most people have never heard…

Get this cut right

$ · indoor steak searing and plancha-style cooking

Render Denver's marbling without overcooking it

Hard sears when a grill is unavailable or inconvenient.

Lodge 12-Inch Cast Iron Skillet

$$ · steak and roast doneness without guesswork

Pull Denver at medium-rare, where the marbling pays off

Checking steaks, roasts, chops, and thick cuts quickly.

ThermoWorks Thermapen ONE

Affiliate links — CarneAtlas may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.See all recommended gear

More Chuck cuts

Paleron

Flat iron steak

Beef cheek

Beef neck

Matambre

Aguja norteña

Cupim

Petite tender

Macreuse à bifteck

Macreuse à pot-au-feu

Jumeau

Diezmillo

All Chuck cuts →

Sources