Let's talk about NAMP 184F. Yeah I just got all beef nerd on you. I have most commonly seen this steak called a baseball cut...but it's being sold under a number of names. So first off, what is it and when do you want to buy it? This is a very flavorful piece of meat, but unlike the barrel cut filet that it so closely resembles it is not a tender cut. It is the top of the top sirloin. It produces a chewy piece of beef that is packed with delicious flavor. It puffs a little bit when cooked. See above picture. The whole piece looks a bit rectangular, and as above is often sold cut in half and tied with butchers string to look more rounded similar to a filet.
I would rate it below the big four (Filet, Ribeye, New York, Porterhouse), but there in level two a very strong contender. Before you start bringing up Delmonico, Kansas City, or T-Bones understand that I consider those small variations on the big four.
Is it a Culotte? A Chateaubriand? A Faux-Filet? An Aloyau? Let's take each in turn.
Culotte...There is an argument to be made here. This term is correct; however, sometimes butchers sell a piece from the bottom of the sirloin that looks a bit like a New York as a Culotte.
Chateaubriand...This is a crime. This is not a Chateaubriand. That cut is from the tenderloin. While the cuts may look similar they have very different textures.
A Faux-Filet...Ding ding ding this is a total winner.
Aloyau...I looked at a number of cuts sold as Aloyeau as well as several beef maps or charts and here is what I came up with...Aloyeau is a more general term similar to Sirloin. So all Baseball cuts are Aloyeau, but not all Aloyeau are baseball cuts. Then there's the Bavette d'Aloyeau, which is a flank steak. That's the whole other side of the animal.
Would a rose by another name smell as sweet? Yes these cuts are tasty whatever you want to call them. When you're at the butcher use your eyes and talk to the man behind the counter. This steak has been called a lot of names, but whatever you call it...the steak tastes the same.