• Learn about different prime steaks to find out which one is best for you.raw t-bone steak image by Kathy Burns from Fotolia.com
  
  The USDA grades all beef on an eight-level scale. At the grocery store or in a restaurant, though, you'll basically find beef divided into three levels: prime, choice and select. Prime beef is the highest grade of steak; less than 2 percent of all steaks are graded prime. Choosing the best prime steak is a matter of opinion, but there are several cuts that are generally regarded as higher quality.
  
  

Filet Mignon

• This cut of steak is the most tender of all cuts. It's not as big as other cuts, for good reason. It's because the filet mignon is only the most tender portion of the loin. It is mild in flavor, but buttery smooth and thick. Many times, it comes wrapped in bacon.
  
  

Rib Eye

• The rib eye is a very flavorful and tender cut of steak. It has a decent amount of marbling, which is a sign of tenderness and flavor. Any cut of rib eye is good, but a prime cut is hard to match.
  
  

Top Sirloin

• Top sirloin is cut from the loin area of the cow, the same area from which the filet mignon is cut. Although it's not quite as tender as the filet mignon, it's still an excellent cut and has great flavor to it. It's a little bit leaner than other cuts of steak, so if you plan to grill a top sirloin, marinade it first.
  
  

New York Strip

• Sometimes called the Kansas City strip, this cut of meat is usually thick and large. It's cut from a muscle of the cow that gets little use while it's alive, so when it's cut, it's very tender. If you get a prime cut of New York strip, you can expect it to be very flavorful and tender.
  
  

Porterhouse

• The porterhouse is the biggest steak you can buy. This is because the porterhouse is actually two steaks: It consists of a tenderloin portion and a top loin portion. It looks like a large T-bone, but has more tenderloin than loin.