The Kosher Steak Guide

A kosher steak goes through several steps that a regular steak never does, and those steps decide which cuts reach a kosher steakhouse menu. This guide explains how kosher beef is produced, why ribeye rules the kosher steakhouse, what aging does, and how to choose your steak at JZ Steakhouse Aventura, a Glatt kosher steakhouse under ORB supervision.

What Makes a Steak Kosher

Shechita. Kosher beef starts with shechita, slaughter by a trained shochet using a single swift cut with a perfectly smooth, razor-sharp knife.

Inspection and “glatt”. After shechita the animal's organs are inspected, above all the lungs. “Glatt” means smooth: the lungs were found free of adhesions. Glatt is a stricter standard than basic kosher, and it is the standard on our certificate.

Nikur (porging). Certain fats and veins, and the sciatic nerve, are forbidden and must be removed by hand.

Kashering. Finally, the meat is soaked in water, covered in coarse salt to draw out the blood, and rinsed thoroughly. Only then is it ready to cook.

Why Ribeye Rules the Kosher Steakhouse

The sciatic nerve and the forbidden fats run through the hindquarter, and removing them from those cuts is slow, skilled work. In the United States the hindquarter is therefore almost always sold to the non-kosher market. That means the cuts most steakhouses build their menus around — filet mignon, New York strip, sirloin, porterhouse and T-bone — are rarely found kosher.

Kosher steaks come from the forequarter, and the best of the forequarter is the rib. The ribeye is richly marbled, which keeps it juicy and full of flavor on the grill, and it is the heart of our menu.

The Cuts on Our Menu

Each cut's aging is listed as it appears on our menu. Steaks range from about $60 to $139, depending on the cut and size.

• 12oz Ribeye

  Boneless, aged 21 days. The classic single-serving steak, with one side.

• 12oz Pepper Crusted Steak

  A 12-ounce ribeye with a peppercorn crust, with one side.

• 12oz Hawaiian Steak

  Aged 21 days in a Hawaiian-style marinade, with one side.

• 16oz Rib Steak on the Bone

  The ribeye with its rib bone left in, aged 21 days, with one side.

• 24oz Rib Steak on the Bone

  A larger bone-in rib steak, aged 21 days, with one side.

• 32oz JZ Steak

  Our largest ribeye, aged 21 days, with two sides. Built for sharing.

Ribeye or rib steak? They are the same cut. The ribeye is boneless and cooks evenly; the rib steak keeps the bone, which many steak lovers prefer for the flavor of the meat closest to it.

What Aging Does

Aging gives a steak time. As the meat rests under controlled conditions, its own enzymes slowly break down connective tissue, which makes it more tender and concentrates its flavor. The 12-ounce ribeye, the Hawaiian steak, the rib steaks on the bone and the 32-ounce JZ Steak are aged 21 days before they reach the grill.

Choosing Your Doneness

Ribeye has plenty of marbling, and that fat needs a little heat to render. Many steak lovers order ribeye medium-rare to medium for that reason. Approximate internal temperatures, as most steakhouses use them:

• Rare — cool red center, about 120–125°F
• Medium-rare — warm red center, about 130–135°F
• Medium — warm pink center, about 135–145°F
• Medium-well — slightly pink center, about 145–155°F
• Well done — little or no pink, 155°F and above

How to Order at JZ

For one: the 12-ounce ribeye, pepper crusted steak or Hawaiian steak, each with one side. For a bigger appetite: the 16- or 24-ounce rib steak on the bone. For two: the 32-ounce JZ Steak, which comes with two sides. Sides include hand-cut French fries, sweet potato fries, mashed potatoes, roasted mini potatoes and garlic green beans.

Many tables start with our house salads and fresh laffa (ordered per person with entrées for the whole table, minimum two). From the bar, a Manhattan, an Old Fashioned or a red from our list, which includes Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Merlot, goes well with a ribeye. Our wines and cocktails are served under the same ORB supervision as our kitchen.

Kosher You Can Check

JZ Steakhouse Aventura is certified Glatt Meat and Pas Yisroel by the Orthodox Rabbinical Board of Broward and Palm Beach Counties. See exactly what our certificate covers on the kosher certification page, every cut on our kosher steakhouse page, or the full menu and drinks.