Here is how to cut scotch fillet at home: trim the cube roll, find the grain, slice straight across it at an even thickness, then weigh and pack every steak.
Cutting your own puts the thickness in your hands, so every steak suits the way you cook.
It also means the ends and trim go to good use instead of the bin.
This guide covers the kit, the step-by-step method, how thick to cut, what to do with the end pieces and how to pack every steak for the freezer.
Before You Start: Tools, Prep and Reading the Cube Roll
Before you cut, set out a long sharp knife, a heavy board, a ruler and a kitchen scale, and work with the cube roll cold from the fridge so it stays firm.
A cube roll is the whole boneless rib eye, the single piece every scotch fillet steak is cut from. The only real split between rib eye and scotch fillet is whether the bone stays on.
The method is the same for a 4kg AMG A Budget cube roll or a 5kg Southern Ranges SR+ or Roam piece. You will need:
- A long slicing knife, longer than the cube roll is wide, so each steak comes off in one stroke
- A boning knife for trimming fat and silverskin
- A heavy board on a damp cloth so it cannot slide
- A ruler, a kitchen scale, a marker and labels
- A vacuum sealer or heavy freezer bags
Lift the cube roll from its bag, pat it dry with paper towel and look along its length. The fine lines running through the meat show the grain, and every steak is cut across them.
The two ends differ. One end carries more of the spinalis, the richly marbled rib cap that curls around the eye, while the other is mostly eye muscle, so steaks from each end look and eat a little differently.
How to Cut Scotch Fillet into Steaks, Step by Step
To cut scotch fillet into steaks, trim the surface, square off one end, then slice straight down across the grain at your chosen thickness in one long stroke per steak.
- Trim the surface. Remove loose fat, dry edges and the thin silverskin with the tip of a boning knife, angling the blade up against the membrane so you lose as little meat as possible.
- Square off one end. Take a thin slice off the end to create a flat face, and keep that offcut for stir fries.
- Mark your thickness. Measure from the flat face with a ruler and nick the surface at each steak width so every steak matches.
- Cut across the grain. Hold the knife at a right angle to the grain and draw the full length of the blade down in one smooth stroke, without sawing.
- Weigh and adjust. Weigh the first few steaks, and if they run heavier or lighter than you planned, move your marks a few millimetres.
- Stop at the last even steak. When the remaining piece is too short or uneven for a full steak, keep it whole as an end piece.
- Pack straight away. Portion, seal and label the steaks, then return them to the fridge or freezer rather than leaving them on the bench.
A cube roll changes shape along its length, so steaks of the same thickness will not all weigh the same. If even portions matter more than even thickness, cut to weight instead: weigh as you go and adjust the width of each steak.
A clean, single stroke gives a smooth surface that sears evenly, while sawing back and forth tears the meat and leaves a ragged face that browns patchily.
How Thick Should You Cut Scotch Fillet?
Cut scotch fillet 2.5cm to 3cm thick for an everyday pan or barbecue steak, and 4cm thick when you want a deep crust over a pink centre or plan to reverse sear.
Thicker steaks are more forgiving because the centre takes longer to overshoot, while thin steaks can overcook before they brown. A thick cut scotch fillet also suits sharing, carved across the grain at the table.
| Thickness | Best cooking method |
|---|---|
| 2.5cm | Hot pan or barbecue |
| 3cm | Pan sear and butter baste, barbecue |
| 4cm | Reverse sear, thick-cut barbecue steak |
To estimate how many steaks you will get, divide the piece weight by your steak weight. As a rough raw-weight division, a 4kg cube roll gives at most about thirteen 300g steaks, and the real count is lower because trim and the end pieces come off before the first steak.
If you are unsure which thickness suits you, cut a few steaks at each size the first time, cook them over a couple of weeks and portion the next cube roll to the one your household prefers.
Portioning the whole piece yourself is what makes buying meat in bulk pay off, and the price per kilo of every cube roll drops again with each larger box.
Using the Ends, Packing and Freezing Your Steaks
Keep the end pieces for a small roast or shaved steak, then pack the steaks by household size, vacuum seal and label every pack, and freeze them flat.
The ends are the same premium meat as the steaks, just an awkward shape. A thicker end trims into a neat scotch fillet roast for two or three people.
Thin offcuts shave beautifully for a Philly cheesesteak or a fast stir fry. Hard fat can be rendered or discarded, while sinew and silverskin belong in the stock pot, never in mince.
Pack by how your household eats, for example two steaks to a bag for a couple and four for a family. Vacuum seal or press out every bit of air, then label each pack with the cut, thickness, weight and date. Mark the end pieces separately, so you know at a glance which packs are for roasting or shaving rather than steak night.
Freeze the packs flat in a single layer so they chill quickly and stack neatly once solid, then thaw them in the fridge. Check freezer storage times before deciding how many steaks to freeze at once.
Conclusion
Cutting a whole cube roll comes down to a clean trim, a sharp knife and one straight stroke across the grain for every steak.
Choose 2.5cm to 3cm for everyday steaks and 4cm for a showpiece, then pack and label as you go.
Our grass-fed whole cube rolls arrive chilled, ready for the knife.
