A sirloin is a cut of beef from the back part of a cow, between the ribs and the hip. When you order a sirloin steak at a restaurant, you're getting meat from this area, which is known for being flavorful and relatively lean.

The sirloin sits just behind the short loin (where expensive cuts like T-bones and porterhouses come from) and above the round (the cow's hindquarters). Because cows don't use these back muscles as intensely as their legs or shoulders, sirloin meat stays tender enough to grill or broil as steaks, though it's not quite as tender as the priciest cuts. This makes sirloin a popular choice: tender enough to enjoy as a steak, but less expensive than filet mignon.

Butchers divide the sirloin into top sirloin and bottom sirloin. Top sirloin makes excellent steaks, while bottom sirloin often gets used for roasts or ground beef. When a recipe calls for sirloin without specifying, it usually means top sirloin.

There's a charming legend that an English king enjoyed this cut so much he knighted it “Sir Loin,” but this story, while fun, isn't true. The word actually comes from French.