Steak If You Please: New Steak Cut Awaits Patent Approval

Jun 22, 2012

The Vegas Strip is introduced as the latest and greatest steak cut

Just when you thought you knew all of your favorite steak cuts researchers at Oklahoma State University have figured out how to carve a new steak, what they are calling the Vegas Strip. This is a unique innovation, because this new steak cut normally comes from part of a cow that is used for hamburger. Not only is this discovery appetizing, but it adds value to the carcass. But here is where it gets interesting; researchers have filed for a patent seeking to protect the technique of extracting the steak from the carcass. This is unique because researchers are attempting to paten a food product based on a technique. The Vegas Strip has been described as comparable to New York Steak Strip, with a natural tenderness and visual appeal.

But is this the real deal? Critics warn that the Vegas Strip might just be a PR move to increase profits off of a beef carcass. The move could be signalling a trend in the industry where one rebrands and names a cut of steak for more appeal. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association has done just that with the Denver steak. If the New York Steak piques your interest, there are currently three approved suppliers in the U.S. found on the product website. Time will tell if the bigger question of patenting food products will conjure up ethical questions by some consumers.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.