delmonico
RareFormal/Restaurant & Culinary
Definition
Meaning
A style of steak, typically a boneless cut from the rib or short loin, often thick-cut and cooked to order.
Also refers to a method of preparing potatoes (delmonico potatoes) and historically to dishes and cuts of meat featured at the Delmonico's restaurant in New York City, which set a standard for fine dining in the 19th century.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a culinary term. Its usage outside of food contexts (e.g., describing a type of furniture) is archaic or highly specialized. It is a proper noun turned common noun (eponym).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term is almost exclusively American. In British English, similar cuts are referred to by different names (e.g., rib-eye, entrecôte), and 'delmonico potatoes' are unknown.
Connotations
In the US, it connotes a classic, high-quality steakhouse cut, often with a sense of tradition. In the UK, it is a little-known Americanism.
Frequency
Very rare in UK English; low-to-medium in specific US culinary contexts (menus, butchers).
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[to order/cook/serve] a delmonicoa delmonico [with/and] ...Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “As rich as a Delmonico's patron (archaic).”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used in the restaurant/hospitality industry on menus and in supplier catalogs.
Academic
Appears in historical or culinary studies about American dining culture.
Everyday
Very rare; used by patrons in upscale steakhouses or knowledgeable home cooks.
Technical
Used in butchery to denote a specific cut, though definitions can vary regionally.
Examples
By Part of Speech
adjective
American English
- We enjoyed the Delmonico potatoes as a side dish.
- He prefers the Delmonico cut over a porterhouse.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The menu has a delmonico steak.
- What is delmonico potatoes?
- For the main course, I highly recommend the 12-ounce delmonico, cooked medium-rare.
- The recipe for Delmonico potatoes involves cream, cheese, and a breadcrumb topping.
- The butcher explained that the delmonico, while similar to a ribeye, is cut from a slightly different section of the rib primal.
- The culinary historian traced the popularity of the delmonico cut back to the gilded age dining rooms of New York.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a DELuxe MONey COsting steak – a DEL-MONI-CO.
Conceptual Metaphor
A STANDARD OF QUALITY (The Delmonico restaurant set the standard, so the name became a metaphor for a high-quality cut).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not translate literally. It is not a general term for 'steak' (бифштекс, стейк). It is a specific cut.
- Avoid confusing with 'filet mignon' (филе миньон) or 'ribeye' (рибай).
Common Mistakes
- Using 'delmonico' as a general term for any steak.
- Misspelling as 'delmonico's' (apostrophe) when used as a common noun.
- Assuming it's a cooking method rather than a cut.
Practice
Quiz
What is a 'Delmonico' most accurately described as?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
They are very similar and often used interchangeably, but some butchers distinguish the Delmonico as a boneless cut from the front of the rib section, while a ribeye might include the bone or be from the center. The definitions are not standardized.
It originates from Delmonico's, a famous 19th-century restaurant in New York City, which popularised several dishes and cuts of meat, lending its name to them.
No, it is not a recognised term in British butchery or dining. You would order a rib-eye or entrecôte instead.
A American potato casserole dish consisting of cubed potatoes baked in a cream sauce, often with cheese and breadcrumbs, also named after the restaurant.