The reason why they call it cowboy steak is because of it's rugged, thick cut and also the short, exposed and 'frenched" bone which resembles a tool or handle which cowboys may have used for eating or cooking over an open fire.
The term cowboy steak evokes a rugged and hearty meal that is fitting for the lifestyle and culinary traditions of cowboys out of the open range.
Cowboy steaks are thick, bone in ribeyes and the name suggests a substantial, fuel rich meal that is suitable for people performing physically demanding labor and the cut is also associated with the practice of cowboys cooking hearty portions over an open flame or campfire after a long day's work.
The most distinctive feature of cowboy steak is the "frenched" bone that means it's cleaned of meat and fat and the protruding bone is also said to have served as a convenient handle for holding the steak, which would have also been very useful when knives and forks were not available.
The concept of eating steak and steak cooking was developed in the 15th Century in Florence, Italy, with the dish bistecca alla fiorentina.
And English merchants also present at a St. Lawerence Day feast in Florence also likely anglicized the Italian word, which lead to the English term "beefsteak" and eventually the term "steak".
The word steak also comes from a 15th century Scandinavian word for a thick cut of meat.
And our ancestors have eaten sirloin steak before the Tuscans, steak as we know it today, is also said to have originated in 15th century Florence, the capital of Italy's Tuscany region.
Argentina is the country that eats the most steak as steak as they have a deeply ingrained cattle raising culture and traditional barbecue.
The United States also consumes more beef overall, due to it's large population, but Argentinians eat more beef per person, with consumption figures at around 100 lbs annually in recent years.
Steak is most commonly a slice of beef that is cut from the fleshy part of a carcass.
Although the term steak can refer to similar cuts of meat from other animals such as goat, bison, deer and even fish, but beef is the most common form of steak.
Beef steaks are also usually cut perpendicular to the muscle fibers and come from the tender areas of the animal, like the rib and loin to ensure that they are tender and suitable for fast cooking methods like grilling.