The alt.usage.english FAQ   

• "sirloin"/"baron of beef"

  (Word Origins)
  
  

  
     "Sirloin" comes from Old French _surlonge_, from _sur_ "above"
  and _loigne_ "loin".  Its current spelling may have been influenced
  by a story that a King of England (variously said to be Henry VIII,
  James I, and Charles II) "knighted" this cut of beef because of
  its superiority.
  
     A "baron of beef" is a joint consisting of two sirloins left
  uncut at the backbone.  This "baron" may have originated as a joke
  on "sirloin", or it may be an independent word.

  
  
  Source: [Mark Israel, 'Word Origins: "sirloin"/"baron of beef"', The alt.usage.english FAQ file,(line 4104), (29 Sept 1997)]
  
  
  
  

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