Beef Cuts

Beef has long been a protein staple that has been incorporated into almost every culture in the world. With its many nutritional benefits and rich flavor profile, it’s hard to go wrong adding it in to your meals. Whether you’re new to cooking or want to refine your knowledge of beef cuts, we’ve created this handy guide so you can choose the perfect cut and cooking method for any dish you desire. This guide will help to explain the location of major beef cuts, which cuts are considered the best as well as the most reliable ways to cook each one.

THE BASICS OF BEEF CUTS

Beef is divided into large sections called primal cuts, which you can see in our beef cuts chart. These primal beef cuts, or "primals," are then broken down further into "food-service cuts." These are then chopped into individual steaks, roasts, and other retail cuts.

A side of beef is literally one side of the beef carcass that is split through the backbone. Each side is then halved between the 12th and 13th ribs. These sections are called the forequarter (front of the cow) and the hindquarter (back of the cow).

The most tender cuts of beef are the ones farthest from the horn and hoof. The toughest areas of the animal are the shoulder and leg muscles because they are worked the most.

FOREQUARTER CUTS: BEEF CHUCK

Beef chuck comes from the forequarter. Consisting of parts of the neck, shoulder blade, and upper arm, beef chuck produces tough but very flavorful cuts of meat.

This primal cut has a good deal of connective tissue. That makes chuck a good choice for braised dishes like beef stew or pot roast, both of which tenderize tough cuts. Due to its fat content, beef chuck is also excellent for making ground beef that produces juicy burgers.

The classic 7-bone roast comes from the beef chuck, as do the increasingly popular flat iron steak and Denver steak.

With conventional butchering, the beef chuck is separated from the rib primal between the fifth and sixth ribs. This means that it also contains a few inches of the longissimus dorsi muscle, which is the same tender muscle that rib eye steaks are made from.

COOKING TIPS FOR FLAT IRON STEAK:

Cook 8 – 10 min on direct medium heat (350°F – 450°F), turning once.

FOREQUARTER CUTS: BEEF RIB

Made from the top part of the center section of rib—specifically the sixth through the twelfth ribs— the beef rib primal cut is used for the traditional standing rib roast (also called prime rib). It's also the source of the delectable ribeye steak as well as the classic French entrecôte.

Since they're already tender, steaks and roasts from the beef rib primal can undergo various forms of dry-heat cooking and remain tender. That means you can easily grill, fry, broil, roast, or barbecue these cuts.

It's nearly impossible to describe a beef primal cut without discussing adjacent cuts. In this case, the beef rib primal is situated directly above the beef plate. Exactly where it's divided is somewhat arbitrary. Nevertheless, the lower parts of those ribs—whether we attribute them to the rib primal or the plate primal—are where beef short ribs come from.

COOKING TIPS FOR RIBEYE:

For a 1 ½ inch cut, sear 6 – 8 min on direct high heat (450°F – 550°F), turning once; and grill for 4 – 6 min indirect on high heat.

FOREQUARTER CUTS: BEEF PLATE

Also called the short plate (or "long plate" depending on where it's separated from the rib primal above it), the beef plate primal includes the short ribs. It is also where the skirt steak is located, which is used in carne asada, a grilled Mexican dish of spicy marinated steak strips.

Skirt steak is the diaphragm muscle. It's attached to the inside abdominal wall by a system of thick connective tissue, which needs to be carefully trimmed away. This steak is extremely flavorful. It's also a thin piece of meat, allowing you to cook it very quickly over high heat. Just don't overcook it. Since it has coarse muscle fibers, be sure to slice it against the grain or it will be chewy.

Beef plate contains a lot of cartilage, especially around the ribs, which is why beef short ribs are ideal for braising. This process of cooking with moist heat at a low temperature will dissolve cartilage and turn it into gelatin.

The beef plate is also fairly fatty, so it can be used in making ground beef. If you're concerned about how lean your beef is, mix it with ground beef from another cut.

COOKING TIPS FOR SKIRT STEAK:

Sear 2 – 3 min on direct medium heat (350°F – 450°F), turning once.

FOREQUARTER CUTS: BEEF BRISKET

Beef brisket is one of the most flavorful cuts of meat, although it is tough and needs to be cooked in just the right way. It's also a moderately fatty cut of beef, but this can work to your advantage because it tenderizes into succulent, meaty perfection.

Taken from the area around the breastbone, the brisket is basically the chest or pectoral muscle of the animal. The characteristically thick, coarse-grained meat needs a lot of time and low-temperature cooking to break down and tenderize

Brisket is frequently used for making pot roast, and it's the traditional choice for corned beef. Another very popular technique for preparing brisket is to slow cook it in a barbecue or smoker.

COOKING TIPS FOR BEEF BRISKET:

Start smoking a 12 to 13 pound brisket at 225°F until the internal temperature reads 165°F, about 8 hours.
Then, remove from the grill and wrap in butcher paper. Make sure to folding the edges down to form a leakproof seal. Return to the smoker for another 5-8 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 195°F to 203°F.
When finished, allow the brisket to rest for at least 1 hour before slicing.

FOREQUARTER CUTS: BEEF SHANK

The beef shank is the leg of the animal's thigh. Each side of beef has two shanks, one in the forequarter and one in the hindquarter. It is extremely tough and full of connective tissue.

Beef shank is used in making the luxurious Italian dish osso buco.

COOKING TIPS FOR BEEF SHANK

Brown the edges in oil and simmer for 6-8 hours in moist heat.

HINDQUARTER CUTS: BEEF SHORT LOIN

ReverseSeared New York Steak beef cuts explained

Moving on to the beef primal cuts from the hindquarter, or back of the animal, the short loin is where we find the most desirable cuts of meat. These include T-bone and porterhouse steaks, as well as the strip loin or strip steak.

The beef short loin is only about 16 to 18 inches long. It will yield anywhere from 11 to 14 steaks, depending on thickness.

The steaks from the short loin are cut starting at the rib end and working toward the rear. The first-cut steaks are club steaks or bone-in strip steaks. The center-cut steaks are T-bones, of which there may be six or seven. Finally, a butcher may be able to get two or three porterhouse steaks at the sirloin end.

The tenderloin extends from the short loin back into the sirloin. It's interesting to note that if the tenderloin is removed, there can be no T-bone or porterhouse steaks. Both steaks include a section of the tenderloin muscle.

Dry-heat cooking is best for the tender cuts from the short loin. They're excellent when grilled or fried and only lightly seasoned so you can enjoy the meat's full flavor.

COOKING TIPS FOR NEW YORK STRIP STEAK