What Are the Cuts of Beef?

​Curious about approximately how many pounds of chuck steaks, rib-eye steaks, and ground meat you get from 1/4 beef? And how to cook all that meat?

The terminology for beef cuts generally falls into the four main categories: steaks, roasts, cubed, and ground. Beef comes from different parts of the cow, and each part yields different cuts of meat. The cuts vary in tenderness, flavor, and the best methods for cooking. Here’s a breakdown of the main beef cuts, generally grouped into primal cuts and then further divided into subprimal cuts:

1. Chuck (Shoulder area)

• Common Cuts: Chuck roast, chuck eye steak, shoulder steak, flat iron steak, and ground chuck.
• Characteristics: Typically tougher due to the muscle use, but flavorful. Best cooked with slow cooking methods like braising, stewing, or roasting.

2. Rib (Rib section)

• Common Cuts: Ribeye steak, prime rib, short ribs, and back ribs.
• Characteristics: Known for being tender and juicy, especially the ribeye due to its high marbling. Great for grilling, roasting, or pan-searing.

3. Loin (Back portion of the cow)

• Common Cuts: T-bone, porterhouse, strip steak (New York strip), and tenderloin.
• Characteristics: These are some of the most tender cuts of beef. The tenderloin, in particular, is prized for its buttery texture. Best for grilling, broiling, or pan-searing.

4. Round (Rear leg)

• Common Cuts: Round roast, eye of round, sirloin tip, and bottom round steak.
• Characteristics: Lean cuts that can be a little tougher but still flavorful. Best cooked with methods like roasting or slow cooking.

5. Brisket (Chest area)

• Common Cuts: Brisket flat, point, and whole brisket.
• Characteristics: A tougher cut that benefits from slow cooking, like smoking or braising. It’s great for barbecue and corned beef.

6. Plate (Belly area)

• Common Cuts: Skirt steak, hanger steak, and short ribs.
• Characteristics: These cuts tend to have a lot of flavor but can be tough. Skirt steak is popular for fajitas, and hanger steak has a great beefy flavor.

7. Flank (Abdominal area)

• Common Cuts: Flank steak.
• Characteristics: Lean, flavorful, and somewhat tough. Best cooked quickly on high heat (like grilling or stir-frying) and sliced against the grain.

8. Shank (Legs)

• Common Cuts: Shank cross-cut, osso buco.
• Characteristics: Very tough, but flavorful. It’s best cooked with slow methods like braising or stewing, making it ideal for dishes like beef stew or osso buco.

9. Other Cuts

• Stew Meat: Typically cuts from tougher areas like chuck or round, sold in small cubes for stews.
• Ground Beef: Often made from various cuts, but typically leaner cuts or trimmings from the chuck or round.

Each cut of beef has its own unique qualities, so choosing the right cut depends on the dish you're preparing and your preferred cooking method.

 just about all meat tastes delicious if you cook it right. And you’ll be able to cook it right if you have a basic understanding of how an animal moved during its lifetime and how an animal’s individual muscles typically move and for what reason. But we know that it’s impossible to acquire that kind of knowledge and intuition overnight. For that reason, we’ve created an easy-to-navigate preparation chart to help guide you. This handy printable guide summarizes the recommended cooking methods for various cuts of beef.

Download The Beef Preparation Chart