Beef cuts

Chuck

The shoulder: full-flavoured roasts, braising cuts and a few surprisingly tender steaks.

• Chuck eye roast / chuck centre roastAbout this cut

  A roast from the chuck eye roll, often its centre portion. Rich beef flavour with a mix of muscles.

  Cooking: Oven-roast or braise; rest and carve across the grain.

• Chuck eye steakAbout this cut

  Steaks cut from the rib end of the chuck eye. A well-marbled alternative to ribeye, not the same cut.

  Cooking: Grill or pan-sear, rest, then slice across the grain.

• Blade roastAbout this cut

  A shoulder roast with connective tissue that softens beautifully during slow cooking.

  Cooking: Brown, add a little stock and braise covered until fork-tender.

• Blade chuck steakAbout this cut

  A steak cut across the blade/chuck area; connective tissue gives it plenty of flavour.

  Cooking: Braise gently for a tender result; it is different from a trimmed flat iron.

• Chuck centre steakAbout this cut

  A steak portion from the centre of the chuck roll, rather than the shoulder clod.

  Cooking: Marinate, grill or sear, then slice thinly across the grain; braising is another option.

• Denver steakAbout this cut

  A well-marbled steak from the under-blade portion of the chuck.

  Cooking: Grill or sear over high heat, rest and carve across the grain.

• 7-bone chuck roastAbout this cut

  A bone-in shoulder roast named for the cross-section of its blade bone, not seven separate bones.

  Cooking: Braise or pot-roast, covered, until the meat is fork-tender.

• Beef country-style ribsAbout this cut

  Boneless strips cut from the chuck, not ribs with bones and not pork country-style ribs.

  Cooking: Brown and braise in sauce until tender.

• Cross-rib chuck roastAbout this cut

  A flavourful shoulder roast. Despite its name, this is a chuck cut, not a ribeye roast.

  Cooking: Braise or slow-cook with vegetables and stock.

• Shoulder roast / arm roastAbout this cut

  A shoulder-clod pot roast. Arm roast commonly describes a bone-in version, with its round arm bone.

  Cooking: Braise slowly with a little liquid until fork-tender.

• Shoulder steakAbout this cut

  A steak portion from the shoulder clod. It is not automatically the same trim as a ranch steak.

  Cooking: Marinate and cook quickly, slicing thinly across the grain, or braise for a softer texture.

• Ranch steak / shoulder centre steakAbout this cut

  A lean shoulder-centre steak trimmed of the visible connective tissue that would otherwise make it chewy.

  Cooking: Grill, broil or pan-sear; rest and slice across the grain.

• Flat iron steakAbout this cut

  The tender top-blade muscle trimmed to remove its tough internal seam. Different from a seam-in top blade steak.

  Cooking: Grill or pan-sear, rest, then slice across the grain.

• Top blade steak / oyster blade steakAbout this cut

  Cut across the top-blade muscle with its central connective-tissue seam still present.

  Cooking: Braise to soften the seam, or trim around it after cooking.

• Petite tender roast / teres majorAbout this cut

  A small, tender shoulder muscle, also called shoulder tender. It is not loin tenderloin.

  Cooking: Sear and roast gently; rest before carving into medallions.

• Petite tender medallionsAbout this cut

  Small steaks sliced from the shoulder petite tender, rather than from the loin tenderloin.

  Cooking: Sear, grill or broil quickly; watch the smaller portions closely.

• Chuck short ribs, bone-inAbout this cut

  Meaty short ribs from the chuck. Plate short ribs are a different rib section.

  Cooking: Braise or smoke slowly until tender.

Tongue / cheek options

Rib

The upper rib section: ribeye steaks and roasts, the ribeye cap, and back ribs.

• Prime rib / standing rib roastAbout this cut

  The classic bone-in rib roast. “Prime rib” names the cut; it is not a promise of a particular grade.

  Cooking: Oven-roast, check with a thermometer and rest before carving.

• Boneless ribeye roastAbout this cut

  The ribeye roll prepared as a roast without the rib bones.

  Cooking: Roast or cook over indirect barbecue heat, then rest and slice.

• Ribeye steak / rib steakAbout this cut

  A richly marbled steak from the ribeye. Rib steak commonly means the bone-in version.

  Cooking: Grill, broil or pan-sear; thicker steaks can finish gently in the oven.

• Back ribsAbout this cut

  The curved rib bones left after the ribeye is removed, with meat between the bones. Not plate short ribs.

  Cooking: Barbecue or braise gently until tender; finish with sauce if you like.

• Ribeye cap steakAbout this cut

  The rich outer cap of the ribeye, separated from its centre muscle.

  Cooking: Grill or sear; let the fat render and rest before serving.

• Ribeye petite roastAbout this cut

  A smaller roast portion prepared from the ribeye centre.

  Cooking: Oven-roast or use indirect barbecue heat; a thermometer helps with the smaller size.

• Ribeye filetAbout this cut

  A small steak portion from the ribeye centre, not filet mignon from the tenderloin.

  Cooking: Grill or sear; finish thicker portions gently in the oven.

Short loin

Behind the ribs: striploin, T-bone and porterhouse. The narrow end of the tenderloin lies underneath this section.

• Striploin steak / New York stripAbout this cut

  A well-flavoured steak from the striploin, with a firmer bite than tenderloin.

  Cooking: Grill, broil or pan-sear; rest before slicing.

• Striploin roastAbout this cut

  The striploin left whole as a roast rather than sliced into steaks.

  Cooking: Oven-roast and rest, then carve across the grain.

• T-bone steakAbout this cut

  Striploin and a smaller portion of tenderloin on opposite sides of a T-shaped bone.

  Cooking: Grill or broil, keeping the smaller tenderloin side away from the strongest heat.

• Porterhouse steakAbout this cut

  A bone-in steak with striploin and a larger tenderloin portion than a T-bone.

  Cooking: Grill or broil; check both sides of the bone and rest before serving.

• Strip petite roast / top loin petite roastAbout this cut

  A smaller roast made by splitting the striploin lengthwise. It is not tenderloin.

  Cooking: Roast or barbecue over indirect heat; rest and slice across the grain.

• Strip filet / Manhattan filetAbout this cut

  A thick, smaller-diameter steak portion made from split striploin. Different from tenderloin filet mignon.

  Cooking: Grill or pan-sear, finishing gently in the oven if thick.

Top sirloin

The upper sirloin, between short loin and hip. Top sirloin steaks, small roasts and the cap come from here.

• Top sirloin steakAbout this cut

  A lean, flavourful steak from the top sirloin. “Sirloin steak” is a broad retail name; petite sirloin is listed separately below.

  Cooking: Grill, broil or pan-sear; rest and carve across the grain.

• Top sirloin petite roast / centre-cut top sirloin roastAbout this cut

  A smaller boneless roast from the top sirloin centre.

  Cooking: Oven-roast or use indirect barbecue heat; rest before carving.

• Top sirloin filet / baseball-cut sirloinAbout this cut

  A thick, compact steak portion from the top sirloin, not loin tenderloin.

  Cooking: Sear or grill, then finish gently to cook the thick centre evenly.

• Picanha / coulotte / top sirloin capAbout this cut

  The cap muscle of the top sirloin, often prepared with its fat cap. Can be a roast or cut into steaks.

  Cooking: Roast whole or grill as steaks; slice the cooked meat across its grain.

Bottom sirloin

The lower sirloin: tri-tip, petite sirloin / ball tip, and sirloin flap / bavette.

• Tri-tip roastAbout this cut

  The triangular, full-flavoured roast from the bottom sirloin.

  Cooking: Roast or grill over indirect heat. Its grain changes direction: adjust your slicing as you carve.

• Tri-tip steakAbout this cut

  Steaks portioned from the tri-tip roast.

  Cooking: Grill or pan-sear, rest and slice across the grain.

• Petite sirloin steak / ball tip steakAbout this cut

  A value steak from the bottom-sirloin ball tip, not the top-sirloin filet.

  Cooking: Marinate in the fridge, grill or broil, then slice thinly across the grain.

• Sirloin flap / sirloin bavetteAbout this cut

  A coarse-grained bottom-sirloin cut. Sirloin bavette is not the same muscle as flank steak.

  Cooking: Marinate, grill or broil, then carve thinly across the grain.

Tenderloin

One internal muscle beneath the backbone, spanning short loin and sirloin. Its narrow tail is in the short loin and its thicker butt is in the sirloin. The dashed shape is an overlay, not an extra primal.

• Tenderloin roastAbout this cut

  The tenderloin left whole or as a centre roast. A thick centre portion may be prepared as Chateaubriand.

  Cooking: Sear and roast gently, using a thermometer; rest before carving.

• Tenderloin steak / filet mignon / filletAbout this cut

  Steaks cut from the tenderloin: very tender, lean and mild. Not ribeye filet, strip filet or top sirloin filet.

  Cooking: Pan-sear or grill; finish thicker steaks gently and rest before serving.

Round / hip

The hindquarter: lean roasts and steaks, with a more pronounced grain than the loin.

• Inside round roast / top round roastAbout this cut

  A lean roast from the inner part of the hind leg.

  Cooking: Roast with a thermometer, rest well and carve thinly across the grain.

• Inside round steak / top round steakAbout this cut

  Lean steaks from the inside round. Thin carving makes the most of their firm texture.

  Cooking: Marinate and grill or broil, then slice thinly; braising is another option.

• Outside round roast / bottom round roastAbout this cut

  A lean roast from the outer hind leg.

  Cooking: Braise for fork-tender beef, or roast carefully and carve very thinly.

• Outside round steak / bottom round steakAbout this cut

  A firm, lean steak from the outside round.

  Cooking: Braise for tenderness, or marinate and cook quickly before thin slicing.

• Rump roastAbout this cut

  A roast from the rump/hip area. Rump and bottom round names vary between Canadian and U.S. cutting systems.

  Cooking: Braise, or roast and carve thinly according to the particular trim.

• Eye of round roastAbout this cut

  A narrow, cylindrical, very lean roast from the round.

  Cooking: Roast carefully, rest and carve into thin slices across the grain.

• Eye of round steakAbout this cut

  Steaks sliced from the very lean eye-of-round muscle.

  Cooking: Braise, or marinate and cook quickly; carve very thinly across the grain.

• Sirloin tip roast / round tip roastAbout this cut

  A lean roast from the front of the round, despite the word “sirloin” in its name.

  Cooking: Roast with a thermometer and thinly slice, or braise until tender.

Brisket

The lower chest: a deeply flavoured cut that rewards slow cooking.

• Whole brisketAbout this cut

  The flat and point muscles left together, with fat and connective tissue between them.

  Cooking: Smoke or braise slowly until tender; the two muscles have different grain directions.

• Brisket flatAbout this cut

  The flatter, leaner brisket muscle, well suited to even slices.

  Cooking: Braise or smoke low and slow, protecting it from drying out; slice across the grain.

• Brisket pointAbout this cut

  The thicker, more marbled brisket muscle, often used for pulled beef or burnt ends.

  Cooking: Smoke or braise until tender; cube or pull after cooking.

Plate

The lower rib/belly area: meaty short ribs and skirt. Hanger is included here as a related diaphragm cut.

• Plate short ribs / Texas-style beef ribsAbout this cut

  Bone-in short ribs from the plate, with a thick layer of meat above the bones. Different from back ribs and chuck short ribs.

  Cooking: Smoke low and slow or braise, covered, until tender.

• Skirt steakAbout this cut

  A long, coarse-grained diaphragm cut. Inside and outside skirt are related but distinct muscles.

  Cooking: Marinate, grill or sear quickly, rest and slice thinly across the grain.

• Hanger steak / ongletAbout this cut

  A flavourful diaphragm-support muscle with a central seam that is trimmed out before cooking. Not flank or skirt.

  Cooking: Grill or pan-sear, rest and carve across the grain.

Flank

The lean belly behind the plate, below the loin.

• Flank steakAbout this cut

  A broad, lean belly steak with long, visible muscle fibres. Different from skirt and sirloin bavette.

  Cooking: Marinate in the fridge, grill or broil, rest and slice thinly across the grain.

Shank

The muscular lower legs: rich in connective tissue, best with slow, moist heat.

• Whole shank / Thor’s HammerAbout this cut

  A whole bone-in shank; Thor’s Hammer usually describes a presentation with the bone exposed.

  Cooking: Braise slowly, or smoke then finish covered with liquid until tender.

• Cross-cut shank / osso bucoAbout this cut

  Bone-in shank sliced into rounds, with meat surrounding the marrow bone.

  Cooking: Brown, then braise gently in stock and aromatics until fork-tender.

• Shank soup bonesAbout this cut

  Shank bones for stock, often with a little meat attached. Soup bones can also come from other sections.

  Cooking: Simmer gently with vegetables, then strain and cool the stock promptly.

Oxtail

The tail, not a primal section. Bony rounds with rich connective tissue.

• OxtailAbout this cut

  Tail portions with meat, bone and collagen that turn a broth or braise rich and silky.

  Cooking: Brown, then braise or gently simmer with liquid until the meat is tender.

Head cuts

Tongue and cheek are explored here without adding a primal or changing the grey head on the diagram.

• Beef tongueAbout this cut

  A hard-working muscle that becomes tender with gentle, moist cooking.

  Cooking: Simmer or pressure-cook until tender, peel off the outer skin, then slice or dice; it can be seared after cooking.

• Beef cheekAbout this cut

  A rich, collagen-heavy cheek muscle with a deep beef flavour.

  Cooking: Braise or slow-cook until tender, then slice or shred into its cooking juices.