Cuts of meat
Cuts of meat
Cuts of meat
Cuts of meat
Cuts of meat
Cuts of meat
Cuts of meat
Cuts of meat
Cuts of meat
Cuts of meat
Cuts of meat
Cuts of meat
Cuts of meat
Cuts of meat
Cuts of meat
2. 1. Chuck
Chuck is from the front upper section of the cow,
which gets a lot of movement. As such, the chuck
cut of meat is a very lean, non-fatty cut that can be
pretty tough. You usually see chuck cut as chuck
eye steak, shoulder steak, chuck 7-bone, and
boneless short ribs. These cuts are not so great for
grilling or searing, as they’d be too tough to chew
through. What they are good for, though, is a pot
roast.
4. 2. Rib
The next cut of meat we’re talking about is the rib.
It’s pretty obvious how you’d go about cooking ribs
– especially if you’ve ever eaten bar-b-que ribs.
Aside from that, ribeye steaks are a common cut
from the rib and work great when they’re pan
seared or cooked in the oven. Ribeye steak is
considered one of the better cuts of meat because
it has a good balance of muscle and fat, which
creates a lot of flavor and juiciness.
6. 3. Short Loin
The short loin cut makes up the upper, middle
section of the cow and it’s also another cut that
makes for a great steak. This is where you see
Porterhouse, T-Bone, and Top Loin steak, all of
which has a similar makeup to ribeye, with a good
combo of muscle and fat. Shortloin also makes for a
good roast, so you’ll also see tenderloin roast fall
into this cut.
8. 4. Sirloin
Sirloin is also on the upper, middle section of the
cow, but it sits slightly behind the short loin. The
three main cuts that you get from sirloin are: top
sirloin steak, tri-tip steak, and tri-tip roast. Tri-tip
steak is similar to the tenderloin on a porterhouse,
but not as good quality. Tri-tip roast is obviously
good for roasting, and top sirloin steak works well
when it’s pan fried (just be careful not to overcook
it).
10. 5. Round
The round cut of meat consists of the rear section
of the cow. This area gets a lot of work from the
animal, so it’s understandably a tougher cut of
meat. Like the chuck, you’re going to want to use
this for roasts, stews, and anything that you can
cook for a long period of time at a lower
temperature. This is also where butchers will get
hamburger meat, since it’s lean and easy to ground
up.
12. 6. Brisket
Brisket is found at the front, lower section of the
cow – just under the chuck. This cut is very tough
and basically produces a brisket flat cut. It can be
difficult to cook if you don’t know what you’re
doing. And again, cooking it for a long time at a
lower temperature is going to be your best bet.
Brisket, however, can be delicious is cooked
properly, as this is what pastrami is made from.
14. 7. Fore Shank
The foreshank is a primal cut of meat right
underneath the front legs, behind the brisket. This
cut is made up almost entirely of muscles and
tendons and is not going to work well as a grilled
pan fried steak. For this cut, your best bet is to
braise it, as a long slow cook time is really the
only way to get the meat tender enough to be
easy to chew.
16. 8. Short Plate
The short plate primal cut is basically the underbelly
of the cow. It stretches from the front legs to just
before you hit the hind legs on the lower section of
the animal. While these cuts tend to also be a little
tough, they’re extremely rich in flavor because of its
location on top of the side rib bones and it’s
generous fat layers. Skirt steak and Hangar steak
come from this area, and work best when they’re
braised and cooked for a long time.
18. 9. Flank
The last primal cut is the flank, and it sits behind
the short plate just behind the hind legs. The flank
cut is where you get flank steak. Easy enough,
right? If cooked properly, the flank steak can be just
as flavorful as a ribeye, and it usually costs a lot
less. Flank steak is great marinated overnight
(which can help tenderize it a little before you cook
it) and grilled or pan fried.