Different Cuts of Beef

Ever wonder what different types of beef cuts there are, or what each is best used for? What type of beef is best in crock pots, or best on
the grill? This article illustrates the various cuts of beef, provides a brief explanation of each, and also recommends how best to cook them.
The most commonly used types of beef cuts are:
 Chuck
 Shank
 Brisket
 Rib
 Short plate
 Flank
 Loin
 Sirloin
 The round
The are less common types that we won't be discussing here, but they are:

 Tongue
 Neck
 Knuckle

Chuck
Description: The chuck, also known as the seven-bone steak (in reference to the shape of the bone), is located near the shoulder and neck
area of the cow.

Types: The chuck cut yields some of the more economical cuts of beef, such as the chuck roast, chuck arm roast, and the flat iron steak.

How to Cook: The chuck contains a significant amount of connective tissue, which contains collagen and can be a little tough, but provides
great flavor.

Chuck cuts of beef are best cooked slowly over time with a crock pot or by braising.
Round or Rump
Description: The round, also known as the rump, is a lean cut of meat with very little fat. It is located at the back of the cow
near the rear leg. Like the Shank, the round is a tough cut due to the constant use of the cow's legs.

Types: Despite the round or rump's toughness, it produces quite a few different cuts of meat that are quite popular. Some of
the more common cuts are: rump roast/steak, top round roast/steak, bottom round roast/steak, eye of round roast/steak,
and the sirloin tip center roast/steak.

How to Cook: Round cuts are best braised or roasted with low levels of moisture.

Brisket
Description: Brisket is cut from the breast or the lower portion of the cow. Like the shank, it has a lot of connective tissue and
can be quite tough unless cooked properly.

Types: The brisket is known by two main cuts of meat: brisket flat cut and the brisket point cut.

How to Cook: Brisket is a favorite of BBQ'ers everywhere and is best cooked smoked or braised.

Ribs
Description: The rib includes some of the finest cuts of the cow, and is the known for its juiciness, tenderness, superb
marbling, and flavor. The rib cut refers to ribs 6 through 12 on the cow.
Types: The rib includes several of the finest cuts of the cow, including the prime rib, short rib, rib-eye steak, and rib-eye
roasts.

How to Cook: Rib cuts are best cooked over dry heat and for long periods of time. American BBQ'ers favor grilling or smoking
these tender cuts.
Short Plate
Description: The short plate is located on the front belly of the cow below the ribs. It contains a lot of cartilage and is kind of
fatty and tough.

Types: It contains a few different cuts including the short ribs, hangar steak, and the skirt steak. It is best known for being
used to makecarne asada.

How to Cook: Best braised because of its toughness.

Flank
Description: The flank is a long flat cut from the abdominal muscles of the cow. It is one of the toughest cuts of meat.

Types: The flank is usually cut into flap steaks or flank steaks. It is typically used in Asian and Mexican cuisine as stir-fry or
fajita beef. It can also be used in London broil.

How to Cook: Due to its excessive toughness, flank cuts are best cooked with moist methods like braising.

Loin
Description: The loin is cut from the back of the cow, typically a portion of the hindquarter directly behind the ribs. It is one
of the most tender and desirable cuts of beef.

Types: The loin is best known for producing filet mignon, porterhouse steak, and the T-bone steak. However, it also contains
the KC strip, tenderloin roast, and the shell steak.

How to Cook: Loin cuts are best cooked over dry heat such as on a grill.
Sirloin
Description: Sirloin is also cut from the back of the cow, just past the loin (a.k.a the short loin). Although, not as tender as the
loin cuts, the sirloin is still a very popular tender cut of beef.

Types: The sirloin contains the top sirloin, bottom sirloin, and center cut sirloin steaks, as well as the tri-tip steak, filet of
sirloin, and the ball tip roast.

How to Cook: Sirloin is best cooked by grill, but can also be broiled, sautéed, or pan-fried.

Shank
Description: The shank is the leg of the cow and is one of the toughest meats. This is due to the fact that the leg muscle is
constantly used, creating a tough, sinewy cut. Therefore, it is one of the less popular, but also one of the cheapest.

Types: The Shank doesn't yield very many cuts of meet, just the shank or the shank cross cut. It is also used in very low fat
ratios of ground beef.

How to Cook: The shank is best cooked over a long period of time and in liquid. It is best in soups, stews, or to make beef
stock.

Shank Cuts
Pork Cuts

Pork is one of the most commonly consumed meats in the world and we're always down for a good pork dinner.
But there are many porks cuts to choose from, some better known than others, even just at your neighborhood
grocery store. Why not learn to navigate the world of pork beyond the chop? We spoke with Tom Mylan,
executive butcher and co-owner of The Meat Hook in Brooklyn, NY, about just that.

In general, the primal pork cuts from the top of the pig (like the loin) are leaner and more tender than those from the
bottom. But cooking the tougher cuts (like the shoulder and the hocks) low and slow can make them tender and juicy. And
it’s important to note that the cuts available at the grocery will change depending on geography—butchers from Argentina
will sell slightly different cuts than, say, butchers from Italy.

PORK SHOULDER, or PORK BUTT

Starting from the front of the pig: Pork shoulder (also called pork butt or “Boston butt”) is generally sold as a 5 to 10 pound
boneless roast at the grocery store. (Pork shoulder chops are sold with bones, but those are less common.)

How to Cook: “It’s a really great thing to roast,” says Mylan. It’s a relatively tough cut, well layered with fat, and is good for
braising, slow and low roasting or barbecue. “Shoulders are good for when you’re going to cook for a long period of time and
want it to stay moist,” he says. A typical preparation? Pulled pork.
 15:34
Side note: Why is this cut sometimes called “pork butt” when it doesn’t come from the actual rear end? “The word butt has
its roots in old English, which is a quasi Germanic language, and butt means ‘the widest part,’” says Mylan. “On a pig, the
widest part is the shoulder, not its actual ass. And that’s why it’s called the butt.”

PICNIC HAM
Immediately below the shoulder is the next cut you’re likely to find: the Picnic Ham (occasionally called the picnic shoulder).
“Another total misnomer,” says Mylan. “When you hear “ham” you think of the rear leg. But the picnic ham is the lower part
of shoulder.” This is another relatively tough and fatty cut, though it is often sold bone-in.
Cook: Braise or smoke – two good long, slow cooking methods to render the fat and make the meat tender and juicy. The
sizeable fat cap on the picnic ham is great for making cracklings.
COUNTRY STYLE SPARERIBS
These come directly off the picnic ham. “Basically, it’s from the brisket area of the pig, if pigs had brisket—it’s basically a
bone-in brisket,” says Mylan. “You get the front part of the spareribs with a lot of meat.” The country-style spareribs contain
a combination of dark and light meat.

Cook: Braise or stew.

FRONT HOCK
This cut usually comes already brined and smoked and sold as a “ham hock” in the store.

Cook: Use the brined and smoked version for beans or collard greens. “It’s not very common to find shank uncured and
unsmoked, but if you do, it’s a great braising cut,” says Mylan. “I like to use pork shank instead of veal shank for osso bucco.
You’re just going to use it to stew or braise—any kind of long, low, wet cooking.“

PORK LOIN
The pork loin comes from the pig’s back and is large, lean and tender.

Cook: “The whole loin roast is more of a slow roast,” says Mylan. But don’t cook it too much, or on too high of a  heat –
because it is so lean, it will get pretty dry.

PORK CHOPS
Thick or thin, bone-in or bone-less pork chops are cut from meat perpendicular to the spine, often from the loin.

Cook: “These are a high heat, fry or grill kind of thing,” says Mylan. Pork chops from the shoulder end are fattier than from
the loin end.  If you have chops from the shoulder end, they’re great for slow roasting or lower, longer grill cooking. This way,
says Mylan, you render all the fat. “Pork fat is super delicious, but if its not rendered all the way through, it doesn’t have a
good texture and the flavor isn’t as good.”

BABY BACK RIBS

When you debone a pork loin, the ribs that come off of that are the baby back ribs. They are a more tender rib option: The
meat in between the ribs is a loin meat instead of a belly meat.

Cook: Braise, barbecue or bake.

PORK BELLY
If you go up to rub a pig’s belly you’re, well, rubbing the belly meat. Bacon is pork belly cured, smoked, and sliced.

Cook: “The belly itself is a great mid temp braising cut. I cook it at 300 or 325 degrees,” says Mylan. “Usually what I’ll do is
braise it kind of wet, and then once it’s been cooking for 2 to 2.5 hours, I let cool, slice it and crisp it in a pan. Belly is super—
you can do all kinds of stuff with belly.”
SPARERIBS
Spare ribs come off of the belly. “Spare ribs are available as regular or St. Louis style,” explains Mylan, “which are squared up
—they cut off the cartilage to be recto-linear and cook more evenly.”

Cook: Braising, smoking or low-temp grilling. “Or you can wrap them in tin foil, throw them in a 300 degree oven for 1.5 to 2
hours,” says Mylan. “Then pull them out, open the foil. Turn the oven up to 375 to brown them off.”

SIRLOIN
Continuing to move back, next up is sirloin, which is often cut up into chops. “I’ve never seen a sirloin roast,” says Mylan.
They’re not as uniform as pork chops—“they look sort of strangely shaped, like Pangaea, a very strange oblong shape. Even
though aren’t handsome, they are really delicious.”

Cook: They are some of Mylan’s favorite chops to marinate and grill. “They are almost as tender as pork chops, but have
more muscle from the leg, so they have more flavor.”

REAR LEG
Most people eat the rear leg as ham – cured, smoked and processed in some kind of way.

Cook: “If you can get a whole fresh ham, with skin and the hock still on it, it’s a great roasting joint—score the skin, rub with
garlic herb paste and roast at 350 degrees for 3 or 4 hours. It’s a great roast pork, a little leaner. It’s usually cheaper than a
pork loin, and serves more people.

HOCK
The rear hock is just like the shank of the front leg. It usually comes cured and smoked.

Cook: If cured and smoked, use for beans or collard greens. If raw, braise it.

Bonus: Cuts You’ll Only Find At A Butcher Shop

Trotters
“These are all cartilage, no meat,” says Mylan. “Great for building body in a stock. Use instead of veal bones.”
Half or Whole Pig Head
Used for many things, including Porchetta di Testa, or a salami made from both the meat and skin of a pig head.
Ears
Popular in cuisines around the world, pig’s ears are often roasted, boiled, grilled or pickled.
Jowls
Cured and smoked, pork jowl is a soul food staple. In Italy, jowl is used to make guanciale.
Snout
Often used in soups.

Tail
Mylan recommends cooking pig tails in the same way that you would cook ribs at home in the oven—covered in tin foil first,
then uncovered to crisp them up. “It’s not a ton of meat,” he says, “but like chewing on a rib, but more cartilaginous, lip-
smacking and delicious. It’s a great secret cut I don’t think anyone thinks about the tail and most people haven’t seen it—
unless you’re regularly in Chinatown.”
The ultimate guide to lamb cuts
By JAMIEOLIVER.COM

We’ve pulled together this guide to help you understand more about the different cuts of lamb available and what
cooking method each cut is best suited to.

When buying lamb, remember to always buy free-range or organic whenever possible. This means the animal has
led a happy and healthy life, often born and reared outdoors in small numbers where it can forage and exercise as
nature intended. If you’re looking to trade up, look for higher-welfare certifications, such as RSPCA Approved or
Certified Humane as a minimum. Lamb is a great source of protein, vitamins and minerals, but just be sure to
choose leaner cuts on most occasions, reserving the fattier pieces for weekend treats.
 1. SHOULDER
This part of the animal works hard, so the meat from a lamb’s shoulder is full of flavour. It takes a while to become tender,
but this means it’s a great choice for stewing and slow-roasting. To maximise the flavour, cook lamb shoulder on the bone so
the meat simply falls apart when pulled with a fork. Recipes using lamb shoulder are fail-safe crowd pleasers – try this slow-
cooked shoulder with roasted vegetables for a perfect Sunday lunch or roast in fragrant spices for a more feisty dish. To keep
things super simple, make a herb rub with some mint or rosemary, garlic, sea salt, black pepper and olive oil, slash the skin of
the meat and massage the rub into all its nooks and crannies. Sit it on top of wedges of onion, add some liquid, cook on a
high temperature to get the skin lovely and golden, then cover and turn down to low (around 160ºC) for 4 to 5 hours
(depending on the weight of the shoulder).

2. CHOP/RACK
Lamb chops or cutlets are the most expensive cuts of lamb, but are incredibly delicious and tender. They are taken from the
ribs of the lamb and cooked individually, normally over a grill or a barbecue. When a number of them are left together and
cooked as a whole, they’re called a rack of lamb. Chops and racks can be French trimmed, where the meat is scraped from
the ends of the rib bones, which looks super-impressive on a plate. Best served pink, they are amazing roasted and served
with crushed potatoes or served lollipop style – perfect for sharing. 

3. LOIN CHOP
These are mini T-bone steaks cut from the waist of the lamb. On one side of the chop is the lamb loin and on the other side is
the fillet. Just like chops, they’re great for grilling or barbecuing – serve with a fattoush salad for a Middle Eastern vibe or
marinate in paprika and mint and serve with harissa-spiked houmous to embrace delicious Moroccan flavours. A few loin
chops kept together in one piece, then boned and rolled, make a lovely little roasting joint.

4. RUMP
The rump comes from the back of the lamb. This cut is lean, tender and full of flavour – just be careful not to overcook as it
will become tough if left to dry out. It is delicious pan-fried whole, finished in the oven for a few minutes, then sliced to
reveal its blushing pink centre. Or, it can be cut into chops on the bone then grilled or pan-fried.

5. LEG
Like the shoulders, the legs of a lamb work hard, which means that this cut has a good, strong flavour. Leg of lamb is great
roasted whole on the bone, or boned and barbecued. It’s a fairly lean muscle, so take care not to overcook it, or else it could
end up quite dry. Rub it all over with a herb oil, some garlic and even a little mustard, if you like, roast in the oven, then finish
off on the barbecue to get a great gnarly smoked flavour. This is a great one for a weekend spent with family, or when
entertaining a big group – try Jamie’s ultimate roast leg of lamb with homemade mint sauce or roast, then team up with
some fresh seasonal spring veg.

6. SHANK
Lamb shank is a super-simple, cheaper cut that goes a long way. Taken from the lower part of the back legs, there is a lot of
collagen in the shank, which, when cooked slowly, gives the meat a lovely soft, melting texture, making this another cut
that’s perfect for stews and slow-cooking. Keep things British and cook with a stout or porter to add real depth, or go
Moroccan with a mouth-watering tagine.

7. NECK
Neck is a cheap cut and available at supermarkets and butchers. It is left connected to the shoulder, but a good butcher
should be willing to separate it out for you. Lamb neck can be cooked slowly on a low heat, yet unlike the shoulder, it can
also be treated like a steak and cooked quickly over a high heat until pink. It goes well with a whole load of flavours and is
delicious served with a great mash when cooked low and slow. It works really well as a stewor curry and is a great cut of
meat to make kebabs with, too.