Cuts Of Beef Explained
Beef clod: cheap cut of beef from shoulder region of the cattle
Beef shank: taken from the leg or shank of the cow this meat can be tough, stringy and dry but is very lean . Used for low fat ground beef or mince . It is also common in soup stocks and can be very cheap.
Blade steak: taken from the “chuck” part of the cow , this steak is tough
Brisket: a cut found on the lower breast or chest of the cow which contains connective tissue producing a tough meat which needs to be tenderised.
Chateaubriand steak: A thick cut from the tenderloin , said to be one of the most flavourful but less tender then a sirloin
Chuck steak: part of the sub prime cut known as the chuck. It is a rectangular cut which contains part of the shoulder. Often used for ground beef or mince or for roasts due to it’s richness in flavour and it’s balance of meat and fat.
Cube steak: cut from the top round or top sirloin and cut into cubes for cooking
Entrecote: considered a premium cut of beef used for steaks from the rib area
Filet mignoncut: from the smaller end of the tenderloin – it is the most tender cut of all the beef because it contains the least amount of connective tissue and is the most expensive as called Tournedos.
Flank steak: a long , flat cut from the abdominal muscles . It is a tough beef . McDonald’s in the United Kingdom uses "100% forequarter and flank" in its burger patties.
Flap steak: cut very thin from the bottom sirloin.
Flat iron steak: is the American name for what the UK calls a butlers’ steak . It is cut from the shoulder and contains a large amount of marbling.
Hanger steak: known to have a lot of flavour this cut of beef is taken from the plate section of the cow. It resembles the flank steak in texture and flavour.
Oxtail: this is the tail of the cow , it is a bony, gelatine-rich meat and is usually slowed cooked in a stew.
Plate steak: this cut of beef is from the front belly of the cow just below the rib cut . It also know as the skirt steak or hanger steak
Popeseye steak: this is a rump steak which is then sliced very thin and found in the UK
Ranch steak: a tough cut of meat from the chuck of the cow.
Rib eye steak: this cut of beef is taken from the rib section of the cow. The meat is highly marbled and is fairly tender when grilled.
Rump steak: A steak from the top half of an American –cut round steak primal or with a British or Australian cut from the rump primal
Short loin: this comes from the back of the cow and contains a part of the spine , top loin and some of the tenderloin.
Short ribs or Jacob’s ladder: cut from the rib, plate and a small corner of the chuck Larger , more tender and meatier then pork ribs, these ribs contain approximately 3-4 ribs.
Shoulder tender: cut from the blade or chuck and is very tender. It lies just below the flat iron steak and is less expensive then a filet. This cut is also known as petite tender medallion or tender medallions.
Silverside: preferred cut for making corned beef this cut is found in the hindquarter just above the leg.
Sirloin steak: cut from the rear back portion of the cow. In British and Australian butchery it refers to cuts from the upper middle . In America this cut is called a short loin.
Skirt steak: Same as a plate cut see above
t-bone steak- or porterhouse steaks: are cut from the short loin . The smaller part of the “T” is tenderloin and the larger is considered a strip steak . In British butchery only the strip loin is called a porterhouse and the tenderloin side is called a fillet . Usually a high quality cut of beef with an expensive price tag .
Beef tenderloin: also known as a fillet in England , France and Germany this cut is a high quality , tender, expensive cut of beef . The centre of the tenderloin being a filet mignon in the U.S
Top sirloin: cut from the primal loin the difference from sirloin steak is that the bone is removed as well as the tenderloin and round bottom muscles are not in this steak
Bottom Sirloin: less tender then the top sirloin and larger also called a tri-tip
