How Well Do You Know Your Beef Cuts?
Before you choose a particular cut of beef, it helps to understand something about the anatomy of a cow. Eight different cuts of beef are sold at the wholesale level. From this first series of cuts, known in the trade as primal cuts, a butcher (usually at a meatpacking plant in the Midwest but sometimes on-site at your local market) will make the retail cuts that you bring home from the market. How you choose to cook a particular piece of beef depends on where the meat comes from on the cow and how it was butchered.
The following cook’s guide is from the Cook’s Illustrated Meat Book, our meat encyclopedia packed with 425 bulletproof recipes that will change the way you cook meat and poultry.
Chuck/Shoulder
The chuck (also called the shoulder) runs from the neck down to the fifth rib. There are four major muscles in this region, and meat from the chuck tends to be flavorful and fairly fatty, which is why ground chuck makes the best hamburgers. Chuck also contains a fair amount of connective tissue, so when the meat is not ground it generally requires a long cooking time to
become tender.
Above: Grilled Chuck Steaks
Rib
The rib section extends along the back of the animal from the sixth to the 12th rib. The prime rib comes from this area, as do rib-eye steaks. Rib cuts have excellent beefy flavor and are quite tender.
Above: Best Prime Rib
Short Loin
The short loin (also called the loin) extends from the last rib back through the midsection of the animal to the hip area. It contains two major muscles—the tenderloin and the shell. The tenderloin is extremely tender (it is positioned right under the spine) and has quite a mild flavor. This muscle may be sold whole as a roast or sliced crosswise into steaks, called filets mignons. The shell is a much larger muscle and has a more robust beef flavor as well as more fat. Strip steaks (also called shell steaks) come from this muscle and are a test kitchen favorite. Two steaks from the short loin area contain portions of both the tenderloin and shell muscles. These steaks are called the T-bone and porterhouse, and both are excellent.
Above: Pepper-Crusted Beef Tenderloin Roast
Sirloin
The sirloin contains relatively inexpensive cuts that are sold as both steaks and roasts. We find that sirloin cuts are fairly lean and tough. In general, we prefer other parts of the animal, although top sirloin makes a decent roast.
Above: Crispy Orange Beef
Round
Roasts and steaks cut from the round are usually sold boneless. They are quite lean and can be tough. We generally prefer cuts from other parts of the cow, although top round can be roasted with some success.
Above: Grilled London Broil
Brisket/Shank, Plate, and Flank
Moderately thick boneless cuts are removed from the three primal cuts that run along the underside of the animal. The brisket (also called shank) is rather tough and contains a lot of connective tissue. The plate is rarely sold at the retail level (it is used to make pastrami). The flank is a leaner cut that makes an excellent steak when grilled.
Above: Onion-Braised Beef Brisket
Find 425 bulletproof recipes (including the 6 featured in this list), and more guides like this, in the Cook’s Illustrated Meat Book.
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