Every once in a while, I enjoy a nice steak, my preferred cut, prime bone in rib eye grilled medium rare. Many of us enjoy a nice steak or cut of beef but do we really understand the different grades of beef or the different primal cuts? Just the basic knowledge of exactly what part of the cow you’re eating gives thanks and appreciation of what most of us take for granted. Many of us just go to the local butcher shop or the local grocery store to purchase our beef without really knowing or understanding what it all entails. So let’s get a little enlightened so that we may really enjoy that select grade filet cooked medium.
Beef is divided into large sections called primal cuts, or “primals.” These primals are then broken down further into subprimals, or food service cuts. These are then sliced and chopped into individual steaks, roasts, and other retail cuts.
A side of beef is literally one side of the beef carcass that is split through the backbone. Each side is halved between the 12th and 13th ribs. The sections are called the forequarter (front of the cow) and the hindquarter (back of the cow).
The most tender cuts of beef, like the rib and tenderloin, are the ones farthest from the horn and hoof. The toughest areas are the shoulder and leg muscles because they are worked the most.
Beef chuck comes from the forequarter. Consisting of parts of the neck, shoulder blade, and upper arm, beef chuck produces tough but very flavorful cuts of meat. This primal cut has a good deal of connective tissue. That makes chuck a good choice for braised dishes like beef stew or pot roast, both which tenderize tough cuts. Due to its fat content, beef chuck is also excellent for making ground beef that produces juicy burgers and ground beef stew. The classic 7-bone roast comes from the beef chuck, as do the increasingly popular flat iron steak and Denver steak.
The beef rib primal cut (6th through the 12th rib) is used for the traditional standing rib roast, also known as prime rib. This area is also where the delectable ribeye steak and the classic French entrecote comes from. The beef primal is situated directly above the beef plate. The lower parts of those ribs are where beef short ribs come from. Most noticeably, my Korean heritage made some incredible Korean BBQ short ribs using this primal cut. This is also where the skirt steak is located, which is used in carne asada. Skirt steak is a diaphragm muscle, be sure to trim away the thick connective tissue, to reveal and expose this extremely flavorful thin piece of meat. Since it has coarse muscle fibers, be sure to slice it against the grain or it will be chewy. Beef ribs are also ideal for braising, cooking on a low heat to make it juicy and tender. The beef plate is also pretty fatty, so it can be used in making ground beef.
Beef brisket is one of the most flavorful cuts of meat, although it is tough and needs to be cooked in just the right way. It’s also a moderately fatty cut of beef, but this can work to your advantage because it tenderizes into a juicy, meaty perfection. Taken from the area around the breastbone, the brisket is basically the chest or pectoral muscle of the animal. Brisket is frequently used for making pot roast, and it’s the traditional choice for corned beef. Another very popular technique for preparing brisket is to slow cook it in a smoker or barbeque.
Beef shank is the thigh area of the animal’s leg. Each side of beef has two shanks, one in the forequarter and one in the hindquarter. It is extremely tough and full of connective tissue. Beef shank is used in making the luxurious Italian dish, osso buco.
The short loin is where we find the most desirable cuts of meat. These include the T-bone and porterhouse steaks, as well as the strip loin or strip steak. The beef loin is only about 16 to 18 inches long and depending on the thickness, will yield anywhere from 11 to 14 steaks. The steaks from the short loin are cut starting at the rib end and working toward the rear. The first cut steaks are the club steaks or bone in strip steaks. The center cut steaks are the T-bones, of which there may be 6 or 7. Finally, a butcher may be able to get 2 or 3 porterhouse steaks at the sirloin end.
Beef sirloin is subdivided into top sirloin and bottom sirloin. Top sirloin is generally cut into steaks that are good for grilling. The bottom sirloin is usually divided into 3 main components, the tri-tip, ball-tip, and flap. Bottom sirloin does well with barbeque and roasting.
Pro tip: Beware of butchers who use the name filet mignon to describe a butt tender, because that comes from the other end of the tenderloin.
The most tender cut of beef is the tenderloin and it is found within the loin. This is where we get filet mignon, which is made from the very tip of the pointy end of the tenderloin. Chateaubriand is made from the center cut of the tenderloin. Beef tenderloin should only be cooked using dry heat methods, such as grilling and broiling. The meat is already super tender, so long cooking times are unnecessary. Keep it quick and the heat high.
Beef flank can be cooked on the grill. Since it has tough muscle fibers, it can get even tougher if it’s overcooked, so be careful. The best technique for flank steak is to grill it quickly at a high temperature. Marinating the meat first helps from drying out but avoiding overcooking is the best prevention. When you’re ready to serve it, remember to slice this steak against the grain so it isn’t chewy. Beef flank is also good for braising and it’s often used for making ground beef.
The beef round cut is basically the back leg of the steer. Muscles from the round are fairly lean, but also tough because the leg and rump get a lot of exercise. The beef round consists of multiple subprimal cuts, the top round (inside round), the bottom round (outside round), and the knuckle. The bottom round is where we get a rump roast and eye of round. The best use of round roast is to roast them slowly so they turn out medium rare. They can then be thinly sliced and used for sandwiches or even served as roasts. Slicing thinly against the grain is crucial.
Fun fact: The United States and Brazil are the top beef producing countries in the world. Hamburger meat from 1 cow would equal 720 quarter pound hamburgers, enough for a family of 4 to enjoy hamburgers each day for nearly 6 months.
Fun fact: One cowhide can produce enough leather to make 18 soccer balls.
Fun fact: Uruguay, New Zealand, Argentina, Australia and Brazil are the only countries with more cows than people.
July 22nd is National Beef Day
March 14th is a non-official conditional holiday for Steak and BJ Day, and was established as the male version of Valentine’s Day, which is why it’s celebrated exactly one month after Valentine’s day.
May 28th is National Hamburger Day
September 18th is National Cheeseburger Day
Top 5 Steak Spots
Kayne Prime
Jeff Ruby’s
Oak Steakhouse
Bob’s Steak & Chophouse
Bourbon Steak Nashville
Top 5 Burger Spots
Rotier’s Restaurant
Joyland
ML Rose Craft Beers & Burgers
Burger Republic
Jack Brown’s Beer & Burger Joint
Top 5 Beef Brisket Spots
Mitchell Deli
Arnold’s Country Kitchen
Puckett’s Grocery & Restaurant
Jim ‘n Nick’s Bar-B-Q
Green Door Gourmet
Top 5 Butcher Shops
Porter Road Butcher
Bare Bones Butcher
Roy’s Meat Service
Carniceria San Luis
The Butcher Block ( Franklin )
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