A Beginner’s Guide to the Different Cuts of Beef

Over 123 billion pounds of beef were produced in the United States in 2020.

So, if you’re a beef eater, you’ll want to know your options when it comes to purchasing beef for different occasions.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the variety, we can help. Read on to learn about different cuts of beef and what they’re meant for.

Chuck

Chuck originates from the cow’s shoulder muscles. It’s quite tough and usually needs to be cooked for several hours. That’s because it’s full of the cow’s connective tissue.

Chuck is often used in hamburgers. It’s a good choice for slow-cooking if you’re interested in adding more of those dishes to your cooking rotation.

It’s also sometimes used in combination with other meats. If you’re planning a dish that uses beef and chicken, for example, you should check out newmanfarm.com.

If you’re planning a pot roast, you’ll likely cook with chuck. Just ensure that the chuck you choose is evenly weighted so that it is cooked evenly. You don’t want raw or overcooked beef for dinner!

Sirloin

Sirloin is one of the most commonly chosen types of steak. It’s less tough than some other options since it comes from the hip area of the cow. Sirloin steaks come from the top part of the cut, while the bottom is used to make tri-tip steaks.

The short loin is the other beef cut that comes from this area. This cut is thought to be more tender than sirloin, which is why it’s used to make tenderloin steak or New York strip steak. If you’re ordering a Porterhouse steak, that also comes from this area.

Brisket

Brisket is a particularly popular cut of beef for barbecues and Jewish holidays. It comes from the breast of the cow. That means it’s higher in fat than many other varieties of beef. It’s usually cooked slowly and seasoned for maximum flavor.

Brisket has generally been a less-expensive cut of meat but the prices are rising as barbecue and other brisket-based foods become more and more popular.

Round

Round is one of the cheaper cuts of beef, but that doesn’t mean it’s not good. It comes from a group of muscles on the cow’s back legs. It’s usually sold in smaller, portioned-out packages.

People who are making roast beef often go with round. Round is similar in a lot of ways to chuck, so you might be choosing between the two often.

Ribs

Of course, the ribs come from the cow’s ribs. But, there are actually different cuts located around the ribs. Short ribs come from the beef plate, the bottom section of the ribs.

Prime rib comes from the beef rib primal cut, which is the upper portion of the ribs. Skirt steak comes from the cow’s diaphragm, deeper inside the rib area. Other cuts that come from this area include ribeye roasts and cowboy steaks!

Experiment With These Cuts of Beef Today

Now that you know about the cuts of beef, it’s time to start cooking with gas. Experiment with different cuts and different recipes that are out there for you.

Do you want more food advice? Scroll through a few of our other useful posts today.