Common Beef Cuts
| Cut | Where the cut is located on the beef and a brief description | Best way to cook the various cuts |
|---|---|---|
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Brisket
|
From the breast.
Fatty & tough but slow cooking makes it melt-in-your-mouth tender. |
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Round (or Rump)
|
Near the hind legs.
This is a lean, tough cut but is very popular. |
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Ribs
|
From the ribs and backbone.
Includes some of the finest cuts of beef.
These are known for their fatty marbling, tenderness, juiciness, and flavor. |
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Sirloin
|
Back half of the loin (behind the short loin).
Less tender than the Short Loin but more flavorful. |
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Plate (or Short Plate)
|
Near the stomach.
This cut is tough and fatty and is mainly used for marinated stir-fry. |
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Flank
|
The abdominal muscles (under the loin).
This is one of the toughest cuts of meat but it is flavorful. |
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Chuck
|
From the shoulder.
Tends to be tough but flavorful. |
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Short Loin
|
Front half of the loin, right behind the ribs.
Has some of the most tender cuts and is often cut into steaks. |
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| Shank |
From the legs.
Not popular because it's the toughest, cheapest cut of beef.
However, it works well for beef stock or lean ground beef. |
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| Cuts | Description | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Steaks | ||
| Top Sirloin Steak | This is an economical steak - it’s not always tender, so if you want nice steaks, you might not want to choose these, but this has good flavor & texture. | $ |
| Skirt Steak | Similar to the Flank steak (not too tender) but even more flavorful than the Flank. It can be eaten as steak, but is great for fajitas or stir-fry. | $$ |
| Sirloin Steak | It can be tough but it has lots of flavor. Cooking it right at med/rare helps it to not be tough. | $$ |
| Flat Iron Steak (Top-Blade Steak with the gristle cut out) | Second most tender cut after the tenderloin, but is inexpensive. It’s extremely tender, well-marbled, and flavorful. | $$ |
| Flank Steak | One of the most popular steaks. It’s lean so it’s not the most tender, but it’s very flavorful. High heat & quick cooking time is the key. It can be eaten as steak but is great for fajitas or stir-fry. | $$$ |
| New York Strip Steak | This is the Short Loin with the Tenderloin removed. It’s well-marbled and very flavorful, but it can be a bit tough. | $$$ |
| T-bone Steak (This is the same cut as the Porterhouse, but the chunk of Tenderloin on the T-bone is smaller. It has the NY Strip’s flavor & the Tenderloin’s tenderness. (Not quite as tender as the Porterhouse.) | Cut from the Short Loin, it has a slab of Tenderloin on one side of the bone and a slab of NY Strip on the other side of the bone. | $$$$ |
| Porterhouse Steak:This is the same cut as the T-Bone, but the chunk of Tenderloin is larger - it has to be at least 1.25" wide. It has the NY Strip's flavor and the Tenderloin's tenderness. (More common in the UK.) | Cut from the Short Loin, it has a slab of Tenderloin on one side of the bone and a slab of NY Strip on the other side of the bone | $$$$ |
| Ribeye Steak | This is the Prime Rib Roast cut into slabs. It has lots of marbling and is melt-in-your-mouth tender. It has a more mild, but buttery flavor. | $$$$ |
| Cowboy (Tomahawk) Steak | The Ribeye but with the bone left in. | $$$$$ |
| Filet Mignon | From the very tip of the Tenderloin. One of the most expensive cuts of meat. It’s not quite as flavorful, but it is melt-in-your-mouth tender. Most are 2-3”thick. | $$$$$ |
| Tenderloin: | This is the most expensive common steak cut. It doesn’t have a huge amount of flavor but it’s incredibly tender. | $$$$$ |
| Everyday Roasts | ||
| Rump Roast | This is the same cut as the Bottom Round Roast, but it’s the inside part so it has more marbling & is more tender than the Round Roast. | $ |
| Bottom Round Roast | This is the same cut as the Rump Roast, but it’s the outside part, so it’s more tough and has less fat than the Rump Roast. | $ |
| Sirloin Tip Roast (Round Tip Roast) | This is actually from the Round, but is often called a Sirloin Tip Roast. This is flavorful but lean so it can tend to be tough. It’s often stewed or braised but can also be roasted low & slow. | $$ |
| Fancy Roasts | ||
| Ribeye Roast | This is the Prime Rib with the Ribs cut away. It’s the middle-man between the Prime Rib and Tenderloin - less fatty (and flavorful) than the Prime Rib but still tender. | $$$$ |
| Prime Rib (Standing Rib Roast) | One of the most tender, juicy, and flavorful roasts. Not quite as tender as the tenderloin, but more flavorful. It’s well marbled. | $$$$$ |
| Tenderloin | The most lean yet tender cut - very comparable to Prime Rib but this is more tender whereas Prime Rib is more flavorful. | $$$$$ |
| Ribs & BBQ Cuts | ||
| Short Ribs | You can use Short & Back Ribs pretty interchangeably. These have more meat and a thicker layer of fat. | $$ |
| Back Ribs | This is what the Prime Rib Roast is cut away from. Most of the meat is between the bones. | $$ |
| Brisket Flat: The Brisket is generally cut in two pieces - the Point & the Flat. | This has more meat than the Brisket Point. This is what is most often cooked (smoked or BBQed) for Brisket. It has a layer of fat on the top that locks in the moisture while it’s cooking | $$$ |
| Tri-Tip (Steak or Roast) | The size of this is between a steak and a roast. It’s very flavorful and great for BBQing. | $$$ |
| Other Cuts | ||
| Beef Shank | This cut is tough and not used for much. However, it can be braised and cooked in certain recipes. | $ |
| Eye of Round | This is cut thinner like a steak but it is tougher and not super flavorful. It can be cooked as a steak but is more often marinated and slow roasted or cubed for stew. | $ |
| Shoulder Steak (London Broil) | This is too tough for normal steak, but it is well-marbled so is good for stew of marinated for stir-fry | $$ |
| Brisket Point | The brisket is cut into two pieces and this is one of them. It has much more fat (& flavor) than the Brisket Flat, but not a whole lot of meat. It’s often ground up. | $$ |
| Chuck Roast | The Chuck and Chuck Arm Roast are practically the same - they come from similar areas and cook the same - low and slow. They are great for pot roast and stew. | $$ |
| Chuck Arm Roast | The Chuck and Chuck Arm Roast are practically the same - they come from similar areas and cook the same - low and slow. They are great for pot roast and stew. | $$ |
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