Cut of Beef that You Should Know as Kitchen Staff

Food Commodities Knowledge: Beef Cutting

What is Beef Cutting?

• Knowledge of primal beef cut and the types of pieces obtained from primal cut
• Know and practice how to divide or cut the beef into parts or types of meat.

American Primal Cut

Read: Food Plating Concept

What is Primal Cut

• A primal cut or cut of meat is a piece of meat initially separated from the carcass of an animal during butchering, such as Rib, Loin, Chuck, etc. 
• The primal cut is the way to cut into several primary pieces
• Different countries and cultures make these cuts in different ways and names
• Primal cuts also differ between types of the carcass.
• The British, American, and French beef primal cuts have some differences
• For example, English rump steak in British and Commonwealth is commonly called "sirloin" in American English.

Primal Cut Variation

1. American primal Cut
2. British Primal Cut
3. French Primal Cut
4. German Primal Cut
5. Korean Primal Cut

American Primal Cut

1. Chuck
2. Rib
3. Brisket
4. Short Plate
5. Flank
6. Shank
7. Short Loin/ Loin
8. Sirloin Butt/ Sirloin
9. Round/ Hip

Beef Carcass Sections

1. Chuck

• Best Cooking Methods: Braising, Slow cooking, Stewing, Pot roasting, and Smoking.
• Dishes: Braised Beef Chuck, Smoked Beef Chuck, Grilled Chuck Steak, and Beef Bourguignon.
• Flavor and Texture: Tough, chewy, and flavorful.
• From: Forequarter Part
• Common Cuts: Chuck roll, Blade, Chuck fillet, Ground beef, chuck tender,  Flatiron Steak, Shoulder Tender, Eye Roast, Under-Blade Steak.

Beef Chuck

Beef Chuck Cutting

Read: Types of Knives

2. Rib

• Best Cooking Methods: Slow cooking, Roasting, Grilling, Broiling, and Griddling.
• Dishes: Roasted Prime Ribs, Ribeye Steak, Braised Short rib, Broiled Rib Steak.
• Flavor and Texture: Tender
• From: Forequarter Part
• Common Cuts: Rib Steak-Bone in, Ribeye steak, Back rib, Short rib, Rib roll-Lip on bone in (Roasted Beef Rib)

Beef Rib

Beef Rib Cutting

Read: Types of Bread

3. Brisket

• Best Cooking Methods: Braising, Slow Cooking, Smoking, Stewing, and Pot-Roasting
• Dishes: Stewed Beef, Smoked Brisked, Braised Brisked, Soup, and Burger
• Flavor and Texture: Tough and chewy
• From: Forequarter Part
• Common Cut: Brisket flat, Full brisket, Brisket point, and Ground beef.

Beef Brisket

Read: Types of Pasta

4. Short Plate/ Beef Plate

• Best Cooking Methods: Roasting, Braising, BBQ 
• Dishes: Braised Short Plate, Grilled Hangar Steak, Spare Rib BBQ.
• Flavor and Texture: Tender, fatty, and flavorful
• From: Hindquarter Part
• Common Cuts: Short rib, Spare rib, Hangar steak, and Ground beef.

Beef Short Plate

Read: Types of Salad

5. Shank

• Best Cooking Methods: Braising, Stewing, Simmering for soup or broth.
• Dishes: Soup, Broth, Consomme, Braised beef shank, and Beef stuffing.
• From: Forequarter and Hindquarter Part.
• Flavor and Texture: Chewy and tough

Beef Shank

Read: Types of Flour

6. Short Loin/ Loin

• Best Cooking Methods: Slow cooking, Roasting, Grilling, Griddling, and Broiling
• Dishes: T Bone Steak, Porter House Steak, Chateaubriand, Grilled Filet Mignon, Pan Seared Beef Medallion, Tournedos Rossini, and Beef Wellington.
• Flavor and Texture: Tender
• From: Hindquarter Part
• Common Cuts: Fillet mignon, T bone steak, Porterhouse, Sirloin steak, Tournedos, Beef tenderloin, and Strip loin.

Beef Short Loin

Short Loin Cutting

Read: Types of Cake Decoration

7. Sirloin/ Sirloin Butt

• Best Cooking Methods: Pot roasting, Braising, Smoking, Roasting, Grilling, Broiling, and Griddling.
• Dishes: Grilled Coulotte Steak, Smoked Sirloin Butt, Roasted Tri-Tip, Roasted Sirloin, Grilled Top Sirloin, and Grilled Tri-Tip Steak.
• Flavor and Texture: Tender
• From: Hindquarter Part
• Common Cuts: Tri-Tip, Coulotte Steak, Top Sirloin

Sirloin Butt Cutting

Read: Types of Breakfast

8. Round/ Hip

• Best Cooking Methods: Pot roasting, Braising, Stewing, and Smoking
• Dishes: Hungarian Goulash, Stewed Beef, Rendang, Smoked Beef Knuckle, and Braised Sirloin Tip.
• Flavor and Texture: Tough
• From: Hindquarter Part of the carcass after the separation of loin and flank.
• Common Cut: Inside round (top round), Outside round (Bottom round), Knuckle (Sirloin tip), and Ground beef

Beef Round

Beef Round Cutting

Read: Grain and Rice

9. Flank

• Best Cooking Methods: Grilling, Griddling, Roasting, and Broiling
• Dishes: Grilled Flank Steak, Fajitas, and Stir-Fried Beef.
• Flavor and Texture: Tender
• From: Hindquarter Part
• Common Cuts: Flank steak, Sliced beef, and Ground beef.

Beef Flank

Previous: Types of Beef Cattle

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Types of Meat You Should Know as A Chef

Food Commodities Knowledge: Beef Cattle

 

5 Types of Meat

1. Beef 
2. Veal
3. Lamb
4. Pork
5. Mutton

 

Read: Lamb Cutting

 

1. Beef

What is Beef Cattle

• Beef cattle are cattle raised for meat production (as distinguished from dairy cattle, used for milk production). The meat of mature or almost mature cattle is mostly known as beef.
• Worldwide there are more than 250 breeds of beef cattle.
• More than 80 of these breeds are present in the United States, a relatively small number of breeds (less than 20) constitute the majority of the genetics utilized in the U.S. for commercial beef production.

Varieties of Beef Cattle

1. Bos indicus breeds (also referred to as Zebu-type) are humped cattle originating in South-Central Asia, such as Nelore, Gyr, Guzerat, Brahman, Brangus, and Beefmaster.
2. Bos taurus breeds are descendants of the ancient Celtic shorthorn. Such as British Breeds and Continental European Breeds.

1. Bos indicus breeds

Brahman Breed

• The Brahman breed originated from Bos indicus cattle originally from India (Indian strains of Kankrej, Ongole, Gir, and Gujarat cattle).
• Brahman is a beef breed that’s used most commonly across The USA, South America, and Australia.

Nelore

• Originally brought to Brazil from India. They are named after the district of Nellore in Andhra Pradesh state in India.
• Brazil has become the largest breeder of Nelore, and from there the breed was exported to Argentina, Paraguay, Venezuela, Central America, Mexico, the USA, and many other countries.
• The Nelore is of the Bos indicus species and has the characteristic hump above its shoulders and loose skin.
• It is usually white in color with black skin, muzzle and tail and they have comparatively long legs which helped them walk in the water when grazing.
• Brahman cattle grow quickly, and finish early for good beef production! Their carcasses have low fat and high muscle content. Their dressing percentage is also high, with a good ‘cut-out’ value.

Read: Beef Cutting Method

 

Gyr/ Gir

• It is one of the principal Zebu breeds originating in India.
• Originated in southwest India in the state of Gujarat
• It was also one of the breeds used in the development of the Brahman breed in North America
• Gyr is generally mottled with the color ranging from red through yellow to white, black being the only unacceptable color.

 

Brangus

• It is a cross between an Angus and a Brahman.
• Brangus cattle are black or red, polled, with a sleek coat and pigmented skin. Their ears are medium to large and the skin is loose, with neck folds.
• It is very known for its milk-producing qualities and is often bred with Friesian cows to make the Girolando breed.
• Mature Brangus bulls generally weigh between 800 and 900 kg, while mature females generally weigh around 500 to 550 kg.

 

Read: The Main Differences Between Braising and Stewing

Guzerat

• Guzerat or Guzerá is a Brazilian breed of domestic cattle. It derives from the cross-breeding of Indian Kankrej cattle with local taurine Crioulo cattle of European origin.
• Guzerat cattle are gray cattle and have long lyre-shaped horns. Guzerat cattle have short broad faces with long ears drooping and open to the front.  Color varies from light gray to black at maturity. 
• They are among the largest cattle of India and are prized as powerful draft animals and are moderate milk producers. 

 

Beefmaster

• It is multi-purpose breed was developed from Brahman, Hereford, and Shorthorn
• Most Beefmasters are red in color, but there are variations such as red coats with white speckles, usually around the facial area.
• Cows usually weigh 800 kg, while Beefmaster bulls can reach over 1,200 kg. On average, calves weigh around 35 kg

Read: Food Plating Technique

2. Bos Taurus

British Breeds

• Developed in the British Isles and brought to the United States in the late 1700s through the late 1800s.
• Angus (Black and Red), Hereford (Horned and Polled), Shorthorn.
• Generally smaller when mature, reach a mature size at an earlier age, have less growth potential, excel infertility, and calving ease, attain higher quality grades, and yield carcasses with a lower percentage of saleable products.

 

Read: Roasting Tips

Continental European Breeds

• Commonly referred to as "exotic" breeds and include:
• Charolais, Chianina, Gelbvieh, Limousin, Maine Anjou, Salers, and Simmental.
• Generally larger in mature size, later maturing, produce carcasses with less fat and a higher percentage of saleable products have lower quality grades.

 

Read: Popular Pasta Sauces

Holstein/ Friesian Beef Cattle

• Holstein cattle are the most prominent of the seven major dairy breeds in the United States, easily recognizable by their distinctive black and white markings.
• Cows of Holstein descent make up over 90% of the cows on U.S. dairy farms.

Read: Types of Knives

Kobe Beef

• Cattle of the Kuroge Wagyu/ Kuroge Washu breed (black-haired Japanese cattle) raised and fattened in the hills above Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan (ancient province of Tajima.)
• During the fattening period, the cattle are hand-fed, using high- energy feed, including beer and beer mash, and hand-massaged for tenderness and high-fat content.
• Today kuroge Wagyu are raised on only 262 small farms in Japan, most of which pasture fewer than five cows, and the largest of which run only 10 to 15 animals.
• Kobe beef can be prepared as steak, sukiyaki, shabu-shabu, sashimi, and teppanyaki
• All Kobe is Wagyu not all Wagyu is KOBE 

Wagyu Varieties

• Japanese Black Wagyu: Kuroge Washu
• Japanese Brown Wagyu:  Akage Washu or Akaushi
• Japanese Polled Wagyu: Mukaku Washu
• Japanese Shorthorn Wagyu: Nihon Tankaku Washu

 The Country Wagyu Breeding

• Jepang: Tottori, Tajima, Shimane and Okayama, Kochi and Kumamoto
• Australia: The Australian Wagyu Association is the largest breed association outside Japan
• US: In the United States, Japanese Wagyu cattle are bred with Angus cattle. This crossbreed has been named American Style Kobe Beef.

Read: Compound Butter

Inspection and Grading

The inspection and grading of meat and poultry are two separate programs within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

1. Inspection
2. Grading

 
 

1. Inspection

• It is for wholesomeness and is mandatory and is paid for out of tax dollars.
• It is designed to minimize the likelihood of harmful bacteria being present in raw meat and poultry products. 

Read: Types of Bread

2. Grading

• It is for quality and yield and is voluntary.
• The service is requested and paid for by meat and poultry producers/processors

 

2 Types of Grading

• Yield grades: For the amount of usable lean meat on the carcass. From 5 to 1 yield grade, The best yield is number 1 yield grade
• Quality grades:  For tenderness, juiciness, and flavor.

Beef Yield Grades

Read: Popular Pasta Sauces

Beef Quality Grades

Read: Grilling and Griddling Method

Read: Broiling Method

Read: What is Cooking?

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