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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