If there is one thing that we know for sure it’s that there are a lot of different cuts of meat available on the market. We also know that with this many cuts, there’s bound to be confusion about the differences between them. We’re here to let you in on the ins and outs of the beef world. 

A cow is broken up into several different parts which are known as their primal cuts. These are the main areas of the animal and they include the loin, rib, round, flank, chuck, sirloin, brisket, and more. 

These areas are then broken up into sub categories which include specific steaks and chops which are flank steak, flat iron steak, filet mignon, and rib eye. 

Let’s start with loin cut. Broken down into leaner and thicker cuts, the short loin, strip loin cuts are usually leaner and work better with high heat, while the porterhouse, t-bone and the tenderloins all respond better to dry heat cooking. 

Sirloin cuts are cooked best with grilling, skillet and stir-fry, with high and dry heats. This includes the filet mignon, bavette, tri-tips, strip steak and roasts which come from the rear of the cow. It is usually not recommended to use these cuts in slow cooking.

The next category is the rib cuts. These include the ribeye filet, ribeye cap, and the ribeye steak. Being fattier cuts, some of them can be used in slow cooking and roasting, however not all of the steaks in the family will work well in a slow cooker. Ribeye steak will always be cooked best while it is grilled or fried in a skillet. 

Chuck cuts, such as the blade, chuck eye, and country style ribs are the perfect cuts if you are ever looking to slow cook them. Thick and juicy, these cuts are also great to grill: top blade, ranch steak, shoulder steak. In this family, there is a cut for every style of cooking. 

Brisket flats and brisket points are made from the front legs of the cow. While the flat cut is a little bit leaner than the point cut, both of these cuts are deliciously juicy. Just be careful how long you cook for because there is a very small margin for perfection and over cooking. 

Making our way to the back legs of the cow are the round cuts. This part of the cow offers leaner cuts which means higher temperatures. These include the top and bottom round steak, the bottom round steak, bottom round rump roast, eye of round roast and eye of round steak. 

Skirt, flank and short ribs are the next types, which belong to the plate and frank category. They are always best to be grilled or fried. 

The final category of meat is the “other” cuts. Since all different types of beef come if all shapes and sizes, this category covers all of those miscellaneous cuts which don’t seem to fit into any other main family. This includes meat such as stewing steak, ground beef, corned beef, and minced beef. Shanks fall into this category as well. There is also the cut known as the cheeks which is an often overlooked piece of meat. Fun fact: chefs love to use this cut for pot roast.

Any cuts we missed? Let us know in the comments or let us know what you would like to hear about in our blog posts!