Knowing your beef cuts is the key to a perfect beef dish. Different cuts of beef come from different parts of the cow, and each one behaves differently in the pan: some are tender, some are more flavourful, and some are best for slow cooking. This article breaks down the 5 main cuts of beef every cook should know, where each sits on the animal, and what to cook with it.
Whether you’re a professional chef or a home cook, beef is one of the go-to meats for most cuisines (non-vegetarian diets, of course). This extremely versatile meat can be used in everything from starters to salads, stir-fries, main courses, stews and so much more.
Walk into a supermarket or order meat online and you meet a long list of beef cuts: chuck, tenderloin, sirloin, topside, round, and more. The hard part is knowing the difference, which cut to use for pot roast, which for stews, which for steak, and which to flash-cook on a pan versus slow-roast for hours.
Well, don’t worry. The master chefs at ICCA Dubai are here to dispel all your doubts.
Understanding Beef Cuts from Primal to Retail
The first thing you need to understand is that not all cuts will be available at a supermarket or grocery store. That’s not just because of what they have in stock. It also has to do with the fact that some of the bigger cuts cannot be sold as they are. They would be too big for a home chef to work with, so they are usually not sold separately.
There are 3 levels of cuts of beef:
- Primal cuts: These are the biggest cuts of beef. This is what is marked out on a beef cuts chart (as you can see below). However, since the cow is a relatively large animal, each of these cuts can be huge, weighing multiple tens of kilograms! Primal cuts include areas like chuck, loin, rib, round, etc.
- Sub-primal cuts: The primals are then broken down into smaller pieces called sub-primal (or sub-primal) cuts. For example, the Top Round is a sub-primal cut of the larger Round, which is a primal cut. Other examples include Rib Eye and Whole Tenderloin. These are also quite large in size.
- Retail or portion cuts: As the two names suggest, these are the smallest cuts, divided from the sub-primal, and sold in retail stores as one individual portion (like a T-Bone Steak or Rib Eye Steak).
Which Cuts of Beef Are Most Tender
Which part of beef is tender comes down to where on the cow the cut sits. As a rule, the most tender beef parts come from muscles far from the horns and hooves, which do the least work, while the toughest cuts are the shoulder and leg, because those muscles are used the most.
The 5 Most Common Cuts of Beef for Cooking
Any chef worth her or his salt needs to know at least the 5 basic cuts of beef and what they’re good for. Let’s take a look.
- Beef Chuck: This is a tough but very flavourful cut of beef, taken from the neck, shoulder blade and upper ‘arm’ of the animal. It has a lot of connective tissue so it’s best for stews and roasts, as the cooking process breaks down this tissue.
- Beef Brisket: This is cut from the ‘breast’ of the cow, so it again has connective tissue and can be tough – but if you cook it properly, that’s not a problem. The most famous brisket recipes call for barbequing or braising, so this cut is perfect for those two cooking methods.
- Beef Loin: This comes from the back, near the ribs of the cow. Many types of steaks, including the favourite Filet Mignon, Tenderloin, Porterhouse and T-Bone, come from this cut.
- Beef Rib: Cows have 13 sets of ribs, but only the ribs 6 to 12 are counted under this cut. Prime Rib and Short Rib are two of the most common portions from this section, as well as the aptly named Rib Eye. The Rib cuts are very juicy and tender with a lot of marbling, making them perfect for grilling or cooking over dry heat.
- Beef Round: This comes from the back of the cow, and is also known as the Rump. Many favourite roast cuts come from this section, including the Top Round, Bottom Round and Eye of Round.
Which Cut of Beef Is Best
The best cut of beef depends on how you plan to cook it. Tough, hard-working muscles turn meltingly tender with slow, moist heat, while lean, naturally tender cuts are best cooked fast and hot.
Best Beef Cuts for Slow Cooking and Stews
For stews, braises, and pot roasts, choose the hard-working cuts: beef chuck, brisket, and round. Chuck comes from the neck and shoulder and is packed with connective tissue that melts down over a long, low cook, giving rich, fall-apart results. Brisket, from the breast, rewards barbecuing or braising for the same reason. Round, from the rump, is leaner and best suited to slow roasts. These cuts are usually the most affordable per kilo, so they deliver the most flavour for your money when time is on your side. The rule of thumb is simple: the tougher and cheaper the cut, the longer and gentler it wants to be cooked.
Best Beef Cuts for Grilling and Steaks
When you want a quick, tender result, reach for cuts from the loin and rib. Beef loin gives you the classic steaks, Filet Mignon, Tenderloin, Porterhouse, and T-Bone, prized for being tender enough to flash-cook on a hot pan or grill. Beef rib delivers Prime Rib, Short Rib, and the well-marbled Rib Eye, whose fat keeps the meat juicy over dry heat. These are the cuts to grill, pan-sear, or roast hot and fast. Because they are naturally tender, they need only a few minutes on each side, and overcooking is the main mistake to avoid.
There are many more primal, subprimal and portion cuts of beef, but these 5 are the most commonly used ones, and therefore the ones every chef needs to be intimately familiar with. Now you know these, it’s time to start experimenting – and we’ve got loads of recipes you can try right at home!
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Which part of beef is the most tender?
A: The most tender beef comes from the loin, which gives cuts like Filet Mignon, Tenderloin, and T-Bone. These muscles sit along the back, far from the horns and hooves, and do very little work, so the meat stays soft. As a rule, the further a cut is from the hard-working shoulder and leg, the more tender it will be.
Q: What are the main parts of beef?
A: Beef is divided into large primal cuts taken from different parts of the cow: chuck (neck and shoulder), rib, loin (back), round (rump), and brisket (breast). Each primal is then broken into smaller sub-primal and retail cuts, such as Rib Eye or T-Bone, that you buy in the shop.
Q: How many cuts of beef are there?
A: There are three levels of beef cuts: primal cuts, the biggest sections of the animal; sub-primal cuts, which are the primals broken into smaller pieces; and retail or portion cuts, the individual steaks and roasts sold in shops. Most home cooking centres on five common cuts: chuck, brisket, loin, rib, and round.
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