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After the Cross Rib has been removed from the Square-Cut Chuck, butchers will often portion cut the remaining Chuck meat into Arm Pot Roasts (also known as Shoulder Roasts, Arm Roasts, Arm Chuck Roast, and Round Bone Pot Roast ), NAMP 114E, which contain meat from the upper foreleg, known as the arm, the small Round Arm Bone or “O” bone and possibly parts of the remaining first two ribs of the Chuck (Ribs #1 - #2)...
Ball Tip Steaks, NAMP 1185B, also known as a Bell Tip Steak, Bola (Spanish), or Butcher’s Heart are cut from the ball tip of the Sirloin/Round depending on how the Round Primal Cut is broken down. Ball Tip Steak is not as tender as pricier Rib Eyes, or T-Bones but they do have good flavor at a decent price...
A Barrel-Cut Tenderloin, NAMP 190B, is a barrel-shaped portion cut from the center or “Heart” of the TenderloinSub-Primal Cut. The Barrel Cut Tenderloin is a uniform shape to ensure even cooking and contains only the most tender portions of the Tenderloin.
To create the Barrel-Cut Tenderloin, the Tenderloin Tail and the Tenderloin Butt are removed from a full defatted, de-skinned Tenderloin from which the side muscle or “The Chain” (psoas minor) has been removed...
Baseball Steak is another name for Beef Loin, Top Sirloin, NAMP 184F, which is just the top portion of the Top Sirloin muscle (gluteus medius) separated out along the natural seams. Naturally enough, the cut looks like a baseball, and puffs a bit when cooked adding to the baseball look. Because of the name it is sometimes confused with the Bell Tip or Ball Tip portion of the Sirloin Tip but they are different cuts...
A “Bavette Steak” is actually a Flap Steak, NAMP 1185A, sometimes called a “Bistro Steak.” Bavette Steak is being pushed because it is a classier, more expensive, sounding name for a typically tougher cut of meat, much like Skirt Steak or Flank Steak, that has traditionally been ground for Ground Beef, or cubed for stew meat or Kabobs...
Beef Ribs typically refers to a Beef Rib Roast ready on the bone, NAMP 109. The top half of Ribs 6-12 are typically included in the Beef Rib portion cut. The term Short Ribs would be used to describe ribs 1-5, the Chuck Short Ribs, NAMP 1123 or the lower half of ribs 6-12 that descend into the Plate Primal Cut, NAMP 123A and that are known as Plate Short Ribs...
Before discussing Beef Short Ribs (also known as Thin Ribs, even Jacobs’ Ladder, in the U.K.) we need to clarify that Beef Short Ribs can come from three different Primal Cuts of beef: the Chuck, (The shorter Ribs #1 - #5, leaner but less tender), the Rib (where Ribs #6 - #12 may be cut short) or the middle of the Plate (Bottom Ends of Ribs #6 - #9 or #10)...
Biftek or a Biftek Steak is cut from the tail end of the Tenderloin Butt which is also the large butt end of the Tenderloin. Broiling or Grilling work very well with Biftek.
Bistro Steak is a catch-all term for a number of different thin, fibrous cuts that yield a chewy, flavorful Steak at a more modest price that can be Grilled or Broiled. Bistro Steaks were served, and still are served, in working class French bistros. Though there is no precise, book definition, Flank Steak, Hanger Steak and Skirt Steak are sold most commonly as Bistro Steaks, though they are often in short supply because of their price relative to their flavor...
The Top Sirloin, NAMP 181A, includes some of the tender Longissimus Muscle, some of the Tenderloin and some of the muscles that move the rear leg (femur), including the gluteus (medius, accessorius,& profundus) and the biceps femoris.
We get a Top Sirloin Steak from the gluteus medius and then four more steaks, the “Sirloin Bone-In Steaks” from the Bone-In Top Sirloin...
The Boneless Rib Roast is similar to a Rib Roast, except that it has been de-boned of ribs #6 - #12 (counting back from the head).
The larger end, near the Chuck Primal Cut, is basically a boneless, lower-fat Rib Roast. The smaller end, which follows the narrowing of the rib cage, near the Loin Primal Cut, has more Rib Eye meat along with some of the Complexus and the Spinalis muscles...
A Boneless Rump Roast, NAMP 166 B, also known as a Manhattan Roast, a Melon Roast or Watermelon Roast is a de-boned Standing Rump Roast. Boneless Rump Roasts are typically 2 to 5 pounds (.91 kg to 2.27 kg) and more expensive per pound than a Standing Rump Roast because you are not paying for the bones...
Boneless Top Loin Steaks, sometimes known as Strip Loin Steaks, NAMP 1180, (1180A is the center cut), come from the top of the Short Loin, contain the desirable Longissimus Muscle and can weigh 8-18 ounces (226.8 g – 510.3 g) . Unfortunately for all of us, they go by a potentially confusing array of names including: New York Strip Steak/Kansas City Strip Steak, Strip Steak, Hollywood Strip Steak, Strip Loin Steak, Shell Steak, Top Loin Steak, New York Sirloin Steak, Contre-Filet, Hotel Steak, Hotel Cut Strip Steak, Ambassador Steak, Club Steak, Club Sirloin Steak, Delmonico Steak, Lomo (in Spanish), Lombo (in Italian) and Strip Sirloin Steak...
Boneless Top Sirloin Steaks, NAMP 1184, are cut from a boneless Top Sirloin Butt, NAMP 184. They can be portion cut a number of different ways (NAMP 1184A, B, & F) and can be a single serving or large enough to feed a family. Boneless Top Sirloin Steak can also be known by a coterie of names like: Hip Steak, Rump Steak, Top of Iowa Steak, Butt Steak, Top Sirloin Butt Steak, Top Butt and the oft-used London Broil...
The Beef Bottom Round Roast, also known as a Round Bottom Roast, Round Roast, Pot Roast, Bottom Round and an Oven Roast, is a portion cut carved from the Outside Round (also known as the Bottom Round) of the outside muscle of the Steer’s upper leg.
A Bottom Round Roast is a lean, flavorful Roast that is usually tough...
Bottom Round Steaks are thick, flavorful, tougher Steaks cut from the Bottom Round portion of the Round Primal Cut.
Marinating (2 to 24 hours), Tenderizing and Pounding are all good techniques to be used with a Bottom Round Steak to help make it a better chew.
Bottom Round Steaks (cut thin) can be cooked with a Dry Heat Method such as Grilling, Broiling, Sautéing etc...
A Breakfast Steak, is another Beef cut, like London Broil, that does not have an exact definition. In general a Breakfast Steak is a smaller, 5 oz. (141.7 g) untrimmed (with fat along the end), beef steak that is eaten as breakfast or alongside eggs. The concept of a Breakfast Steak is English, though others such as Americans, Canadians, etc...
The Back Half of the Brisket, NAMP 120A, which is also known as the Flat Half, Thin Cut, First Cut, or Navel End, is actually the majority of the Brisket and is one solid, rectangular, poorly Marbled, muscle, the flat pectoral muscle. Its flat shape gives rise to the nickname for the whole cut...
The Brisket Front Half, NAMP 120B, also known as the Point Cut, the Thick Cut, The Nose Cut, The Second Cut, or The Brisket Point is the fattier, smaller half of the Brisket. Because of its connective tissue and internal fat, it is considered a tougher cut and is usually cheaper than the Brisket Back Half...
A Butterball Steak is another name for an Inside Round Steak, also known as a Top Round Steak. The Butterball Steak may also be a name used to refer to the “First Cut” of the Top Round close to where it abuts the Sirloin. For more information on a Butterball Steak see Smart Kitchen’s resource page on Top Round Steaks...
When the Chuck is “muscle-boned” or broken down so that the bones are removed and the cuts are separated according to their muscle grouping, it is known as a California Style Chuck. California Style Chuck is more common in the Western U.S. Typically, the whole shoulder Clod (NAMP114 ) biceps brachii muscles which a cow uses to flex an elbow) is removed in one piece, using the natural Seams to guide the butcher’s hand and separated from the Round Arm Bone (the clod bone)...
The Round Primal Cut is typically broken down in two different styles, mostly distinguished by whether the Sirloin/Round Tip goes with the Round Primal or with the Bottom Sirloin Sub-Primal Cut. In a Chicago Round, NAMP 158 B, the Sirloin/Round Tip is cut so that it remains attached to the Bottom Sirloin and not the Round...
If a steak is cut from lower on the “arm” of the Chuck, as opposed to the shoulder, it is commonly known as a Chuck Arm Steak. Other names for a Chuck Arm Steak include: Swiss Steak, Chuck Arm Steak, Arm Steak, Arm Swiss Steak, Chuck Steak for Swissing, or Round Bone Steak.
The meat is not especially tender and often undergoes mechanical (with an electric tenderizer) or physical (with a mallet) tenderizing before sale...
Chuck Tail Flap, also known as Chuck Flat, Chuck Meat Square is a term more frequently used abroad (in Canada for instance) to denote boneless Chuck Rib meat. The Chuck Tail Flap comes from the Short Rib of the Chuck (Ribs #1 - #5 counting from the head to the tail). The primary muscle is the serratis ventralis, though the Pectoralis superficialis and Scalenus dorsalis are often included...
A Club Steak is often known, confusingly, as a Strip Steak, a Shell Steak, a Delmonico Steak, a Hotel Steak, a New York Strip Steak, a Kansas City Strip Steak, or a Sirloin Club Steak. In common usage, the term may be used improperly to describe both a boneless and a bone-in steak, so be forewarned...
It’s a good thing that Westerns are known for fighting because there is a lot of contention about what constitutes a “Cowboy Steak.”
One camp defines it as a Bone-In Ribeye. Another camp claims it can be any of the great steaks taken from the Short Loin Primal Cut like a Club Steak, a T-Bone Steak or a Porter House Steak...
The Cross Rib Pot Roast (or English Roast, Boston Cut, English Cut, Bread & Butter Cut) is derived from the corner of a Square-Cut, Chuck Primal Cut, and essentially is just three large meaty Short Ribs (Ribs #3, #4, & #5 counting back from the head towards the tail) and the meat that covers them...
Cube Steak, NAMP 1100, is a boneless portion cut of tougher meat, technically from any part of the carcass but usually Top Round or Bottom Sirloin that has most often been tenderized twice (turned 90° between passes) by an Electric Meat Tenderizer.
These tougher cuts need so much TLC that a physical tenderizer (like a mallet) will inflict too much mashing damage on the product...
At Smart Kitchen, Culotte Steak refers to a Tri-Tip Steak cut from the Triangle Tip or Tri-Tip of the Bottom Sirloin Sub-Primal Cut. Optimally, Culotte Steaks should be cut ¾ of an inch (1.9 cm) thick and should have moderate Marbling for best flavor. A Moist Heat Cooking Method should be used with this tougher cut of meat, unless Marinades, Rubs, or other Tenderizing are to prepare it for cooking with a Dry Heat Method...
Delmonico Steak or Steak Delmonico comes from the New York City landmark Delmonico’sRestaurant which popularized big beefy steaks in the 1800’s. Unfortunately, today no one know exactly which cut was served by Delmonico’s in the famous steak house days, and there is a lot of confusion because the unregulated “Delmonico” name sells...
The name Delmonico is the source of a lot of confusion and disagreement in the culinary world. At least 9 different cuts of beef are identified as Delmonico this or Delmonico that and can be cut from the Chuck, Rib, or Sirloin. Some steaks using the Delmonico name are boneless while others are bone-in which doesn’t help anything...
The Round Primal Cut can be broken down with, or without including the Sirloin/Round Tip. The Diamond Cut Round, NAMP 158 A, includes the full Sirloin/Round Tip, the Rump, the Top Round, the Bottom Round, the Eye of Round, the Heel of Round and the Rear Shank. Smart Kitchen refers to the Sirloin/Round Tip by both the Sirloin and Round names to try to avoid confusion as to which cut it comes from; Sirloin or Round...
When the term “Eye” is used to refer to a cut of meat or in the name of a cut of meat, it does not mean the ocular eyes with which we see. It does not always even refer to a more tender cut of meat. It purely refers to the oval shape of that portion of the cut.
The term refers to slices of a long tubular muscle that runs length wise inside a larger cut of meat...
Filet Mignon (fee-lay mee NYOH), which means “cute” or “dainty” filet in French, should be a 4-12 oz (113.4 g – 340.2 g) boneless, lightly marbled steak, that is one of the most tender cuts of meat. It is the most tender because the Psoas major muscle bears the least amount of weight and performs the fewest actions so it is not loaded with muscle fibers and/or connective tissue...
A Filet Mignon Roast is typically 2 to 2 ¼ pounds (4.41 kg to 5 kg) and a very tender cut of meat because the Psoas major muscle, from which it is formed, bears the least amount of weight and performs the fewest actions in the steer. It is not loaded with muscle fibers and/or connective tissue...
U.S. butchers may call any steak cut from the Tenderloin by the generic name “Filet Steak,” or “Fillet Steak” but precisely the name only applies to Steaks cut from the middle of the Tenderloin behind the Tournedos but before the Châteaubriand. The Filet Steaks are the final cuts of the Short Tenderloin before the Tenderloin Butt begins...
Flank Steak is a “Flat Steak” that goes by many names including the well used name London Broil, which is hung on many different cuts. Some other synonyms for Flank Steak are: Jiffy Steak, Flank Steak Fillet, Biftek de Flanc or Bavette de Flanchet (if in French), Costine di Pancia, Pancia or Bavette (if in Italian), Redondon or Filete de Falda (if in Spanish), Bife do Vazio (if in Brazil), Bife de Vacio (if in Argentina), Palanca (in Chile) and the Dunne (in Germany)...
Flap Steak, NAMP 1185A, also known as a Bavette Steak or a Bistro Steak is a tougher, more economical steak cut from the flap of the Bottom Sirloin Sub-Primal Cut. The texture, flavor, and handling is similar to that of a Skirt Steak or Flank Steak.
Flap Steak, has very good muscle density and flavor but a chef has to handle it properly to make sure it does not turn out tough...
Moving from the head towards the tail, the Flat Bone Sirloin Steak is the next cut back on the ilium bone or hip bone after the Pin Bone Sirloin Steak. As the hip bone widens out the cross cut of bone in the steak looks flatter, hence the name Flat Bone Sirloin Steak.
As it is the second closest to the tender Short Loin, the Flat Bone Sirloin Steak has decent tenderness and flavor but it also contains the most bone (Flat Bone and some Back Bone) of the Bone-In Sirloins and is therefore, pound for pound, the worst sirloin steak bargain...
The Fluff Steak from the Center Cut of a Boneless Chuck Roll is Known by a Variety of Names
In beef cuts, the Gracilis Muscle is found as the Round Cap, NAMP 169 B, of the Inside Round. If not removed by the butcher, it is covered in a white, fibrous Gracilis Membrane that does not aid cooking. Cleaned up, it is an intermediately tender muscle (#14 of the The Most Tender Beef Cuts) with a decent texture and taste...
Ground Beef made from ground meat (and Trimmings and scraps) from the Chuck Primal Cut is called Ground Chuck and is very popular because it is well marbled and full flavored. It has an almost perfect 80/20 ratio of lean meat to fat (80 to 85% lean & 15 to 20% fat) and can be very juicy and tasty...
Ground Beef made from ground meat (and Trimmings and scraps) from the Round Primal Cut is called Ground Round and is only moderately popular because it is so lean. Ground Round, which sounds terrific rolling easily off the tongue, is flavorful with an almost perfect Lean, 85/15 ratio of lean meat to fat (85 - 90% lean Meat & 10 - 15% Fat)...
Ground Beef made from ground meat (and Trimmings and scraps) from the Sirloin Sub-Primal Cut is popular because it is lean with a good, full beef flavor. Ground Sirloin has an almost perfect Extra Lean, 90/10 ratio of lean meat to fat (90 to 92% lean & 8 to 10% fat). It is more expensive but a good solid choice for lean Ground Beef and for making lean Hamburgers, especially for those seeking to cut fat grams from their diet...
Hanger Steak, NAMP 1140, also known as Butchers’ Steak, House Skirt Steak, Petite Skirt Steak, Skirt Steak Taco Meat, "Arrachera" (Mexican Spanish) or Hanging Tenderloin, is a darker colored “Flat Steak” derived from the Hanging Tender, NAMP 140, which is the Pillar of the Diaphragm, an “Interior” muscle between the last rib and the loin...
Contrary to what you might read in many places, the Hanging Tender, NAMP 140, also known as the Hanging Tenderloin, Hanger, Pillar, Onglet (French) and Butcher’s Tenderloin, is not a “part” of the diaphragm of an animal. It is instead a muscle and cut of meat that has stumped a lot of butchers, including published authors like Merle Ellis, who wrote the useful meat book Cutting Up in the Kitchen where he said, “I can’t tell you what the Hanging Tender is...
The Heel of the Round Sub-Primal Cut, NAMP 171 F, is a boneless, wedge-shaped beef cut, full of muscles that do their work very low on the leg. Because the lower you go on the leg the more work is performed, the Heel of the Round contains the toughest parts of the Round Primal Cut, and possibly the toughest cuts in the steer...
Heel of Round Roast, also known as a Heel Roast, a Pike’s Peak Roast or a Denver Roast, even a Denver Pot Roast, is cut from the Heel of Round of the Round Primal Cut. You don’t often find it in grocery stores because it is tough and frequently used for Ground Beef, Stew Meat, Kabobs or for Beef Stock...
Inside Round Cutlets, also known as Round Cutlets, are very thin Steaks cut from the Inside Round Sub-Primal Cut. The meat of an Inside Round Cutlet tends to be lean and can of intermediate tenderness.
Inside Round Cutlets do well with Tenderizing and because they are cut thin, they can be cooked with a Dry Heat Method...
An Inside Skirt Steak, NAMP 121 D, is often confused with an Outside Skirt Steak, NAMP 121 C, and with a Flank Steak, NAMP 193, because the British call some Flank Steak, Skirt Steaks.
An Inside Skirt Steak is a “Flat Steak” made from the Transversus abdominis muscle that is a “core” muscle located on the interior of the rib cage which helps stabilize the animal by compressing/moving the rib cage and in internal “pushing” as in giving birth...
Lip On Rib Eye Steak, NAMP 1112A, is derived from the Lip On Rib Eye Roll, NAMP 112A, by cutting it into Steaks.
The “Lip” is a bit of muscle (Serratus dorsalis & Longissimus costarum) and related intermuscular fat from the bottom of the Rib closer to the Plate Primal Cut...
The second most tender muscle in the steer, the long, tubular, Longissimus Dorsi is responsible for many of the best cuts of beef, like the Rib Eye, the Top Loin, the Strip Loin and the Chuck Eye. Learning about the Longissimus Dorsi muscle reduces meat marketing confusion and simplifies your purchasing the most tender beef cuts...
A Minute Steak is a catch all term for a small, thin Beef Steak, that can be cooked quickly, almost in a minute.
The New York Strip/Kansas City Strip, NAMP 1180, which is a Boneless Top Loin Steak, might be the most famous steak, if one were to rate it based on the profusion of different names it goes by, such as: Strip Steak, New York Strip, Kansas City Strip, Hollywood Strip Steak, Strip Loin Steak, Shell Steak, Top Loin Steak, New York Sirloin Steak, Contre-Filet,Hotel Steak, Hotel Cut Strip Steak, Ambassador Steak, Club Steak, Club Sirloin Steak, Delmonico Steak and Strip Sirloin Steak...
An Outside Skirt Steak, NAMP 121 C, also known as the “Thin Skirt” is often confused with an Inside Skirt Steak, NAMP 121 D, and with a Flank Steak, NAMP 193, because the British call some Flank Steak, Skirt Steaks.
An Outside Skirt Steak is a long “Flat Steak” cut from the trimmed boneless portion of the diaphragm muscle contained in The Plate Primal Cut...
A Petite Rib Eye Steak, is a Rib Eye Steak only more petite or smaller. Petite, in regards to steaks usually means 10 ounces (283.5 g) or less but with Petite Rib Eye Steaks, they are typically 6 ounces (170.1 g) or less in weight.
Like a Rib Eye Steak a Petite Rib Eye Steak is best Sautéed, Grilled, or Pan Broiled...
A Petite Top Sirloin Steak, is a smaller portion cut steak, typically 4 oz. to 10 oz. (113.4 g to 283.5 g) cut from Boneless Top Sirloin Steaks. With more non-traditional households, consisting of singles and/or single parents, a package of Petite Top Sirloin Steaks may more perfectly fit their needs...
The Pin Bone Sirloin Steak is characterized by the Pin Shaped Bone that is the first cross section of the ball of the ilium bone or hip bone. The Pin Bone Sirloin Steak is the most tender of the hip bone Sirloin Steaks because it is drawn from closest to the Short Loin Primal Cut.
A Pin Bone Sirloin contains a good bit of Tenderloin, some Longissimus Muscle, some of the “Top Sirloin” (gluteus medius), some of the mushroom shaped multifidus dorsi, and some of the tougher flap muscle (obliquus abdominis interni) sometimes known as Bavette Steak...
The Plate includes the lower ends of ribs #6 - #12. The flat ends of 4 ribs (#6 - #9) are often cut a few inches long and merchandized as Short Ribs. The ends of 3 ribs (#10 - #12) are too fatty to be used for meat.
They can be cut parallel along the bone in the “English” style or cut across the bone in the “Flanken” style...
From the Short Loin, the highly valuable Porterhouse is a steak cut of beef from the large rear end of the short loin. It contains a large T-Shaped Bone with meat on each side. The larger side contains muscle from the short loin (often called the strip). The smaller side contains a portion of Tenderloin muscle (often called the fillet)...
The Basic Building Block of the Butcher's Trade.
Originally, Prime Rib referred only to the Rib section of a steer graded USDA Prime. Through common misuse it has come to generally mean a Rib Roast or a Standing Rib Roast. The USDA has made allowance for this popular use and does not require the cut "to be derived from USDA prime grade beef...
The Rib Eye Steaks are well marbled and taken from the Rib Primal Cut, specifically the Rib Roast. They offer a decent balance between the tough, full flavored Chuck and the tender but milder Loin.
Rib Eyes are, more typically, a boneless steak, but Rib Eyes can be cut bone-in where they are known as a “Bone-In Ribeye,” “Cowboy Steak,” “Cowboy Ribeye,” “Delmonico Steak,” “Delmonico Ribeye,” or just as a “Rib Steak...
If you can picture Fred Flintstone tipping over in his pre-historic car at the end of the cartoon TV show, you will have a visual (essentially) of a rib section of beef. The nearby picture does a good job as well.
The look of that cut, (though not one the size of Fred’s), is what we should think of when we think of Ribs or a Rib Roast...
A Rib Steak, NAMP 1103, is a bone-in Steak cut from the Rib Roast. Essentially, it is a Rib Roast but cut thinner with only one or two bones in the portion cut. There is some debate and confusion around this issue but the general consensus is that with the bone removed, the Rib Steak becomes a Rib-Eye Steak...
Rib-Eye Roast, also known as a Delmonico Roast, NAMP 110, refers to a rib roast that has been de-boned and carved so that just the rib-eye muscle remains. From the wider end of the Rib Primal Cut near the Chuck Primal Cut, it is flavorful, tender, and pricey. Basically, it is a boneless, low-fat rib roast and can be prepared similarly to a Standing Rib Roast or a Rolled Rib Roast...
Don't just assume that any beef with the word "roast" in its name will make a good roast beef. Some of those “roasts” are intended for pot roast and are not good for a Dry Heat Method like Roasting. Many of them need longer slower cooking with a Moist Heat Method...
A Rolled Rib Roast, also known as a Rib Eye Roll, NAMP 112, is a Rib Roast, NAMP 103, that has been de-boned (Boneless Rib Roast, NAMP 108) and then rolled up. Once rolled up, it is often netted or tied and held together by Butchers’ Twine to hold its shape for uniform cooking and presentation...
A Rolled Rump Roast, NAMP 166B, is a Boneless Rump Roast, trimmed to remove the Rump Cap, that has been Seasoned and then rolled into the shape of a log. Rolled Rump Roast is very similar to a Beef Round Steak and is carved from the Rump of the Round Primal Cut. A Rolled Rump Roast is typically a portion cut associated with Beef or Veal and is typically a lower cost item...
The Round Bone Sirloin is the next cut back from the Flat Bone Sirloin. The Round Bone Sirloin comes from the wider portion of the ilium bone or hip bone that appears round when cross cut. It is a bit less tender than the Flat Bone Sirloin Steak and the leanest of the Bone-In Sirloin steaks...
A Round Eye Steak, also known as a “Round Round-Eye Steak,” Wafer Steak and even sometimes a Breakfast Steak, is a Steak cut from the Eye of Round, the semitendinosus muscle. It is not normal to see Eye of Round Steaks sold in a package at a grocer, and they have no designated NAMP #...
A Round Roast, also known as a Boneless Beef Round, a Pike's Peak Roast, a Diamond Roast, a Denver Pot Roast, London Broil, and a Horseshoe Roast, is a very popular cut for Pot Roast, and can be Roasted at Low Heats, but the devil is in the details. Technically, a Round Roast can be carved from any portion of the Round Primal Cut (typically with the Rump Portion Cut removed)...
Beef Round Steaks, NAMP 1169 through NAMP 1171 D, also known as Family Steaks, Bucket Steaks are large, oblong, fairly thin, mixed muscle Steaks cut from the lower Round, which can be described as the Round Primal Cut, with the Rump Sub-Primal Cut removed. Essentially, Round Steaks are 1 to 2 inch (25 mm to 51 mm) steak cut slices of the rear leg, most often including the rear leg Round Bone...
The Rump, NAMP 171 G, which is the pointed end of the Flat of the hindquarters of an animal, can be separated from the Outside Round and sold as a single, large, 8.8 to 13 pound (4 to 6 kg) Rump Roast, though it is more commonly cut down into 2 or 3 Standing Rump Roasts, or de-boned and sold as a Boneless Rump Roast...
Steaks cut from the Rump Roasts are known as Rump Steaks or Butt Steaks, NAMP 1171 G. They are typically 8 to 12 inches long and ¾ of an inch to an inch thick (19 mm to 25 mm) and principally comprised of the biceps femoris, a fairly tough muscle. Rump Steak is similar to Sirloin but less tender and leaner...
The Short Tenderloin, NAMP 192, also known as the “Small End,” is the smaller side of the Tenderloin that, confusingly, lies closer to the head of the steer. It contains mostly the Psoas major, and Psoas Minor muscles. It can be further subdivided by removing the thin ends of the Psoas major and making them their own cut called the Tenderloin Tails, NAMP 192A...
The Boneless Shoulder Roast, NAMP 114 A,B,C is also known as The English Roast and comes from right behind the Arm Roast. A Shoulder Roast is fatty, flavorful and economical but it can easily dry out and toughen during cooking. Techniques that work well with Shoulder Roasts are slow Roasting in a tightly covered Roasting Pan with liquid, like Stock, and vegetables added that will essentially steam the product and keep the meat moist...
Shoulder Steak, NAMP 1114E, refers to Steaks cut from the shoulder clod of the Chuck, or the muscle that the steer uses to flex its elbow (biceps brachii). You will typically see them at retail boneless. Shoulder Steaks are usually oblong, no thicker than 1 inch (2.54 cm), weigh 10 ounces (283...
The Sirloin Tip refers to a boneless Full Sirloin Tip, NAMP 167B, which includes the complete rear end of the Sirloin (the Bottom Sirloin and the Tip) that is usually divided between the Round Primal Cut and the Bottom SirloinSub-Primal Cut, depending on if the Round is broken down as a Diamond Round or a Chicago Round...
The Beef Round Tip Roast, also known as a Sirloin Tip Roast, can belong to the Sirloin Sub-Primal Cut or the Round Primal Cut depending on how the Round primal cut is broken down. In a Diamond Round, the Sirloin Tip Roast/Round Tip Roast will be in the Round. In a Chicago Round, the Sirloin Tip Roast/Round Tip Roast will be with the Round...
A Skirt Steak is a “Flat Steak” and in America is one of two cuts of meat taken from the interior of the abdominal cavity of The Plate Primal Cut. The other is the Hanger Steak. Together these two types of Steaks, taken from inside the abdominal cavity are called, with little imagination, "Inside Cuts...
When the Primal Cut of Chuck is broken down following the English tradition, (more common in the Eastern U.S.) the butcher chops and cuts until the Shoulder Clod and Foreshank and Beef Short Ribs of the chuck are roughly a 90 pound (40.8 kg) square of bone and meat.
From the Square-Cut Chuck, the following Portion Cuts may be derived: Cross Rib Pot Roast, Arm Pot Roast, Shoulder Roasts, Shoulder Steaks (such as English Steak), Chuck Arm Steaks (like Swiss Steak) and Short Ribs...
A Standing Rib Roast, often referred to as Prime Rib, most often refers to a Beef, bone-In Roast, NAMP 109, from the Rib Primal Cut that can be cut from as little as 2 to as many as 7 ribs. If cut right it should literally be able to stand on its vertebral end with the rib bones pointing up into the air...
A Standing Rump Roast, NAMP # 107, also known as a Cadera (Spanish), a Full Rump Roast (British), a Scamone (Italian) or a Wedge Cut Roast, is cut from the whole Rump, NAMP 171 G, and can contain cross sections of both the Aitch Bone,the Tail Bone and the Pelvis Bone. If the Standing Rump Roast is de-boned it is called a Boneless Rump Roast...
Stew Meat is one of the Best Ways to Use The Tougher Cuts
A Smaller Building Block of the Butcher's Trade
First off, before we picture Heidi and alpine meadows, Swiss Steak is not named for the country of Switzerland directly, or even for how they prepare steaks in the Alps. Swiss Steaks, usually beef, take their name from a technique, “swissing,” used to soften fabric by running it back and forth through rollers...
From the Short Loin, the valuable T-Bone is a steak cut of beef from the smaller end of the short loin. It contains a large T-Shaped Beef Bone with meat on each side. The larger side contains muscle from the short loin (often called the strip). The smaller side contains a portion of Tenderloin muscle (often called the fillet)...
The Tenderloin Butt, NAMP 191, also called the Butt Tenderloin, Butt End Tenderloin, Stub Tender, Head Tenderloin, or Tête de Filet (French) is the Sirloin end of the Tenderloin that is closest to the Round Primal Cut. The Tenderloin Butt will contain the Psoas major, the Psoas minor, the iliacus and possibly the sartorius muscles and can weigh 1 lb...
The whole Tenderloin weighs around 6 pounds (2.72kg ) and any of the Full Tenderloin cuts NAMP 189-192 can be considered as Tenderloin Roasts. The main differences are whether the individual cuts are defatted, shorn of “The Chain” or side muscle (psoas minor) and de-skinned of the silverish outer membrane...
Tenderloin Tail, NAMP 192A, also called Texas Tail or Tennessee Tail is the thin end of the Psoas major muscle, possibly with portions of the Psoas minor muscle attached. The tapering of the tail does not lend itself to a consistent diameter for a Tenderloin Roast or for Tenderloin Steaks. For visual appeal, to facilitate even cooking, and because the amount of Tenderloin Tail varies from steer to steer, many butchers remove the tail before merchandizing the Tenderloin...
A Tenderloin Tip Roast comes from the Tenderloin Tail, NAMP 192A, which is the last few inches of the small end (or tip) of the Tenderloin, the end closest to the head of the steer.
The traditional Full Tenderloin Roast, NAMP 190, is technically the whole Tenderloin, though some butchers prefer to use only the thicker, center portions of the Tenderloin for their Tenderloin Roasts or Tenderloin Steaks...
The Tenderloin Tips are the last few inches of the thin end of the Tenderloin. They are typically not thick enough to be cut into Steaks or Roasts. This does not mean that their extremely tender meat and they should not go to waste.
The Tenderloin Tips are useful for any dish that requires thin filets or Juliennes of beef...
The Bell Tip, NAMP 185B, also known as the Ball Tip or Butcher’s Heart, is a small portion of the larger muscle known as the Knuckle which is mostly found in the Sirloin/Round Tip. The Bell Tip has good flavor and can be Broiled or Grilled but it will benefit from added fat, Marinating or a Rub, as the cut is also a bit tougher and is often used for Kabobs, Stew Meat or in strips for Stir-Fry or Beef Stroganoff...
The “Chain,” (Chaînette in French) or side muscle (psoas minor) is a fattier cut of meat attached to the desirable TenderloinSub-Primal Cut. It is most often separated from the more expensive tenderloin cut. If you are purchasing a tenderloin, be sure to check if you are receiving it “Chain On” or “Chain Off...
The Eye of Round, NAMP 171 C, also known as The Round Eye, Tranche Ronde (French), Piece Ronde (French) Roti de Boeuf (French), Girello (Italian), Magatello (Italian) or the Peceto (Spanish – Argentina), is the “Eye” of the Outside Round Sub-Primal Cut of the Round Primal Cut...
The Eye of Round Roast, also known as Beef Round Eye, Round Eye Round Roast and Eye Round Roast, comes from the back hip of the Steer in the Round Primal Cut. The Eye of Round does a lot of work which gives it good flavor, and low Fat, (a three-ounce serving of Round Eye Roast has just slightly more fat than a skinless chicken breast) but also makes it, unlike the tender Rib Eye or Loin Eye, a much tougher “eye” cut...
The Flap, NAMP 185A, is actually a portion of the Flank Primal Cut, which can be attached to the Bottom Sirloin Sub-Primal Cut or the Round Primal Cut depending on how the steer was broken down. It is a pretty tough cut of meat that can be marketed as “Stew Meat” or mechanically Tenderized by a few passes through the electric tenderizer and marketed as “Cube Steak...
The Inside Round, NAMP 168-169E, also known as the Top Round, Controgirello (Italian), Cara Superior (Spanish), Tendre de Tranche (French), and Topside (British) is cut from the inside and rear, mostly, (depending on whether the Inside Round is from a Chicago Round or a Diamond Cut Round), of the hind leg...
The Outside Round, NAMP 170-171 B, also known as the Bottom Round, Gooseneck Round and Silverside (British) sometimes includes the Rump and is cut from the outside and rear, mostly, (depending on whether the Outside Round is from a Chicago Round or a Diamond Cut Round), of the hindquarters and hind leg...
The Rump, NAMP 171 G, is a name for a Sub-Primal cut of meat from the Round Primal Cut of the hindquarters of a food animal.
It most often refers to a Beef cut, but the anatomy is similar to Pork or Mutton. In the U.S., the use of the term Rump can mean the whole butt end of the animal from the Wedge Bone to the Aitch Bone, basically just before the tail...
The Tip Center Roast is a value cut Roast derived from the center of the Knuckle Sub-Primal Cut. A Tip Center Roast is a lean and fairly tender cut, the most tender cut in the Round Primal Cut. It will have very little visible fat, except for an internal seam that can remain and which will tenderize and melt during cooking...
The Top Loin Roast, also known as the Strip Loin Roast, NAMP 180, is one of the most tender cuts in the steer and comes from the top of the Short Loin. It is made up primarily of the Longissimus Muscle that runs along the top of the spine from hip to shoulder. The Top Loin Roast can be cooked whole or broken down into portion cuts like a T-Bone Steak...
A Top Loin Roast, NAMP 180, (also known as a New York Strip Roast, Shell Roast, or Strip Loin Roast), is a beef Roast cut from the Top Loin, which contains the Longissimus Muscle. A Top Loin Roast is lean, tender and pricey. It is one of the most desirable cuts on the steer, from which T-Bone Steaks or Porterhouse Steaks can be drawn, and hence once of the most desirable roasts...
Top Round Roasts are Roasts cut from the Inside Round Sub Primal Cut. They can come in a variety of forms. The Inside Round itself has 7 NAMP classifications (NAMP 168-169E). Some of the more common are “Cap Off,” where the “Round Cap” is removed and “Soft Side” off where the tender Sartorious and Pecineus muscles (known together as the “Soft Side”) are removed leaving the more problematic Adductor & Semimembranosus muscles...
Thick Steaks Cut from the Inside Round
The Top Sirloin Butt, NAMP 184, is usually a more economical cut of meat from the Top Sirloin. Depending on how it is butchered, it can include the Top Sirloin Cap, or be sold without it.
The Top Sirloin Butt can be sold as or cut into Roasts like: Top Sirloin Butt Roast, London Broil and Coulotte; or into Steaks like: Petite Top Sirloin Steak, or a Boneless Top Sirloin Steak...
A Top Sirloin Butt, NAMP 184 (including 184A-184F), also known as a Rump Roast, Top Butt, Center Cut Roast, Baron of Beef, Boneless Top Sirloin or another of the London Broils, comes from the SirloinSub-Primal Cut near the hip and pelvis. It should not be confused with regular sirloin cuts which come from further forward on the steer where less work is done...
The Top Sirloin Cap, NAMP 184D, is also known as the Coulotte, the Knuckle, or a Round Sirloin Tip Roast. It is derived from the flat triangular cap muscle that sits on top of the Top Sirloin Butt.
The Top Sirloin Cap can be merchandized whole or as Roasts labeled Coulotte or as the ubiquitous London Broil...
The Top Sirloin Steak, cut from the gluteus medius muscle which sits at the top of the Sirloin above the Longissimus Dorsi Muscle has been marketed as a cost-effective tender steak and in most cases, it is.
The problem is that its tenderness is inconsistent, and studies by Beef Research...
The Whole 1.5 to 2.5 lb (680g to 1,140g) Tri-Tip or Triangle Tip is a small “cap” of the Knuckle of the Bottom SirloinSub-Primal Cut. It is a very flavorful cut that can be roasted or barbecued whole in a single piece, making enough to feed 4-5 people. The trick is to keep it from getting too tough...
The Triangle Tip or “Tri-Tip,” NAMP 185 C & D, is derived from a triangular-shaped muscle on the rear most portion or “Tip” of the Bottom Sirloin Sub-Primal Cut which can be included in either the Round Primal Cut or the Bottom Sirloin depending on if the Round is broken down as a Diamond Round or a Chicago Round...
