How Many Different Cuts of Beef Are There?
Our beef chart includes 55 different meat cuts that come from nine primal cuts of beef. It gives an overview of the best uses for each type of meat and the preferred method of cooking to get the most flavor and tenderness out of each one. Of the nine primal cuts of beef, the chuck has the most variety in different types of beef cuts that can be butchered. Our beef cuts chart includes 17 different cuts of chuck meat, ranging from roasts to steaks to ribs. Read on for more information on each of the different primal cuts and the most popular cuts of beef that are processed from each of these parts of a cow.
- Chuck meat comes from the neck and shoulder, which results in tougher meat, making it the best type of beef for a roast. This type of beef cut is lower in cost but full of flavor. Popular chuck cuts include the flat iron, Denver cut, and chuck eye roast.
- Brisket is the breast meat of the cow, resulting in a fatty, tough cut of beef. It is commonly used for corned beef and pastrami.
- Rib meat comes from the backbone and lower ribs; the fat from these areas makes these tender cuts of beef. The rib meat tends to be more expensive, and popular cuts include prime rib, ribeye, and back ribs.
- Plate meat is from the rib section, which contains a lot of fat and cartilage, so braising is the best way to cook it. Popular cuts of plate meat include short ribs and skirt steak.
- Shank meat is from the forearm and one of the toughest cuts of beef, making it a great option for a soup or stew. The shank cross cut comes from this part of the cow.
- Short loin meat comes from the hindquarters, which contains the most tender type of beef, the tenderloin. The tender beef cuts from the this area tend to be the best cuts of beef and also the most expensive. Popular cuts of short loin include filet mignon, T-bone steak, strip steak, and hanger steak.
- Sirloin meat is found closer to the rear legs and contains different cuts of steak that are less tender than the short loin but more flavorful. Popular sirloin cuts include tri-tip steak, top sirloin steak, and coulette steak.
- Round meat is from the back legs and rump, making it tough and one of the leanest cuts of beef. Because of this, it is the cheapest cut of beef and is best used for slow cooking or to make burger meat. Popular round cuts include top round roast, bottom round roast, and eye of round roast.
- Flank meat is located behind the plate, making it a tough but flavorful cut of beef. The flank steak is the most popular beef cut from this part of the cow.
Which of these types of beef cuts will you buy next to try a new cooking method on?
Chuck
Chuck meat comes from the neck and shoulder, which is worked a lot, resulting in tougher cuts of beef. It’s very flavorful and can be butchered and cooked a wide variety of ways. Some chuck cuts are great for a pot roast, while the high fat content of others works well for ground beef. Chuck meat is a good option if you’re looking for beef with lots of flavor at a lower cost.
Chuck Cuts
| Cut of Meat | How to Cook It | Description |
| Chuck roast | braise, slow cooker | The cut for a classic pot roast; braising makes it tender and rich with flavor. It also shreds well for ground beef. |
| Flat iron | grill, stir fry and saute | The second most tender cut of chuck; it’s juicy and rich, well-marbled, and best when cooked to no more than medium doneness. |
| Top blade steak | Broil, grill, stir fry and saute | This steak is similar to the flat iron except that the connective tissue hasn’t been removed, making it slightly tougher. |
| Chuck arm roast | braise, roast | Flavorful, moist, and very tender when braised as a pot roast, it can also be roasted and thinly sliced. |
| Mock tender steak | grill, braise | This inexpensive steak is fibrous and tough; it’s best marinated overnight before being grilled and thinly sliced. |
| Mock tender roast | braise, roast | This roast is an inexpensive cut of beef that is tough but with a rich flavor; it’s great for stews. |
| Shoulder clod roast | roast, braise, slow cooker, Instant Pot | This roast is leaner and more tender than a chuck roast, making it easier to carve into slices. |
| Ranch steak | grill, stir fry and saute | This steak is inexpensive and trimmed of almost all fat; it is best marinated before grilling or sauteing. |
| Petite chuck tender roast | roast, grill, stir fry and saute | This small cut of beef is perfect for roasting and requires less heat than the chuck roast, since it’s already tender. |
| Shoulder tender medallions | grill, braise | One of the most tender cuts of chuck, it is lean and juicy with excellent flavor. Cut it into medallions before or after cooking. |
| Cross rib roast | braise, roast | This roast is robust in flavor but does have sinew going through it. It is best cooked low and slow or braised to soften the meat. |
| Sierra cut | grill, braise | This steak is flavorful but tough and should go into a tenderizing marinade before cooking. |
| Denver cut | grill, stir fry and saute | This steak is very tender and well-marbled, making it a juicy and rich cut of chuck. |
| Country-style chuck ribs | braise | These are a less expensive alternative to traditional ribs, as they are cut from the chuck eye. |
| Chuck short ribs | braise | These ribs can be boneless or bone-in, and when braised, they are moist, tender, and full of flavor. |
| Chuck eye steak | grill, stir fry and saute | This cut is an inexpensive version of a ribeye and is well-marbled and flavorful. It can be marinated before cooking. |
| Chuck eye roast | roast, braise, Instant Pot, smoke | Another option for the classic pot roast, when braised, it becomes moist, tender, and full of flavor. |
Brisket
Brisket is the breast meat of the cow and is usually a tougher piece of meat with a large amount of fat. This cut of beef becomes very tender with a rub or marinade and when cooked low and slow. Brisket is used for corned beef and pastrami and is a great option for smoked barbecue.
Brisket Cuts
| Cut of Meat | How to Cook It | Description |
| Whole brisket | braise, smoke | This cut includes both the brisket flat and points and is the cut traditionally used for corned beef. |
| Brisket flat | braise, smoke | The leaner part of the whole brisket should be cooked low and slow to tenderize it well. |
| Brisket point | braise, smoke | This is the richest and most flavorful part of the whole brisket, as it contains the most fat. It is best when smoked or braised. |
Rib
The rib meat comes from the backbone and the lower half of the ribs (the upper half of the ribs is chuck meat). These cuts of beef are fattier, making them more flavorful and tender. Meat from the rib tends to be on the more expensive side compared to other cuts of beef.
Rib Cuts
| Cut of Meat | How to Cook It | Description |
| Ribeye | grill, stir fry and saute, sous vide | This is one of the more tender beef cuts; it’s juicy and full of rich flavors due to all of the marbling throughout. |
| Cowboy steak | grill, stir fry and saute | This cut is essentially a long short rib bone, called a tomahawk, with the ribeye still attached. It’s just as rich and juicy with plenty of marbling throughout. |
| Prime rib | roast | This is one of the most tender cuts of beef. The meat is fine-grained and well-marbled, leading to rich flavor and juicy tenderness. |
| Filet of rib | grill, stir fry and saute | This cut is a boneless ribeye steak with the fat cap removed. It is still well-marbled and just as rich and flavorful. |
| Bone-in ribeye | grill, stir fry and saute, broil | This is another one of the most tender cuts of beef. The bone and the marbling throughout makes it very rich, juicy, and flavorful. |
| Short ribs | braise, slow cooker, sous vide | These ribs can come boneless or bone-in and are very moist, tender, and flavorful when braised. |
| Back ribs | braise, grill, smoke | These ribs are full of fat and flavor and are a great option for the grill. |
Plate
The plate is located below the rib section and includes a portion of the short ribs. This cut contains a lot of fat and cartilage, which can be dissolved by cooking at a low temperature with moist heat, making braising an ideal option.
Plate Cuts
| Cut of Meat | How to Cook It | Description |
| Short ribs | Braise, slow cooker, sous vide | These ribs can come bone-in or boneless and are very tender, moist, and flavorful when braised. |
| Skirt steak | grill | This cut has a rich, beefy flavor and is best marinated before being grilled. It is the diaphragm muscle and made of coarse fibers, so cut against the grain or it will be chewy. |
Shank
The shank is located at the forearm, right next to the brisket, and is one of the toughest cuts of beef. It is a great option for soups and stews, or it will need to be braised to make the meat more tender.
Shank Cut
| Cut of Meat | How to Cook It | Description |
| Shank cross cut | Braise | This lean meat is very tender and flavorful when braised or cooked in a stew. |
Short Loin
Short loin cuts come from the hindquarters, and some of these cuts contain the tenderloin, the most tender part of the animal. Steaks from the short loin are the most desirable, and therefore most expensive, cuts of beef. These leaner cuts of beef are best cooked with dry heat, like a searing hot pan.
Short Loin Cuts
| Cut of Meat | How to Cook It | Description |
| Filet mignon | grill, stir fry and saute, sous vide | This is an individual cut portion of the tenderloin and is the most tender steak. It is lean yet flavorful and has a texture that melts in your mouth. |
| Strip steak | grill, stir fry and saute, sous vide | This lean steak is known for its marbling and the strip of fat along one cut edge, giving it great flavor and tenderness. It’s a classic option at a steakhouse. |
| T-bone steak | grill, stir fry and saute | This well-marbled steak consists of two tender steaks, the strip and tenderloin, connected by a T-shaped bone. |
| Hanger steak | grill, stir fry and saute | This cut is well-marbled and very flavorful. It is often served at restaurants and is best cooked medium-rare or medium. |
| Strip filet | grill, stir fry and saute, broil | This cut is a thicker but smaller-diameter version of the strip steak, and it also has a strip of fat along one cut edge. |
| Strip roast | roast | This well-marbled cut is boneless and contains the tenderloin, making it a very tender and flavorful option for a beef roast. It can be cut up to create strip steaks. |
| Tenderloin roast | grill, roast | This is the most tender cut of beef and makes for a flavorful and succulent roast when cooked whole. |
| Porterhouse | grill, stir fry and saute | This cut is similar to the T-bone, as it consists of strip and tenderloin steaks connected by a T-shaped bone, but it contains more of the juicy tenderloin. |
Sirloin
The sirloin sits right next to the short loin, closer to the rear legs, and also runs from the hip down to the flank. The sirloin is a little less tender than the short loin, but it has more flavor. This cut is divided into the top sirloin, which contains steaks good for grilling, and the bottom sirloin, which is then divided further into the tri-tip, ball tip, and flap.
Sirloin Cuts
| Cut of Meat | How to Cook It | Description |
| Top sirloin steak | grill, stir fry and saute, broil | This large steak is lean and moderately tender and has good flavor. It’s a popular and versatile cut at an affordable price. |
| Center cut sirloin steak | grill, stir fry and saute | This steak is cut from the top sirloin and does not contain the strip of fat, although it is still a juicy, tender, and versatile cut of beef. |
| Coulotte steak | grill, stir fry and saute | This is one of the most tender cuts of steak from the sirloin. It is well-marbled and full of flavor but can also be marinated. |
| Sirloin filet | grill, stir fry and saute | This lean and juicy steak is cut from the top sirloin steak to create smaller portions. |
| Tri-tip roast | grill, roast, smoke, sous vide | This juicy and tender roast is cut from the bottom sirloin and is easily recognizable due to its triangular shape. |
| Tri-tip steak | grill, stir fry and saute | This steak is cut from the bottom sirloin and is low in fat. It has great flavor when grilled and can also be roasted. |
| Ball tip roast | roast | This lean cut is from the bottom sirloin and is a more cost-efficient cut of beef. It’s best when sliced thinly. |
| Ball tip steak | grill, stir fry and saute | This lean, inexpensive steak is cut from the ball tip roast and is best marinated before cooking. |
| Bottom sirloin flap | grill | This thinner steak is cut from the bottom loin and has a rich, robust flavor. It can be marinated before cooking. |
Round
The round mainly consists of meat from the back legs and rump, and it tends to be lean and tough, making it a cost-effective cut of beef. This cut is divided into the top round, the bottom round, and the knuckle. Both the top and bottom round are fairly lean compared to other cuts of beef, although the top round is larger and slightly more tender. Round cuts are best used for slow cooking, stews, and ground beef.
Round Cuts
| Cut of Meat | How to Cook It | Description |
| Rump roast | braise | This inexpensive roast is cut from the bottom round. It’s lean and best when braised. To maximize tenderness, slice it thin against the grain. |
| Top round steak | braise, broil, slow cooker, Instant Pot | This thick steak is cut from the top round and full of flavor. It is best marinated and can be broiled, braised, or cooked in soup or stew. |
| Top round roast | braise, roast, slow cooker, Instant Pot | This cut is lean but more tender than other cuts from the round. It is full of flavor yet relatively inexpensive. |
| Bottom round roast | braise, roast, slow cooker, Instant Pot | This roast is from the bottom round, making it a tougher cut of beef; it’s a good option for pot roast or corned beef. |
| Bottom round steak | braise, slow cooker, Instant Pot | This steak is lean and tough and would be best in a tenderizing marinade and cooked to a maximum of medium-rare. |
| Eye of round roast | roast | This boneless roast looks like tenderloin but is much tougher. It is best roasted or used in stews. |
| Eye of round steak | stir fry and saute | This lean steak is tough, so it is often marinated, used in stews, or processed into cube steak. |
| Sirloin tip center roast | braised, roast, grill | This roast is cut near the sirloin section, making it one of the more tender round cuts. It can be oven-roasted and is often used for kebabs. |
| Sirloin tip center steak | stir fry and saute | This steak is very lean and slightly tender but with a mild flavor that may be enhanced with a marinade. |
Flank
The flank is located behind the plate and has lots of flavor, but it tends to be tough. Flank meat is best when it’s either braised or marinated and grilled.
Flank Cut
| Cut of Meat | How to Cook It | Description |
| Flank steak | Grill | This cut is lean and flavorful and great for marinating. It should be sliced thin and carved against the grain. |
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This page was last updated by Megan Miller
