KNOW YOUR MEAT

Beef Cuts Guide

When a beef carcass is butchered, it is separated into basic cuts, known as primal cuts. These cuts can be further divided into sub-cuts. It’s important to note that the term “primal” does not refer to the quality of the meat, unlike the term “prime,” which denotes higher-quality cuts. To learn more about the sub-cuts derived from each primal cut, click on the cut you choose below, find out how each cut is prepared, and explore some delicious recipes under the resources tab.

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Beef Meat

CHUCK

CHUCK

Comprising about 26% of the total usable meat per half animal, this large primal comes from the neck end of the steer down to the sixth rib (just past the shoulder). Full of connective tissue, a fair amount of fat, and collagen, cuts from this primal have lots of tough muscle fibres and rich flavour. Most of the meat from this primal is either ground for burgers or braised. A popular, if rare, exception is the flat iron steak, which is very tender.

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CHUCK ROLL

The chuck roll is a cut of meat that is known for its high amounts of connective tissue. This makes it an ideal choice for slow cooking or braising. Additionally, it can also be thinly sliced and used for Korean-style grill cooking. Its high collagen content makes it a popular choice for both slow cooking and braising, as well as thinly sliced grill cooking.

CHUCK RIBS

This dish is an absolute crowd-pleaser, renowned for its exceptional richness and meatiness. It’s packed with bold and tantalizing flavours, and when slow-cooked, it turns out to be incredibly moist and tender. You won’t be disappointed with this delectable treat!

CHUCK STEAK

The Chuck Eye Roll is a cut often separated from the Under Blade section of the Chuck Roll. It can make delicious Chuck Eye roasts and steaks and be cut into boneless, country-style ribs. Chuck Eye Roll cuts offer a rich flavour and tenderness when prepared.

CHUCK EYE LOG

The Chuck Eye Roll is separated from the Under Blade section of the Chuck Roll. It can be cut into Chuck Eye Roasts, steaks, and boneless Country-Style Ribs. This cut possesses rich flavour and good tenderness.

CHEEK

CHEEK

The beef cheek muscle is very active in the animal’s everyday life, so preparing it to perfection can take some culinary expertise.

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CHEEK

Consider beef cheek if you’re looking for a unique and tasty addition to your cooking. This thick muscle is prized for its tenderness and rich flavour. However, it requires slow cooking with moist heat to achieve a succulent texture.

BLADE

BLADE

Blade is a cut of meat that comes from the shoulder region of the animal and makes up approximately 6% of the carcass. It’s known for its delicious flavour and versatility in cooking, as it’s composed of multiple muscles with layers of fat and connective tissue. Blade is excellent for slow braising or roasting.

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BOLAR BLADE ROAST

Beef bolar blade roast is from the shoulder blade of the beef. It is a very flavourful cut that is versatile enough to be cooked whole as a roast, sliced into steaks and cooked on the barbecue or in a pan, thinly sliced for a stir-fry or diced for slow cooking in a braise or casserole.

BLADE STEAK

Blade steak comes from the shoulder blade. It is a versatile cut that can be barbecued and pan-fried, cut into strips and stir-fried or diced for slow-cooking in a braise.

OYSTER BLADE ROAST

The oyster blade is a delicious cut of meat found just below the shoulder blade. It is divided by a line of connective tissue. It can be prepared in various ways, such as roasting it whole, cutting it into steaks, or slicing and dicing it. If you remove the silver skin, you can even turn it into flat iron steaks that are flavorful, tender, and low in fat.

FLAT IRON STEAK

This particular cut of meat, known as oyster blade steak, is a fantastic choice for grilling due to its tenderness, marbling, and rich flavour. While some people may refer to Oster Blade steak as Flat Iron steak, true Flat Iron steak is prepared differently. The connective tissue and silver skin are removed from the oyster blade, resulting in lean, easy-to-use portions that are still incredibly tender, juicy, and flavorful.

OYSTER BLADE STEAK

The oyster blade is a steak cut from the shoulder blade and is known for being incredibly tender. When prepared for pan-frying or barbecuing, the steak should be separated from the shoulder and scored along the centre to prevent curling during cooking. The oyster blade is also an excellent choice for stir-frying, as it boasts a full flavour and tenderness.

SHIN

SHIN

Because it comes from a well-exercised muscle, shin has little fat and abundant connective tissue. Bone-in is often cut across the bone into osso-buco whilst boneless shin is prepared from either the shin area or the heel muscle in the silverside. Shin suits moist low, slow cooking to allow the connective tissue to tenderise while enriching with flavour. The resulting meat is tender and rich in flavour.

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SHIN BONE-IN/ OSSO BUCO

Shin bone-in is prepared from the bottom portion of either the front or rear leg. As this cut comes from a muscle used constantly for movement, it contains a high amount of connective tissue. This tissue breaks down when prepared using slow moist cooking methods such as casseroling and braising imparting a rich, full bodied flavour and a delicious gelatinous texture.

BONELESS SHIN

Much like other well exercised cuts of Beef, slow-moist cooking methods, such as braising and stewing are best used to break the connective tissues and soften up the meat.

BRISKET

BRISKET

There are two briskets per animal accounting for around 7.2% of the carcase. Derived from the underside chest area between the front legs, brisket is a well exercised muscle with ample connective tissue.

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POINT END BRISKET

Being a well exercised muscle, the point end has a high degree of connective tissue and is best suited to slow wet cooking methods such as braising and casseroling. This beef cut is perfect for shredding as it literally pulls apart when cooked.

NAVEL END BRISKET

The Navel End is more square shaped than the point end brisket and slices up more neatly. Same as the point end brisket, this cut needs to be cooked low and slow.

CUBE ROLL

CUBE ROLL

The cube roll, or rib-eye roll, is prepared from the forequarter; running along the back of the animal from the 4th to the 13th rib between the chuck and the striploin.

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STANDING RIB ROAST

The standing rib roast is the scotch fillet with the rib bones attached. Because it’s taken from muscles not heavily exerted, the meat is very tender and succulent. The retention of the rib bones impart extra flavour during cooking.

RIB CUTLET

Take a beef standing rib roast and slice it into steaks. This gives you a rib cutlet. If you remove the bone from the steak it becomes a scotch fillet. Like a scotch fillet, rib cutlets are tender, full of flavour and perform best when cooked in a pan, on a barbecue or sliced thinly for a beef stir-fry.

SCOTCH FILLET STEAK

Scotch fillet steak is prepared from a boneless beef rib set. The scotch fillet is found on the back of the animal and runs from the striploin (sirloin) to the chuck. Being a ‘support’ muscle not subjected to the heavy work of moving the animal around, scotch fillet steaks are tender, tasty and moist and perform best with fast hot cooking methods such as pan-frying and barbecuing or stir-frying when thinly sliced.

SCOTCH FILLET ROAST

The scotch fillet or cube roll sits between the chuck and the striploin (sirloin) muscles over the back of the animal and is a very tender, moist and flavourful cut of beef perfect for a special roasting occasion. Given its tender nature it can also be sliced into steaks to barbecue and pan-fry or strips to stir-fry.

SHORT RIBS

SHORT RIBS

Short ribs are taken from the forequarter after the brisket is removed. They’re made up of the rib bone and layers of rib meat and fat.

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SHORT RIBS

Full of flavour and fall-off-the-bone tender, but also available boneless. Grill or slow-roast for a succulent beef dish.

STRIPLOIN

STRIPLOIN

The striploin is located along the spine in the hindquarter and runs from the ribs to the rump, sitting above the tenderloin.

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SIRLOIN STEAK

The word sirloin was derived from the Old French word surlonge, meaning sur la longe or above the loin. Sirloin roast is the piece of beef between the rump and the ribs. Coming from an area of the animal where the muscles do less work, the sirloin is tender and flavourful and well suited to roasting. If you don’t feel like a roast though, this cut can also be sliced into steaks or stir-fry strips.

T-BONE

The t-shaped bone in the T-bone steak is from the back of the animal. The fillet and sirloin muscles sit on opposite sides of this t-shaped bone to form the T-bone steak. With little or not fat or connective tissue the T-bone is a quintessential Aussie steak perfect for pan-frying or barbecuing.

TENDERLOIN

TENDERLOIN

A long and lean muscle, this is the most tender cut of beef available. The tenderloin is the source of tenderloin steak or filet mignon, and is a component of the T-Bone and scotch fillet steaks.

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FILLET STEAK

Typically the tenderest cuts of beef with the least amount of connective tissue are those cuts that sit along the spine of the animal as they do the least amount of work. The fillet or tenderloin (as the name suggests) is one such cut. With little or no fat or connective tissue the fillet is best suited to portioning into steaks for pan-frying and barbecuing or strips for stir-frying.

BUTT FILLET

The butt fillet comes from the larger end of the tenderloin and is a tender cut of beef due to the little amount of work it undertakes. Butt fillet can be roasted whole or prepared further into steaks. Because it’s so lean and tender, it is best suited to fast, hot cooking methods to ensure it retains moisture, flavour and tenderness.

HANGER

HANGER

Also known as thick skirt, there is only one hanger per animal – it ‘hangs’ from the last rib, attached to the diaphragm.

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HANGER

Hanger steaks can be hard to find as there’s only one per animal. While not particularly tender, it has a robust flavour and is best cooked quickly over high heat.

SKIRT

SKIRT

Located on the inside of the abdomen wall just below the ribs, skirt steak can be either of two long, flat, well-marbled muscles: the diaphragm and the abdominal muscle.

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SKIRT STEAK

Skirt steaks are versatile and full of flavour. When cooked on high heat, the characteristic marbling imparts an outstanding flavour. Slice it thick against the grain before serving to ensure maximum tenderness.

FLANK

FLANK

Also known as bavette, this long flat steak is taken from a single muscle beneath the loin in the abdominal area.

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FLANK STEAK

The flank steak is extremely versatile. Perfect for thin slicing for a stir-fry, flank steak also performs extremely well under slow-cooking conditions. After slow-cooking, this beef cut can be shredded with a fork and added to burritos or salads.

RUMP

RUMP

The rump is a boneless five-muscled primal that sits between the sirloin and topside. Extremely versatile rump can be sliced whole into rump steaks or subprimaled to reveal a range of cuts with varying textures and tenderness.

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RUMP STEAK

A great all-rounder steak, rump is perfect for a variety of cooking methods. It can be eaten as a steak, diced for kebabs or sliced into strips for a stir-fry.

RUMP ROAST

Lean and economical, this cut is best for feeding a crowd. When roasted in the oven, slice thin against the grain to maximise tenderness.

ROSTBIF

Rostbif is a cut of beef that is in some countries considered to be the best cut of beef due to its marked flavour. Rostbif can be roasted whole in a hot oven, barbecued whole or cut (across the grain) into steaks or sliced into thin strips for a tender and delicious beef stir-fry.

RUMP CAP

Rump cap is a cut of beef that is in some countries considered to be the best cut of beef due to its marked flavour. It is famous and well liked in South American countries, especially Brazil where it is known as “Picanha”. Rump cap can be roasted whole in a hot oven, barbecued whole or cut (across the grain) into steaks or sliced into thin strips for a tender and delicious beef stir-fry.

RUMP CENTRE STEAK

The lean centre muscle of the rump, this steak is best suited to quick cooking on a hot barbecue or pan. For best results, do not cut more than 1.5cm thick and do not cook more than medium-rare. Given its tender nature it can also be thinly sliced into strips to stir-fry.

RUMP MEDALLION

One of the 5 muscles that make up the whole rump, eye of rump is a short, lean, log-shaped muscle ideally suited to cutting into medallions. These appealing medallions are perfect for fast cooking on a hot surface like a barbecue or pan, but are versatile enough to be sliced for a stir-fry or diced for a braise or casserole. It can also be kept whole and tied with string to form a uniform shape for roasting. Perfect for a Beef Wellington or wrapped in bacon for mignons.

KNUCKLE

KNUCKLE

Knuckle – Beef Cut

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EYE OF KNUCKLE

The knuckle sits above the knee joint at the front of the hind leg. Made up of three muscles, it’s prepared from the thick flank by removing the cap muscle and associated fat. Eye of knuckle is the lean, centre weight-bearing muscle with little connective tissue. Used for roasting or preparing further into medallions, it produces a notably tender and delicious result when cooked with moist, slow methods.

TOP SIDE

TOP SIDE

Topside comes from the inside of the hind leg, between the thick flank and the silverside. Topside is extremely lean and performs best when diced for slow-cooking in a hearty casserole or braise.

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TOPSIDE ROAST

As a well-used muscle, the topside roast is extremely lean with a lot of connective tissue. Topside roast also performs well diced and cooked slow in a casserole or braise.

TOPSIDE STEAK

Topside steak is sliced from the whole topside which comes from the inside of the hind leg, between the thick flank and the silverside. Although sold as steak, performs best when diced for slow-cooking in a hearty casserole or braise.

SILVER SIDE

SILVER SIDE

Silverside comes from the outside of the rear leg and sits between the knuckle and the topside. Made up of five distinct muscles, it’s named after the silver wall of connective tissue that sits on the side of the cut, which is removed before cooking. As a well-exercised group of muscles, knuckle cuts need gentle, moist cooking. The resulting texture melts off the fork.

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CORNED SILVERSIDE

Being a muscle heavily used for walking, the silverside requires the gentle moist cooking of corning to produce a tender and delicious beef dish.

OX TAIL

OX TAIL

The ox tail cut starts at the base of the spine. The fat is trimmed and the last two to three tail bones removed, before being cut into short joints.

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OX TAIL

Slow cooking this distinctive cut brings out a robust, full-bodied flavour while creating meltingly tender meat.

While many of us are familiar with the classic cuts of steak, the world of lesser-known cuts can be a fascinating and delicious adventure. From the trendy brisket to the growing demand for fattier steaks, there’s a whole new world of flavors to explore. As we become more adventurous in our cooking, it’s exciting to discover unique cuts that require specific cooking methods. Understanding the best ways to cook each cut can truly elevate the dining experience, enhancing both flavor and texture. In this guide, we’ll delve into the popular cuts and introduce you to some hidden gems, offering valuable tips on how to prepare, cook, and serve each one flawlessly.