Master Your Beef Share with this Beef Cut Guide

Ever pulled a package out of the freezer and thought, "What exactly am I holding, and what do I do with it?"

You're not alone. Grocery store meat cases don't exactly explain themselves, and most labels tell you nothing about where a cut actually comes from on the animal or how to cook it right.

That's a problem when you're trying to feed your family well and make the most of every cut in your freezer.

So here's a simple, no-jargon guide to the 8 primal sections of beef, the cuts that come from each one and the best way to cook them.

Bookmark this one. You'll want it next time you're staring into the freezer trying to decide what's for dinner.

Chuck (the shoulder)

The chuck does a lot of work on the animal, which means it's full of flavor but needs some time and low heat to become tender.

• Chuck roast – low and slow in the oven or slow cooker. This is your Sunday pot roast.
  

• Chuck steak – braise it. Treat it like a mini roast.
  

• Flat iron steak – quick sear on the grill or in a cast iron skillet. Surprisingly tender for a chuck cut.

Rib

This is the section people get excited about. Well marbled, tender, and hard to mess up.

• Ribeye steak – hot and fast, cast iron or grill. Let it rest before you cut into it.
  

• Prime rib roast – low and slow roast, then a hot sear at the end for that crust.
  

• Back ribs – low and slow, oven or smoker, until the meat pulls easily from the bone.

Short Loin

Tender, lean, and built for a hot grill or skillet. Don't overcook these.

• T-bone and Porterhouse steaks – grill or sear hot and fast.
  

• New York strip steak – same story. High heat, short cook, let it rest.

Sirloin

A great everyday steak. Leaner than the rib or loin, still plenty tender when cooked right.

• Top sirloin steak – grill or pan sear, medium-high heat.
  

• Sirloin tip – cube it for kabobs or stir fry, or slow cook for stew.
  

• Flap steak – marinate, then grill hot and fast. Slice thin against the grain and it's tender every time.
  

• Picanha – leave the fat cap on, score it, and grill whole over high heat, or skewer it Brazilian steakhouse style. Slice against the grain to serve.

Round (the rear leg)

This is a lean, hardworking section. It's not the cut for a quick sear, it's the cut for low, slow, patient cooking.

• Rump roast – slow roast or braise.
  

• Eye of round – slow roast, sliced thin against the grain.
  

• Round steak – braise it, or run it through the grinder.
  

• Cube steak – tenderized and ready for the skillet. Pan fry it up for chicken fried steak, or braise it low and slow with gravy.
  

• Stew meat – cubed and made for the slow cooker or stockpot. Chili, beef stew, soup. Set it and forget it.

Flank

One cut, lots of flavor, and a technique that makes all the difference.

• Flank steak – marinate it, grill hot and fast, then slice thin against the grain. Skip that last step and it'll fight you.

Short Plate

Bold, beefy flavor that rewards a little patience.

• Skirt steak – hot and fast on the grill, sliced against the grain. Your fajita steak.
  

• Hanger steak – sometimes called the butcher's cut because butchers used to keep it for themselves. Marinate, sear hot and fast, slice thin against the grain.
  

• Short ribs – low and slow, braised until the meat falls off the bone.

Brisket

The cut that taught the whole barbecue world about patience.

• Brisket – low and slow, smoked or braised, for hours. There's no rushing a brisket, and that's kind of the point.

Ground Beef and Sausage

Every primal leaves behind trim, and that trim becomes some of the most useful meat in your freezer. We package it the way you actually use it.

• Ground beef – packaged in different weights so you can grab what fits your family, whether that's a pound for tacos or bulk for a full season of meals.

• Patties – already formed and ready for the grill or skillet. No mess, no extra step.

• Flavored sausage – bratwurst, cheddar brats, and jalapeno cheddar brats. Grill, pan sear, or toss on the smoker.

Specialty Cuts

If you want to eat the way your grandparents did, nose to tail, this is where it gets fun.

• Beef tongue – slow braise until tender, then peel and slice thin. Excellent in tacos.

• Oxtail – slow braise or pressure cook for a rich, fall off the bone soup or stew.

• Organs (liver, heart, and more) – liver wants a quick sear so it doesn't turn tough, heart is great sliced thin and grilled or added to a slow braise. Both are packed with nourishment you won't find in a muscle cut.

Shank

Small but mighty. Full of connective tissue that turns rich and silky when it's given time.

• Beef shank – slow braise for soup, stew, or an osso buco style dinner.

Bones

• Knuckle and soup bones – simmer low and slow for a rich, nourishing bone broth.

• Marrow bones – roast until soft, scoop out the marrow, and spread it on toast with a little salt.

Fat

• Trim and kidney fat – render it down slowly on the stove for tallow, the same kind of cooking fat your grandparents kept in a jar on the counter. Use it for frying, baking, or seasoning cast iron.

The bottom line

Once you know where a cut comes from, cooking it right stops being a guessing game.

Chuck, brisket, short ribs, shank, tongue, and oxtail want time and low heat. Rib, loin, sirloin, flap, hanger, and skirt want high heat and a short trip on the grill.

Round wants patience, or a good tenderizing for cube steak. Ground beef and sausage are your weeknight workhorses.

And the bones and fat round out a freezer that wastes nothing.

Want a freezer full of cuts like these?

This is exactly what you get with an Edwards Family Farms beef share.

Every primal, every specialty cut, raised on pasture here on our farm in Nebo, so you already know how it was raised and you already know how to cook it.

Our last round of beef shares sold out in one hour. If you want in on the next one, don't wait until it's live to think about it.

Get on the waitlist now so you're first in line when the next beef shares open up.

Edwards Family Farms NC | McDowell County's favorite pasture-raised meats. Serving western NC with the best pasture-raised meats straight from the farm. Local pick up only.