For the average consumer, it is most convenient and common to refer to animal meat sources as beef or simply as meat.
Despite the fact that no one would ever refer to chicken or turkey as beef, meat from different animals is actually very different.
The only distinction between meat that resembles each other in structure and appearance that we seem to have made is between beef and pork. These are the meat from cattle and pig respectively. These are the two we actually call their real names. Even a complete illiterate would find it difficult to refer to pork as beef, but beef is the term used for meat from goat, sheep, and some other closely related animals.
Here are some unusual names for some animals’ meat that we may or may not be familiar with.
The list is not too complicated and is simple to understand. Please feel free to add additional examples in the comments section if you are aware of any.
Cut To The Chase: Primal, Subprimal and Portion Cuts
The primal cuts, which are the first eight major cuts of beef, are listed below:
After being separated into smaller subprimal cuts, these large primal cuts are then shipped by packers to nearby markets for final preparation and cutting. These final cuts, also referred to as portion cuts, are the meat selections that customers can find in their neighborhood butcher shops, such as steaks, ribs, and roasts.
We’re going to cut through some of this beef-buying complexity by focusing on the eight main primal regions as well as their most common portion cuts. For most consumers, understanding these main cuts and what makes them distinctive is sufficient enough for informed beef buying.
Chuck comes from the cow’s shoulder. Although it can be cut and prepared in a variety of ways, this flavorful region is typically a firmer cut of beef. Chuck is probably what you know best because of its adaptability and low price. It’s great for any type of cooking!.
There are a variety of portion cuts available for chuck, including stew meat, short ribs, shoulder tender medallions, pot roast, shoulder steak, and flat-iron steak.
The rib primal cut, as its name suggests, is meat taken from the ribs and backbone of cows. Rib cuts are distinguished for their fatty marbling, tenderness, and distinctive flavor. There are 13 pairs of ribs on a cow, but only the last six are classified in this section. Since they are more expensive than most cuts of meat, ribs are frequently better slow-cooked than grilled.
Beef short ribs, ribeye steak, cowboy steak, ribeye roast, ribeye filet, and back ribs are some of the portion cuts available for ribs.
Here are the beef cuts that cost the most money. Because of its location directly behind the ribs, the loin is not a muscle that is frequently used. This makes loin very tender compared to more muscular cuts. Sirloin and short loin are two portions of the loin primal cut that are noteworthy.
The least tender of the two subregions of the loin, but perhaps the most flavorful, is the sirloin. Sirloin is almost never used for slow cooking and is typically best for grilling. The sirloin steak, top sirloin, bottom sirloin, tri-tip roast, and tri-tip steak are typical cuts.
Sirloin cuts are similar to short loin cuts, but short loin is more tender because it is located closer to the cow’s center. It dries out quickly like sirloin, so it’s usually best grilled or fried. New York strip, T-bone, porterhouse, tenderloin filet, filet mignon, and strip loin are popular short loin cuts.
The round primal region is an inexpensive, lean cut. It’s usually a tough cut of beef because it’s close to the cow’s hind legs. It’s crucial to thoroughly research the preparation and cooking methods for each portion cut of this primal region due to the cut’s leanness; in some cases, these calls for high heat cooking (like top, bottom, and eye round portion cuts) or slow cooking (like rump and eye roast).
Round steak, eye of round, tip roast, tip steak, top round, and bottom round roasts are typical round cuts you can expect to find in stores.
The flank primal cut is located just below the loin. Despite its toughness, this region has flavor and no bones. It used to be the most affordable cut one could find in a store. However, as demand for lean meat recently increased, so did that for flank steak, increasing both its popularity and price.
Usually, there are only two flank cuts available: the flank steak and the skirt steak, both of which are best grilled over high heat.
Short plate cuts are located close to the cow’s stomach and are frequently grouped with the brisket beef region. Because of where it is in the cow, it produces cheap, tough, and fatty cuts of beef. You can also get marbled short ribs from here, which is your other source.
You can typically find skirt steak, hanger steak, beef bacon, pastrami, short ribs, and ground beef from this primal cut in supermarkets as short plate portions.
The brisket cut, a barbecue staple, comes from a cow’s breast. Although brisket is notorious for having a fatty, tough texture, it can be cooked to a melt-in-your-mouth perfection when done properly (low and slow). Because there is such a thin line between juicy and dry when slow cooking brisket, it is always best to tenderize and marinate this cut first to make it more tender.
The only brisket cuts that are typically widely available are brisket point and brisket flat. Both are better when cooked slowly, but the flat stands out for having a leaner texture.
Shank is arguably the toughest, cheapest cut of beef. This beef cut, which comes from the cow’s forearm just in front of the brisket, is renowned for its sinewy dryness. Shank is rarely seen in retail establishments as a result of its unpopularity. But if you can find it, it’s an excellent, affordable substitute for beef stock or lean ground beef. It works best when cooked for a long time in moist heat because of its dry nature.
This cut is frequently used for stew or soup meat or to make the well-known dish osso buco.
The Best Stop Has The Best Cuts
The Best Stop is your best option for specialty meats shipped throughout the United States, whether you’re braising brisket or slowly cooking a stuffed roast. The Best Stop only uses locally sourced, grass-fed calf meat for the most tender cuts available, so don’t waste your time with other butchers who promote cheap mass-produced beef.
You can visit us in Scott, Louisiana or shop online and we’ll ship all the ingredients, seasoning and marinade supplies right to your door. We have a comprehensive selection of fully-seasoned and prepared beef, pork and chicken cuts, so all you’ll need to do is add heat.
Beef 101: The Beginner’s Guide to Every Cut of Beef
FAQ
What meats are considered beef?
There are eight primary beef cuts known as the primal cuts, which are listed below:Chuck Rib. Loin. Round. Flank. Short Plate. Brisket. Shank.
What is all considered beef?
There are eight primary beef cuts: chuck, rib, loin (short loin and sirloin combined), round, flank, plate, brisket, and shank.
Is chicken a type of beef?
Although only beef, veal, pork, and lamb (or mutton in some nations) are readily available, meat includes all red meats derived from animals. Turkey, chicken, and duck are all included under the umbrella term “poultry,” as are pheasants and other less common poultry.
Is pig meat considered beef?
In English, these two categories often have different names. Pigs turn into pork. Cows turn into beef. Sheep is mutton.