Courtesy of the
Certified Angus Beef brand
Did you know that beef is divided
into sections called primal cuts? From these
large areas, the meat cutter makes smaller portions
suitable for individual or family-sized packaging.
Different cuts of beef require unique cooking
methods. A chuck, for example, makes an excellent
roast but isn't as pleasing when pan-broiled.
With these details in mind, we have prepared
the following information for you to use as
a guide when selecting and preparing Certified
Angus Beef cuts.
Chuck
Meat is basically muscle, and the chuck happens
to be a heavily exercised area. Luckily, this
area contains a great deal of connective tissue,
including collagen. Collagen melts during cooking,
making the meat intensely flavorful. Cuts from
this area benefit from slow, wet cooking methods
like stewing, braising or pot-roasting.
-
Blade Roast
— an inexpensive cut which lies next to
the ribs; more tender than most chuck; makes
an excellent roast. Alternatively, the roast
can be cut into a rib-eye steak, with meat
above and below the bone excellent for stir-fry
dishes
-
Chuck Steak
— a good choice for kabobs if well marinated
Rib
Tender and flavorful ribs can be cooked any
number of ways. Most recipes call for ribs to
be roasted, saut�ed, pan-fried, broiled, or
grilled.
-
Rib Roast
— known as a standing rib roast (bone left
in), or without the bone for convenient
slicing. Excellent when dry roasted. A seven-bone
prime rib roast can be quite a hefty addition
to the dinner table. It is great for a crowd,
but for a small family a bone roast will
do. Many butchers will cut a roast to order
for you
-
Rib Steak
— also cut from the rib section, these tender
steaks can be purchased bone-in or as boneless
rib-eye
Short Loin
This area boasts extremely tender cuts and can
be prepared without the aid of moist heat or
long cooking times. Cuts from the short loin
may be saut�ed, pan fried, broiled, pan broiled
or grilled.
-
Porterhouse Steak
— a very popular steak cut from the rear
end of the short loin; the name originated
from the days when it was served in public
alehouses that also served a dark beer called
porter. The porterhouse consists of both
tenderloin and sirloin tip. The tenderloin
is often served separately as filet mignon
-
T-bone Steak
— cut from the middle section of the short
loin; similar to the porterhouse steak;
has a smaller piece of the tenderloin; usually
grilled or pan-fried
-
Tenderloin
— often considered the most tender cut of
beef; responds well to sauces, meaning the
meat does not overpower the flavor of the
sauce. It can be cut as the whole strip,
or into individual steaks for filet mignon
Sirloin
"The backbone's connected to the … hipbone"—not
a song, but a sirloin. These tender cuts respond
well to saut�ing, pan-frying, broiling, pan-broiling
or grilling.
Flank
This meat is lean, muscular and very flavorful.
Flank is primarily used for flank steaks and
rolled flank steaks. It can also be used for
kabobs.
Short Plate
This section is best used for stew meat, where
its rich, beefy flavor can be appreciated.
Round
The round consists of lean meat well-suited
to long, moist cooking methods.
-
Top Round
— this is the most tender part of the round;
it can be prepared as pot roast or cut into
thick steaks for braised dishes
-
Rump Roast
— a very popular cut for pot roast, but
can also be roasted at low temperatures
Shank/Brisket
Traditionally used for corned beef, brisket
is best prepared with moist heat. Suitable preparation
methods include stewing, braising and pot-roasting.
-
Foreshank
— excellent stew meat
-
Brisket First Cut
— a leaner cut of the brisket, for those
who want the flavor but not the fat of a
brisket pot roast
-
Brisket Front Cut
— fork tender and succulent, a Certified
Angus Beef pot roast made with this cut
is truly mouthwatering.
