Beef cuts can be confusing because there are dozens of names at the grocery store, but they all come from just eight sections of a steer. This guide explains the eight primal cuts of beef, where they come from, and how this applies to beef packaging labels so that shopping for beef is easier.
This guide explains where beef cuts are located on the cow. If you’re looking for how to cook each cut, see our cuts of beef and how to cook them guide.
This post was originally published in 2016. It was updated in 2026.
Have you ever stood at the meat counter and felt confused by cuts of beef? You’re not alone. Grocery stores can carry more than 60 different beef products, and they label them differently by region or butcher — think New York Strip versus Kansas City Strip.
While the names can be overwhelming, the good news is that beef cuts follow a logical system that farmers and butchers use. Understanding this system makes it much easier to shop confidently, choose the right cut, and know what to expect when cooking.
As cattle farmers, we raise beef and work closely with the butcher. In this guide, we’ll explain the eight primal cuts of beef, where they come from on the animal, and what makes each one unique. Once you understand the basics, the beef is much less intimidating.
Jump to:
What Are the 8 Cuts of Beef?
The USDA recognizes eight primary regions of a beef carcass. These regions are known as the primal cuts of beef, or the main cuts. When you understand these eight primal areas, it’s easy to understand the beef cut names and packaging at the butcher counter.
As cattle farmers, these are the same primal cuts we reference when we work with our butcher because every steak, roast and pound of ground beef starts in one of these sections.
The eight primal cuts are
- Chuck
- Rib
- Loin (short loin and sirloin)
- Round
- Flank
- Short Plate
- Brisket
- Shank
Each primal cut is broken down into subprimal and retail cuts, which is why there are so many different names at the butcher counter. A butcher often starts with a sub-primal cut to create the portion cuts you see at the butcher counter.
Beef Cuts Chart
| Primal Cut | Location on Cow | Common Subprimal / Retail Cuts | General Traits |
| Chuck (approx. 25-30% of steer) | Shoulder | Chuck roast, ground beef, Stew Meat | Flavorful, tougher |
| Rib (approx. 9-11% of steer) | Upper rib | Ribeye, Prime Rib | Tender, Marbled |
| Sirloin & Loin (approx. 20-22% of steer) | Mid Back | T-Bone, Porterhouse, Filet, Strip | Very Tender |
| Round (approx. 23-27% of steer) | Hind Leg | Eye of round, Top Round, Bottom Round, ground beef | Lean and firm |
| Flank (approx. 3-4% of steer) | Belly | Flank Steak, London Broil | Thin, Flavorful |
| Short Plate (approx. 5-8% of steer) | Lower Chest | Skirt Steak, hanger steak, short ribs | Fatty, Rich |
| Brisket (approx. 4- 6% of steer) | Chest | Brisket | Tough, Collagen-Rich |
| Shank (approx. 3-4% of steer) | Leg | Shank cross cut, soup bones | Very Tough |
Video: The secret to understanding beef cuts
Chuck
Chuck meat comes from the cow’s shoulder. Cows use their shoulder a lot, so it’s a tougher cut of beef. However, it’s also a very flavorful cut, and butchers cut it in a variety of ways so you have lots of options at the grocery store. Chuck is known for strong beef flavor and firmer texture, due to muscle use.
Types of cuts you’ll see for chuck are ground chuck (hamburger), flat iron steak, chuck short ribs, shoulder tender medallions, chuck pot roast, blade roast, Denver steak, boneless chuck short ribs, stew meat, country style ribs, and top blade steak, just to name a few.
Brisket
The brisket is the steer’s breast. Brisket is collagen-rich and naturally firm, which is why it’s traditional cooked low-and-slow. We explain some of the differences of Brisket to other cuts in Tri Tip vs. Brisket: Differences and What’s Better.
Shank
The shank is located at the animal’s forearm in front of the brisket. It is one of the toughest cuts. One of the most famous dishes that comes from the shank is Osso Buco, which requires long-cook time because of the connective tissue in the beef cut.
Ribs
The animal’s rib bones and backbone make up the ribs. There are 13 pairs of ribs, but only the last section (6-12) is in the primal section of the ribs. The others are in the chuck cut.
The most famous cut from the Ribs section is Prime Rib. The prime rib comes from the best part of the animal’s rib, between rib bones seven and 11. This area has a very thick cap of marble. This section of beef is known for its beefy flavor that everyone loves. It’s well-marbled throughout the meat, which is why it’s so rich, juicy, and tender. Ribs are prized for tenderness, flavor, and abundant marbling. Other types of cuts you’ll see for ribs are Delmonico steak, boneless ribeye roast, cowboy steak, ribeye steaks, and beef short
Plate
The plate, or short plate, is the cow’s belly and it includes the skirt steak, hanger steak and short ribs. Beef from the short plate is economical, but very tasty. Typically, cuts from this area have a high fat content (think Ribs).
Loin
The loin is located at the top of the steer, directly behind the rib section and before the round. Because this area is far from the legs and neck and not heavily used, the muscles in the loin are naturally tender. Many of the most well-known and expensive cuts come from this section, but also some of the most commonly confused steak names. We break down some of the labeling differences in T-Bone vs. Porterhouse Steak, Filet Mignon vs. Sirloin Steak, and Beef Ribs vs. Ribeye Steaks vs. Prime Rib.
The loin has two main sections: the short loin and the sirloin.
Short Loin
The short loin sits immediately behind the ribs and is one of the most tender areas of the animal. This section produces several iconic steak cuts because it contains both the tenderloin muscle and the strip loin muscle. Retail cuts from the short loin may include T-bone steaks, Porterhouse steaks, strip steaks, and filet portions.
Sirloin
The sirloin area is a little less tender than the short loin, but it is more flavorful. The sirloin is located just behind the short loin and in front of the round. Common retail cuts from the sirloin are sirloin steak, center cut sirloin steak, top sirloin, bottom sirloin, ball tip steak, Tri-Tip Roast, and Tri-Tip Steak.
Round
The round is from the cow’s rump and hind leg, and is a lean and inexpensive cut. Common cuts for Round are ground beef, round steak, eye of round, tip steak, tip roast, top round, and bottom round roasts.
Flank
The flank is located below the loin. It has no bones and is very flavorful but also very tough.
It used to be less expensive at the grocery store, but this has started to change. Why? Flank steaks are lean. Since consumers want lean meat more than ever before, it has increased the popularity and price.
Popular flank cuts are flank steak and London broil.
One more thing!
Want more farm stories, beef tips and easy beef recipes? Sign-up for beef recipes to your inbox.
Here are a few other blog posts you may like:
- Cuts of Beef Guide & How to Cook Them
- Grass Fed vs. Organic Beef vs. Grain Fed: What’s Better?
- Angus Beef vs. Wagyu Beef: What’s the Difference?
- Buying a Cow. How Much Beef Is It?
- 7 Steps to Grilling a Steak to Perfection
- How We Raise Our Grass Fed Beef
- 53 Facts About Beef
This post was originally published in 2016. It was updated in 2026.
What an excellent and helpful article! Thank you for sharing so much informative and insight!
OPNV) AND EXTRACTVALUE(8167,CONCAT(0x5c,0x716b787071,(SELECT (ELT(8167=8167,1))),0x716b627071)) AND (8900=8900
OPNV