Choosing the right cut of beef doesn’t have to be intimidating or confusing. This beef cuts guide and chart covers all you need to know about beef. The chart breaks down flavor, tenderness, cooking method and cost so you can choose the perfect cut when you’re grilling, roasting, slow cooking or planning a holiday dinner.
This post was originally published in 2016; updated with new info and chart in 2025.
Have you ever been confused shopping for cuts of beef? I have (shhh! don’t tell!). The good news is once I married a cattleman, and I “had” to learn the different beef cuts, I discovered it’s very easy to understand.
This post will explain everything you need to know about cuts of beef and how to cook each one. So, the next time you stand at the meat counter looking at a strip, filet, sirloin, porterhouse, and T-bone steak, you can be confident in your selection and how you cook it.
It’s important to know that the beginning of this post may sound a little like an anatomy lesson. I apologize in advance! But, please stay with me! The anatomy of the cow is important because it directly correlates to the tenderness of the beef cut. The best rule of thumb to remember is that beef becomes more tender as the distance from horn to hoof increases.
What Are the Primal Cuts of Beef?
When a cow is slaughtered, it is split lengthwise into two halves and are then broken down into eight large sections called primal beef cuts. Then, it’s cut into subprimal cuts, also sometimes called “food service cuts”. At this point, it’s typically shipped to a butcher shop or grocery store for the final cuts. Retail (or portion) cuts are consumer-sized steaks, ribs and roast that you purchase when the butcher cuts the beef.
The eight primal cut names should sound very familiar to you since they are an essential component of how beef cuts are labeled.
Here are the eight primal cuts of beef:
- Chuck
- Rib
- Loin (short loin and sirloin)
- Round
- Flank
- Short Plate
- Brisket
- Shank
How primal cuts become retail cuts
Often times, the primal cut name is mentioned in the beef’s labeling. For example, a chuck roast comes from the chuck primal section, and a round roast comes from the round primal section.
That said, it’s important to know that the naming of beef cuts can vary by store and region. In fact, one study showed that many grocery stores carry more than 60 different beef products. For example, a strip steak can also be called a New York Strip, Kansas City Strip, or hotel steak, just to name a few.
How to read the Beef Cuts Chart
The chart of the cow above shows the eight primal cuts of beef, and it’s broken down into smaller retail cuts like steaks and roasts. Most people think of beef in retail cuts, so we have a full chart on retail cuts below. The important thing about this cow diagram is to recognize there are recommended cooking methods for each area of the steer. Understanding this chart helps you choose the right cut for grilling, smoking, roasting, or braising.
- Chuck (approx 26% of steer): Chuck meat comes from the front of the animal at the steer’s shoulder. Chuck cuts generally cook best with slow cooking methods.
- Rib (approx 9%): The most popular cuts from this area are Prime rib and ribeye.
- Loin (17%): The most expensive cuts of beef come from the loin region. The loin has two sections: short loin and sirloin. Some of the most popular cuts of beef from this section are strip steak, T-bone steak, and filet.
- Round (27%) – The round is an inexpensive cut. It’s found at the cow’s rump and hind legs, so it’s generally lean and tough. The most popular cut is ground beef.
- Brisket (6%) – A chest cut perfect for smoking or braising low and slow.
- Shank (4%) – Very lean and tough; typically used for soups and stews.
- Plate & Flank (9.5%) – Known for short ribs, skirt steak, and flank steak;. It’s best when cooked quickly. Flank used to be a less expensive cut, but it’s become more popular because consumers want lean beef.
Jump to:
Comparison Chart of Retail Beef Cuts (free printable)
Popular Beef Cuts and How to Cook Them
Since you probably don’t want to carry around a beef cuts chart in your pocket, here’s what you need to know about each of the cuts:
Chuck (Best for roasts, stew meat, ground beef)
The chuck is the large primal that comes from the neck down to the sixth rib, just past the shoulder. It comprises about 100 pounds, or 26% of the total usable meat per half steer.
Since chuck is from the animal’s shoulder and cows use their shoulders a lot, it’s a tougher cut of beef. But, it can also be a very flavorful cut. Most of the meat from the primal is ground for burgers.
Beef Cuts from the Chuck Primal:
- Ground Chuck
- Chuck Roast
- Chuck Rib Roast
- Flat Iron Steaks (a.k.a. Butler Steak)
- Blade Steak
- Shoulder Petite Tender
- Short Ribs
- Flanken Style Ribs (a.k.a. Chunky Short Ribs, English Short Ribs, Korean Kalbi-Style Ribs)
How to Cook Chuck:
Chuck roasts and ribs are best browned and braised in a liquid over low heat. Flat iron steak and blade steak is best grilled to medium rare and cut into thin slices.
Favorite Chuck Recipes:
- Beef Stew
- Easy Slow Cooker Pot Roast
- One-Pan BBQ Beef Short Ribs
- Homemade Dry Rub for Beef Roast
- Easy Slow Cooker Italian Beef Sandwiches
Rib (Steakhouse favorites: ribeye, prime rib)
The cow’s ribs and backbone make up the ribs. There are 13 pairs of ribs, but only the last section (6-12) are in the primal section of the ribs. The others are in the chuck cut. Ribs have lots of flavor and marbling.
Cuts of Beef from Rib Primal:
- Delmonico steak
- Boneless ribeye roast
- Cowboy steak
- Ribeye steaks
- Beef short ribs
- Prime Rib Roast (a.k.a. Holiday Roast, Rib Roast, or Standing Rib Roast)
How to Cook:
This section is a very tender part of the animal. Dry heat methods like roasting, grilling, pan searing, and broiling are best. Be sure not to overcook the meat since beef is so tender. We recommend beef be cooked to an internal temperature of medium (130F) or less, or you may dry out the meat.
Favorite Recipes:
Loin (Tender cuts: filet mignon, strip steak, T-bone)
The loin is where the most expensive cuts of beef come from. It is located at the top of the steer directly behind the rib. It is not a heavily used muscle, so it is very tender and flavorful. The loin is only about 16 to 18 inches long. It will yield anywhere from 11 to 14 steaks, depending on thickness.
The loin has two parts: shortloin and sirloin.
The short loin contains the most tender and expensive cuts of beef because they are tender and well marbled. Hello Porterhouse!
Beef Cuts from the Short Loin Primal:
- Strip steaks (a.k.a. New York Strip Steak, Kansas City Strip, and Hotel Steak)
- T-bone steaks
- Porterhouse steaks
- Filet mignon
- Tenderloin
- Chateaubriand (center cut of the tenderloin)
Beef Cuts from the Sirloin (Subprimal of the Loin):
- Sirloin steaks
- Tri tip roast
- Tri tip steaks
- Sirloin tips
Favorite Recipes
Round (Lean roasts and budget steaks)
The round is a lean and inexpensive cut. It is the second largest primal at the back of the animal. It’s the cow’s rump and hind legs, which do a lot of work walking, so they’re tougher cuts of meat. Round is divided into the top round (rump) and bottom round cuts.
Beef Cuts from the Round Primal:
- Round steak
- Eye of round
- Tip steak
- Tip roast
- Top round steak
- Bottom round roast
- Extra lean ground beef
How to cook:
Slow roasting, braising, slicing thin for sandwiches or using as roasts are the best choices for cuts of meat from the round primal.
Brisket (BBQ favorite for slow cooking)
The brisket is the steer’s chest, and it’s typically 10 to 16 pounds. Because the chest supports the cow’s body weight, it’s one of the most used muscles. It is lean and tough, with coarse muscle fibers throughout. Brisket also has a substantial amount of fat, which melts and bastes the meat as it cooks.
Cuts from the Brisket Primal:
- Point Cut (a.k.a. second cut)
- Flat Cut (a.k.a. first cut)
How to cook brisket
Cook brisket low and slow and your taste buds will rejoice. When serving, be sure to slice cooked brisket against the grain so that it’s easier to eat.
Favorite brisket recipes:
Flank & Plate (Great for fajitas, kabobs, grilling)
The flank is located below the loin and is the cow’s abdomen. 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 because flank steaks are known for being lean. Since consumers want lean meat more than ever before, it’s increased flank steak’s popularity and price.
The beef plate, or short plate, is the other source of short ribs and it’s found near the abdomen. It is very tough and high in fat, which is why beef short ribs are ideal for braising. This process of cooking with moist heat at a low temperature will dissolve cartilage and turn it into gelatin. Hanger Steak and Skirt Steak are also from the plate primal cut. They are long, thin pieces of meat that have visible muscle fibers running along the steak’s width. Both cuts do well with marinade.
Beef Cuts from the Flank Primal:
- Flank Steak
- Fajita Strips
How to Cook Flank:
Flank doesn’t have much marbling, so it’s best to quickly grill or broil flank. Think steak fajitas.
Favorite Recipes:
Beef Cuts from the Plate Primal:
- Hanger steak
- Skirt steak
- Short ribs
Favorite Recipes:
- BBQ Beef Short Ribs
- Cheesecake Factory Hibachi Steak Recipe (Copycat)
- Skirt Steak with Paprika Butter
Shank (Soups, stews, and beef stock)
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 braising to make the meat more tender. Make stews and soups with the shank.
Cuts of Beef from Shank:
- Cross Shank
How to Cook Shank:
Get out your slow cooker or large stock pot. Braising and boiling over a low heat for a very long time is the only way to cook shank.
Favorite Shank Recipes:
Best Beef Cuts for Every Occasion
The best cut of beef depends on the occasion that you’re cooking for. Here are a few ideas on what to cook when you’re grilling, entertaining,
If you’re looking for a quick answer to what’s the “best cut”, that’s an easy answer. The best, most expensive and tender cuts of beef are always from the center of the steer, which is the loin or rib section. The four most popular cuts from this area are Tenderloin Steaks, Ribeye Steaks, Strip Steaks, and T-bone Steaks.
If you’re wondering, “why the center of the steer?” Take a moment and look at the diagram above. When an animal is alive, their legs and neck muscles do most of the work. So, the muscles there are firmer and that beef is the toughest. The loin and ribs are at the center of the animal and they don’t do much work, so they’re tender cuts.
Another way to say this that you may hear from your butcher is that “beef gets more tender as the distance from horn and hoof increases.”
Best cuts for grilling & for steak lovers
The Strip, Sirloin, Ribeye, T-Bone and Filet are the 5 best steak cuts for the grill. Each of these steaks have their own characteristics, but they’re all amazing.
- Strip Steak: This is a tender steak that comes from the area just behind the ribs. It has a beefy flavor, but not as strong as a ribeye. A strip steak can either be bone-in or boneless. They’re usually between 8-14 ounces.
- Sirloin Steak: Sirloin steaks are naturally lean. They’re usually between 5-10 ounces. They are a great larger steak when you’re on somewhat of a budget.
- Ribeye Steak: A ribeye steak is the most flavorful, well-marbled cut of beef. It comes from the center of the cow in the rib section. A ribeye steak is a boneless steak, and a rib steak is bone-in (it’s also known as a bone-in ribeye). It’s usually between 8-14 ounces.
- T-Bone Steak: The “T” shaped bone in the center of a T-bone steak joins two types of steak: filet and strip. When grilling, be sure the tenderloin (the less marbled side) is further away from the direct heat and the strip side is closer to the heat. A T-bone is a large steak and usually about 18 ounces. Another steak that’s similar to the T-Bone is the Porterhouse.
- Filet Mignon / Beef Tenderloin Steak: Beef tenderloin is the most tender muscle on an animal and has very little fat. The leanness of the cut is why it’s sometimes wrapped in bacon. Filet Mignon should be cooked with quick, high heat (like grilling or pan-searing). Typically, a filet is 6-8 ounces.
Best cuts for entertaining:
The best cuts for entertaining are the Prime Rib Roast, Brisket and Steak. We know these cuts may seem intimidating to cook, but they don’t have to be! We have some easy recipes for each cut of beef: Easy Prime Rib with Garlic Herb Butter, Oven Baked Beef Brisket, and Best Cuts of Steak for Grilling.
Best cuts for slow cooking:
Our hands down favorite cut for slow cooking is a chuck roast. It has wonderful marbling throughout the meat. When you give it enough time to cook, it is so tender and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Here’s a wonderful, never-fail slow cooker pot roast recipe.
FAQs
Take a look at the beef cut chart above. “Stew Meat” and “Kabob Meat” are missing because there isn’t a cut of beef labeled “stew meat” or “kabob meat”. These terms describe meat cut and packaged together. Typically, stew meat comes from trimmings from the roast and chuck section. Meat for kabobs is trimming from primal cuts like sirloin. If you do a side-by-side comparison of the two, you’ll see that kabob meat is usually larger chunks of meat. Stew meat and kabob meat are both versatile packages of meat that are very economical and easy to cook.
Typically, you will find chuck and round to be the least expensive cuts.
There are several things to look for when buying beef. The color of the beef should be bright, cherry red, and you want to see some marbling (thin white lines) throughout since it adds flavor. Also pay attention to labels like USDA Prime and Choice, and whether it’s grass fed, grain finished or organic.
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More Beef Tips & Recipes to Try:
- Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef
- Easy Slow Cooker Pot Roast
- Ground Beef and Asparagus Pasta Toss
- Easy Chimichurri Sauce
- What everybody ought to know about beef cuts
- Homemade dry rub (the secret 8:3:1:1 ratio)
- Defrosting Meat: 4 Safe & Easy Ways
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My grandmother was English and would make steak and kidney pie when we were young. Beef kidney is not readily available. Why is that?