During butchering, beef is first divided into what?
A: Primal cuts, pieces of meat initially separated from the carcass.
These are basic sections from which are cut?
A: Steaks and other subdivisions.
Since the animal's legs and neck muscles do the most
work, they are what?
A: The toughest.
The meat becomes more tender as what?
A: As the distance from hoof and horn increases.
Different countries and cuisines have different what?
A: Cuts and names.
Sometimes they use the same name for a different cut;
e.g., the cut described as "brisket" in the US is from what?
A: A significantly different part of the carcass than British "brisket".
"Cut" often refers narrowly to what?
A: Skeletal muscle (sometimes attached to bones), but can also include other
edible flesh, such as offal (organ meat) or bones without significant
muscles attached.
Beef carcasses are split along the axis of symmetry
into what?
A: "halves".
Then they are cut across into what?
A: Front and back "quarters" (forequarters and hindquarters).
Canada uses identical cut names (and numbering) as
what?
A: The U.S, with the exception of the "round" which is called the "hip".
The chuck is the source of what?
A: Bone-in chuck steaks and roasts (arm or blade), and boneless clod steaks
and roasts, most commonly.
The trimmings and some whole boneless chucks are what?
A: Ground for ground beef.
The rib contains what?
A: Part of the short ribs, the prime rib and rib eye steaks.
Brisket is primarily used for what?
A: Barbecue, corned beef or pastrami.
The foreshank or shank is used primarily for what?
A: Stews and soups.
Why is it not usually served any other way?
A: Because it is the toughest of the cuts.
The plate is the other source of short ribs, used for
what?
A: Pot roasting, and the outside skirt steak, which is used for fajitas.
The navel is the ventral part of the plate, and is commonly used to make what?
A: Pastrami.
The remainder is usually ground, as it is typically a
what?
A: Tough and fatty meat.
The loin has what?
A: Two subprimals.
The short loin is the source of what?
A: The T-bone and porterhouse steaks are cut if bone-in, or strip steak.
The sirloin, which is less tender than short loin, but
more flavorful, can be further divided into what?
A: Top sirloin and bottom sirloin (including tri-tip), and the tenderloin.
The tenderloin is the most tender and can be removed as a separate subprimal.
It can then be cut into what?
A: Filet mignons, tournedos or tenderloin steaks, and roasts (such as for
beef Wellington).
They can also be cut bone-in to make parts of what?
A: The T-bone and porterhouse loin steaks.
The round contains lean, moderately tough, lower fat
(less marbling) cuts, which require what?
A: Moist or rare cooking.
Some representative cuts are what?
A: Round steak, eye of round, top round, and bottom round steaks and roasts.
The flank is used mostly for what?
A: Grinding, except for the long and flat flank steak, best known for use in
London broil, and the inside skirt steak, also used for fajitas.
Why were flank steaks once one of the most affordable steaks?
A: Because they are substantially tougher than the more desirable loin and rib steaks.
Many modern recipes for flank steak use what?
A: Marinades or moist cooking methods, such as braising, to improve the
tenderness and flavor.