Please note: not all the cuts shown above are included in the standard “Bulk” processing (half & whole carcass). Some cuts (only if requested) will incurr additional processing charges.
See our “Bulk Order Cut Sheets” for detailed information.
Information on Beef Cuts
Chuck
Beef chuck comes from the forequarter. Consisting of parts of the neck, shoulder blade and upper arm – these tougher parts are ideal for slow cooking. Some cuts from the chuck, such as Flat Iron Steak, are very tender and perfect for the grill.
The chuck has a good deal of connective tissue, which is why stew meat generally comes from this area. Due to its fat content, beef chuck is also an excellent source of ground beef and hamburger patties
Rib
The rib section of the animal doesn’t get much activity, therefore it yields some of the most tender meat on the animal. The upper center section of rib – specifically the sixth through the twelfth ribs – is used for the traditional standing rib roast or prime rib.
The ribeye is situated high on the back of the cow. Its beautiful marbling makes it ideal some of the most popular cuts – including our ribeye steaks, rib chops and rib roasts. These cuts are best for grilling, roasting, searing, or frying.
Short Loin
The short loin is where we find some of the most desirable cuts of meat. These include T-bones, Porterhouse Steaks, Strips, and the Tenderloin. The tenderloin, which can be cut into filet mignon steaks, actually starts in the short loin and continues into the sirloin. A whole tenderloin is removed from both sections, trimmed to about 3.5 lbs and sold as a roast. The strip steak is found one of two ways, the boneless New York Strip or the bone-in Kansas City Strip – both considered among the higher-end cuts of beef.
Steaks from the short loin are cut starting at the rib end and working toward the back of the animal. The first-cut steaks are strip steaks, next are T-bones, and two or three porterhouse steaks are available at the sirloin end.
Cook steaks from the short loin at high heat from the start, in a broiler or hot grill, to get a good sear on the exterior. Then finish the steak slowly over lower heat, until a meat thermometer placed in the center is a perfect rare to medium-rare (120-125°F).
Sirloin
Beef Sirloin is the hip, located below the short loin and the round and divided into top sirloin and bottom sirloin.
Wagyu top sirloin steaks are good for grilling. The bottom of the sirloin is usually divided into three main components – the tri-tip, ball tip, and the sirloin flap.
Tenderloin
The Tenderloin, found within the uppermost part of the sirloin, is the most tender cut of beef and where we get Filet Mignon Steaks from. Kept whole, the Tenderloin can be roasted to perfection.
Wagyu beef tenderloin should only be cooked using dry-heat methods, such as grilling and broiling. The meat is already super tender, so keep cooking times short, and the heat high.
Round
The beef round basically consists of the back leg of the steer. Muscles from the round are fairly lean, but they’re also tough because the leg and rump get a lot of exercise. Whichever cut from the round you choose – top round, bottom round or knuckle, they do not have enough collagen (which turns to gelatin when braising or slow-roasting meat). The round is typically ground to balance out the fat in a high-fat beef grind for a burger.
Brisket
Beef brisket is one of the most flavorful cuts of meat, although it is tough and needs to be cooked in just the right way. It’s also fairly fatty, helping it cook into moist, meaty perfection.
Taken from the area around the breastbone, the brisket is basically the chest or pectoral muscle of the animal. The characteristically thick, coarse-grained meat needs a lot of time and low-temperature cooking to break down and tenderize.
Brisket is perfect when slow cooked in a barbecue, smoker, or in a flavorful braising liquid.
Plate
Also called the short plate (or “long plate” depending on where it’s separated from the rib muscle above it), the beef plate includes the short ribs and the skirt steak.
Skirt steak is the diaphragm muscle and is extremely flavorful. It’s also a thin piece of meat, allowing you to cook it quickly over high heat. Because it has coarse muscle fibers, slice it against the grain or it will be chewy.
Beef plate contains a lot of cartilage, especially around the ribs, 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.
Flank
Flank steak comes from the cow’s lower chest or abdominal muscle, and is an inexpensive, flavorful, and versatile cut of beef. It’s about a foot long and one inch thick, and cooked whole rather than divided into smaller individual steaks. The cut is also known as jiffy steak, bavette (in French), and in some regions, London broil. Flank steak can be identified by the visible direction of the meat’s cross-grain.
Due to flank steak’s low fat content, it does not need to be trimmed. It can be seasoned simply with salt and pepper or your favorite meat rub, and typically requires additional tenderizing in order to achieve the best flavor. This can be done by hand with a meat tenderizing mallet, chemically using an acidic marinade, or by cooking the steak “low and slow” to gradually break down its dense connective tissue.