Beef

Beef is meat obtained from a bovine. Beef is one of the principal meats used in European cuisine and cuisine of the Americas, and is important in Africa, East Asia, and Southeast Asia as well. In the Middle East, it is very rare to have lunch without beef.

Cuts of beef

(This section denotes the American system of beef cutting. Other cultures have similar systems, but the exact cuts and terminology differ).

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Primal cuts

Beef is first divided into primal cuts. These are basic sections from which steaks and other subdivisions are cut. The following is a list of the primal cuts, ordered front to back, then top to bottom. The short loin and the sirloin are sometimes considered as one section. When looking at a diagram such as the one above, note that the closer to the middle back, the more tender the meat is. Since the animal's legs and neck muscles do the most work, they are the toughest; the meat becomes progressively more tender as distance from "hoof and horn" increases.

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upper half

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• Chuck - one of the most common sources for hamburger.
• Rib
• Short Loin - the most tender, and the most expensive; from which porterhouse steaks, and filet mignon are cut.
• Sirloin - less tender than short loin, but more flavorful.
• Round

lower half

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• Brisket and Shank
• Plate
• Flank

Also see the external links section below for links to more beef cut charts and diagrams.

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