Primal cut

American Primal cuts




The following is a list of the American primal cuts, ordered front to back, then top to bottom. The short loin and the sirloin are sometimes considered as one section.

Upper half cuts

 * Chuck — one of the most common sources for roasts and hamburgers
 * Rib — short ribs, rib eye steak and prime rib
 * Loin — subprimals are:
 * Short loin — from which T-bone steaks are cut,
 * Sirloin — less tender than short loin, but more flavorful, further divided into Top sirloin and Bottom sirloin, and
 * Tenderloin — the most tender, from which filet mignon is served, can be removed separately, or left in for T-bone and Porterhouse steaks
 * Round — lean cut, moderately tough, lower fat marbling, requires moist cooking or lesser degrees of doneness

Lower Half

 * Brisket — often associated with barbecue beef brisket.
 * Shank — used primarily for stews and soups, but is not usually served another way, due to it being the toughest of the cuts.
 * Plate — produces types of steak such as the skirt steak and hanger steak. It is typically a cheap, tough, and fatty meat.
 * Flank — Long and flat, the flank steak's best known application is London Broil. One of the most affordable steaks on the market, it is substantially tougher than the loin and rib steaks, therefore many flank recipes use marinades or moist cooking methods such as braising.
 * Hoof - The lower leg, not much meat but great for soups and stocks

British Primal cuts



 * Neck & Clod
 * Chuck & Blade
 * Rib
 * Sirloin
 * Rump
 * Silverside
 * Topside
 * Thick Rib
 * Thin Rib
 * Brisket
 * Shin
 * Flank
 * Thick Flank
 * Leg

T-bone and Porterhouse
The T-bone and Porterhouse are steak cuts of beef. They consist of a T-shaped bone with meat on each side. The larger side is the strip steak meat, which is from the short loin, whereas the smaller side contains the tenderloin. Porterhouse steaks are cut from the rear end of the short loin and contain a much larger section of the tenderloin. T-bone steaks are cut from farther forward in the short loin and contain a comparatively smaller section of the tenderloin.

In British usage, followed in Commonwealth countries (except Canada), only the strip loin side is called the porterhouse, and the tenderloin side is called the fillet.

T-Bone, with its combination of sirloin and fillet is renowned for the ‘T’ shaped bone left in the cut, which provides it with extra flavour when cookings

Sirlon
The Sirloin is cut from the lower portion of the ribs and has a great flavour. Succulent and tender - it's the most popular steak.

Rump
Larger and firmer texture than sirloin steaks, rump steak is considered to have more flavour

Rib eye
Large and slightly rounded steaks cut from the eye of the fore rib. They carry a little more fat than other steaks, but have a wonderful flavour

Fillet
The fillet is situated at the base of the sirloin and is the most lean and tender of all steaks, making it the most prized of cuts. Best eaten rare.

Cattle
Steak I've tried

English

 * Hereford
 * Yorkshire Longhorn

UK

 * Angus

USA

 * Creekstone (USDA prime)

Japanese

 * Wagyu
 * Kobe

Argentine

 * Angus