Choice Cuts

When you purchase half or whole beef, Northwest Meat Processing Center will ask how you’d like the beef cut. For example, do you want steaks, roasts, ground beef, etc.? The following diagram illustrates where typical cuts of beef are made.

Chuck

Chuck cuts are best cooked slowly with liquid, as in stewing, braising or pot-roasting.

Blade Roast Inexpensive, yet tender cut for excellent roasts, stir-fry dishes or rib-eye steaks.

Chuck Steak Benefits from marinating; a good choice for kabobs.

Rib

Tender and flavorful, ribs can be roasted, sautéed, pan-fried, broiled, or grilled.

Rib Roast Standing rib roast with bone left in or can be boneless. Excellent dry-roasted.

Rib Steak Tender steaks purchased as bone-in or boneless rib-eye.

Short Loin

Extremely tender cuts that can be sautéed, pan-fried, broiled, pan broiled or grilled.

Porterhouse Steak Popular steak consisting of sirloin tip and tenderloin, often served as filet mignon.

T-bone Steak Cut from the middle loin and tenderloin; usually grilled or pan-fried.

Tenderloin Considered the most tender cut of beef; can be cut as whole strip or individual filet mignons.

Sirloin

These tender cuts are perfect for sautéing, pan-frying, broiling, pan-broiling or grilling.

Sirloin Steaks Available in boneless and bone-in steaks.

Sirloin Tip Roast Excellent when dry roasted or marinated.

Flank

Lean and flavorful, this section is primarily used for flank steaks, kabobs or classic London broil. To increase tenderness, the meat should be sliced against the grain.

Short Plate

This portion is best used for stew meat, where its rich, beefy flavor can be appreciated.

Round

The round consists of lean meat well-suited for long, moist cooking methods.

Top Round Most tender part of the round; great for pot roast or thick steaks for braised dishes.

Rump Roast Popular for pot roast or dishes roasted at low temperatures.

Shank/Brisket

Traditionally used for corned beef, brisket is best prepared using moist heat, as well as stewing, braising and pot-roasting.

Foreshank Excellent stew meat.

Brisket First Cut Leaner cut for those who want flavor without the fat of a brisket pot roast.

Brisket Front Cut Perfect for fork-tender pot roast.