Shipley Farms cut guide
The Beef Cut Chart
Pick any part of the animal to see the cuts that come from it, what each one is good for, and how to cook it.
“And I can't prove this, but muscles that get used, get flavor and muscles that don't get used, stay tender.”
Gray Shipley, Shipley Farms
That is the whole chart in one idea. Muscles that worked hard, in the shoulder, chest and legs, carry flavor and connective tissue, and they reward low heat and time. Muscles that barely moved, along the back, are tender, and they want high heat and not much of it.
What are you cooking?
- 1Chuck
- 2Rib
- 3Short loin
- 4Sirloin
- 5Round
- 6Brisket
- 7Short plate
- 8Flank
- 9Shank
- 10Tongue
- 11Oxtail
- 12Whole animal
Tap the drawing or a name. Tap a filter to see which cuts suit what you are cooking.
Cuts
Start here
Pick a part of the animal
Each part shows how hard the muscle worked, the cuts that come from it, what makes each one worth buying, and how to cook it. Every cut links to the product and to a longer guide.
- Tenderness: how easily it cuts once cooked the right way.
- Flavor: how much beef taste it brings on its own.
- Value: how much eating you get for the money.
All three are a cook's rough guide on a scale of 1 to 5, not lab measurements.
1 · The shoulder and neck
Chuck
The best value on the animal. Most of the chuck braises into pot roast, but it also hides three steaks that eat far above their price.
- Tenderness
- 2 out of 5
- Flavor
- 5 out of 5
- Value
- 5 out of 5
- How hard it worked: Hard, all day. The shoulder holds up the head and the whole front end.
- Cook it: BraiseSlow cookerSmokerGrill the steaks
Cuts from the chuck
Chuck RoastAlso called pot roast
The best-value roast on the animal. Marbled and full of connective tissue that melts into gelatin after a few hours of gentle heat.
Best cooked: Braise, slow cooker or smoker
Read: Chuck Roast vs Pot Roast: What Is the Difference?Brisket vs Chuck Roast: Which Should You Cook?Sunday Chuck Roast
Chuck Eye Steak
Cut where the chuck meets the rib. It is the same long muscle that becomes the ribeye a few inches back, with much of its marbling for less.
Best cooked: Grill or cast iron, medium rare
Read: Chuck Eye vs Ribeye: Is It Really the Poor Man's Ribeye?Denver Steak vs Chuck Eye: What Is the Difference?
Denver SteakAlso called underblade steak
From under the shoulder blade, one of the most marbled muscles in the chuck. Tender enough to grill, with a deep, beefy flavor.
Best cooked: Grill or sear, then slice across the grain
Read: Denver Steak vs Chuck Eye: What Is the Difference?Denver Steak vs Flat Iron: What Is the Difference?
Flat Iron SteakAlso called top blade steak
From the top of the shoulder blade. With the seam of gristle down its middle taken out, it is one of the most tender steaks on the animal.
Best cooked: Grill or cast iron, medium rare
Read: Flat Iron Steak vs Flank Steak: What's the Difference?Denver Steak vs Flat Iron: What Is the Difference?
“I go for the lesser-known cuts. But to me, I'm more interested in things like the flat iron and the chuck eye and the bavette steak that people know a little bit less about.”
Gray Shipley, Shipley Farms
2 · The upper back, ribs six to twelve
Rib
Where the marbling lives. Fat threaded through the muscle melts as it cooks, which is why a ribeye forgives a minute too long.
- Tenderness
- 4 out of 5
- Flavor
- 5 out of 5
- Value
- 2 out of 5
- How hard it worked: Barely. These muscles run along the spine and carry very little load.
- Cook it: GrillCast ironReverse searRoast
Cuts from the rib
Ribeye Steak
The steak most people mean when they say steak. Rich, juicy and forgiving, with a marbled eye and a flavorful cap around it.
Best cooked: Grill or cast iron
Read: Ribeye vs Strip vs Filet: Which Steak Should You Buy?Sirloin vs Ribeye: Which Steak Should You Buy?How to Reverse-Sear Steak
Standing Rib RoastAlso called prime rib
The bone-in rib roast that becomes prime rib. The bones shield the meat as it roasts, and it is carved at the table.
Best cooked: Low oven, then a hot finish
Read: Standing Rib Roast vs Prime Rib: Are They the Same?How to Reverse-Sear a Roast
Whole Boneless Ribeye
The whole rib, boned. Cut your own steaks as thick as you like, or roast it whole.
Best cooked: Cut into steaks, or roast whole
Read: Roast Beef for a Crowd
“We run out of those at Christmas, but our flagship, we call it our Huston ribeye. It's named after my granddad's uncle Huston. He was the proprietor of the farm until 1929.”
Gray Shipley, Shipley Farms
3 · The middle of the back
Short Loin
Two famous muscles side by side: the strip on top and the tenderloin underneath. Cut straight through the bone, they become a T-bone or a porterhouse.
- Tenderness
- 5 out of 5
- Flavor
- 3 out of 5
- Value
- 1 out of 5
- How hard it worked: Least of all. The most tender steaks on the animal come from here.
- Cook it: GrillPan searButter baste
Cuts from the short loin
Strip SteakAlso called New York strip
Firm, even grain, clean beef flavor and a fat cap along one edge. Tighter than a ribeye and juicier than a filet.
Best cooked: Grill or cast iron
Read: How to Grill a New York Strip SteakRibeye vs Strip vs Filet: Which Steak Should You Buy?
Filet Mignon and Tenderloin
The most tender muscle on the animal, and the leanest. It brings texture more than flavor, so it loves butter, salt and a hard sear. The tenderloin runs on back into the sirloin.
Best cooked: Sear hot, finish gently; roast the whole tenderloin
Shop Filet mignonShop Dry-aged filet mignonShop Whole tenderloinShop Dry-aged whole tenderloinShop Filet tips and tailsRead: Beef Tenderloin vs Filet Mignon: What Is the Difference?How to Cook Filet Mignon: Grill or Cast IronHow to Cook a Whole Beef Tenderloin
T-Bone and Porterhouse
Strip on one side of the bone, tenderloin on the other: two steaks in one. The porterhouse is cut further back, where the tenderloin is bigger.
Best cooked: Grill, with the tenderloin side away from the hottest fire
Read: How to Grill Steak
Whole Strip Loin
The whole muscle, for cutting a stack of strip steaks at home.
Best cooked: Cut into steaks, or roast whole
4 · The hip, between the loin and the round
Sirloin
The best balance of flavor, tenderness and price. The top sirloin grills like a steak; the bottom sirloin gives the tri-tip and the bavette.
- Tenderness
- 3 out of 5
- Flavor
- 4 out of 5
- Value
- 4 out of 5
- How hard it worked: Moderately. Tender enough to grill, worked enough to taste of something.
- Cook it: GrillReverse searSmokerMarinate
Cuts from the sirloin
Top Sirloin Steak
Lean, beefy and easy to like. A weeknight steak that takes a marinade or plain salt and pepper equally well.
Best cooked: Grill or cast iron
Read: Sirloin vs Ribeye: Which Steak Should You Buy?Dry-Aged Sirloin with Chimichurri
PicanhaAlso called coulotte or sirloin cap
A thick cap of fat on top bastes the meat as it cooks. The cut the Brazilian steakhouse is built on.
Best cooked: Grill fat side first, or roast whole
Read: How to Cook PicanhaPicanha vs Tri-Tip: What Is the Difference?Picanha vs Top Sirloin: What Is the Difference?
Tri-Tip
A triangle from the bottom sirloin. It cooks like a steak and slices like a roast: the Santa Maria barbecue classic.
Best cooked: Smoke or grill, then slice across the grain
Read: Picanha vs Tri-Tip: What Is the Difference?Best Beef Cuts for Smoking
Bavette SteakAlso called sirloin flap
Loose, open grain that drinks up a marinade. Sear it hard and slice it thin across the grain.
Best cooked: Marinate, sear hot, slice thin
“And I think people enjoy kind of getting to figure out what am I supposed to do with a sirloin tip? What am I supposed to do with a picanha or a tri-tip? You know, I get to go learn and experiment in the kitchen some and figure out how to cook something.”
Gray Shipley, Shipley Farms
5 · The rear leg
Round
Big, lean muscles with very little fat. Cook them no further than medium rare and slice them thin, or give them time in liquid. Eye of round, top round and sirloin tip come from here too, and make the leanest roasts on the animal.
- Tenderness
- 2 out of 5
- Flavor
- 3 out of 5
- Value
- 5 out of 5
- How hard it worked: Hard. These muscles walked the animal everywhere it went.
- Cook it: MarinateBroilSlice thinRoast
Cuts from the round
London Broil
A thick, lean steak from the round, made to be marinated, broiled hot and sliced thin across the grain.
Best cooked: Marinate, broil, slice thin
Read: Best Beef Cuts for Steak SandwichesWhy Is My Steak Tough?
6 · The chest
Brisket
The most rewarding cut on the animal and the least forgiving. A whole brisket is two muscles, the lean flat and the fatty point, joined by a seam of fat.
- Tenderness
- 1 out of 5
- Flavor
- 5 out of 5
- Value
- 4 out of 5
- How hard it worked: Very hard. The chest muscles take the animal's weight every time it stands up or lies down.
- Cook it: SmokerBraiseLow oven
Cuts from the brisket
Whole BrisketAlso called a packer brisket
Flat and point together. Long, low heat turns all that connective tissue to gelatin, and the fat keeps it moist the whole way.
Best cooked: Smoke low and slow, or braise
Read: How to Smoke a BrisketWhy Did My Brisket Stall?Brisket vs Chuck Roast: Which Should You Cook?
“Love a good, well-done brisket. Not well done, but done well.”
Gray Shipley, Shipley Farms
7 · The belly, below the rib
Short Plate
Big flavor in thin cuts. The plate gives the skirt steak for fajitas, the hanger, and the short ribs for braising.
- Tenderness
- 3 out of 5
- Flavor
- 5 out of 5
- Value
- 4 out of 5
- How hard it worked: A mix. The breathing muscles work constantly; the rib ends below carry fat and flavor.
- Cook it: Live fireFajitasBraise
Cuts from the short plate
Short Ribs
Thick meat on a length of rib bone. Braised in wine or stock they turn silky and slide off the bone. Short ribs are also cut from the chuck.
Best cooked: Braise or smoke
Read: Braised Short Ribs in Red WineShort Ribs vs Chuck Short Rib: What Is the Difference?
Skirt SteakAlso called fajita steak
Long, thin and loose-grained, with more beef flavor per bite than almost anything else. Outside skirt is the thicker of the two.
Best cooked: Very hot and very fast, then slice across the grain
Read: Hanger vs Skirt vs Flank: The Thin Steaks ComparedBest Beef Cuts for Tacos
Hanger Steak
Only one per animal, hanging from the diaphragm. A deep, almost mineral flavor; the French bistro steak.
Best cooked: Sear hot to medium rare, slice across the grain
8 · The belly, below the loin
Flank
One long, flat, lean steak with a grain you can see. Marinate it, sear it hot, and always slice it thin across the grain.
- Tenderness
- 2 out of 5
- Flavor
- 4 out of 5
- Value
- 4 out of 5
- How hard it worked: Moderately. A lean, long-fibered belly muscle.
- Cook it: MarinateSearStir-frySlice thin
Cuts from the flank
Flank Steak
Lean and full-flavored, with long fibers that show you exactly which way to slice. Made for stir-fry, fajitas and steak salad.
Best cooked: Marinate, sear hot, slice thin
Read: Bavette vs Flank Steak: What Is the Difference?Flat Iron Steak vs Flank Steak: What's the Difference?Best Beef Cuts for Stir-Fry, and How to Slice Them
“I like to sell the filets and the ribeyes and then eat the more lesser-known secondary cuts myself.”
Gray Shipley, Shipley Farms
9 · The lower legs, front and back
Shank
More collagen than anything else on the animal. Hours of gentle heat turn it into rich, sticky meat and a broth that sets like jelly when it cools.
- Tenderness
- 1 out of 5
- Flavor
- 5 out of 5
- Value
- 5 out of 5
- How hard it worked: Constantly. Every step the animal takes.
- Cook it: BraiseSoupPressure cooker
Cuts from the shank
Osso BucoAlso called cross-cut shank
A thick slice of shank with the marrow bone in the middle. Braise it until the meat falls away, then eat the marrow.
Best cooked: Braise for hours
10 · The head
Tongue
Simmered for a few hours and peeled, tongue is one of the most tender meats on the animal. Sliced and crisped, it is the filling for tacos de lengua.
- Tenderness
- 4 out of 5
- Flavor
- 4 out of 5
- Value
- 5 out of 5
- How hard it worked: All day. A grazing animal's tongue never stops.
- Cook it: SimmerThen sear
Shop and cook it
Beef Tongue
Simmer it, peel it, slice it. Mild, rich and very tender once cooked.
Best cooked: Simmer, then slice and sear
Read: A Guide to Beef Offal
11 · The tail
Oxtail
Bone, collagen and rich meat in every segment. Braised, it makes one of the deepest stews and soups there is.
- Tenderness
- 1 out of 5
- Flavor
- 5 out of 5
- Value
- 4 out of 5
- How hard it worked: Constantly, swatting flies.
- Cook it: BraiseSoup
Shop and cook it
Oxtail
Gelatin-rich segments that give a stew or soup real body.
Best cooked: Braise or simmer for hours
12 · Ground beef, offal, bones and fat
The Whole Animal
Using the whole animal means the trim, the organs, the bones and the fat all have a job.
- Cook it: BurgersFryRoastSimmer
Shop and cook it
Ground Beef and Burgers
Made from the trim of the cuts above. The everyday workhorse, and the easiest way to feed a crowd.
Best cooked: Burgers, meatballs, chili, sauce
Beef Liver
Mild when it is cooked quickly and not a second longer. The classic is liver and onions.
Best cooked: Quick sear, still pink inside
Beef Heart
A hard-working muscle that cooks like a lean steak. Slice, marinate and grill it on skewers.
Best cooked: Marinate, grill hot
Read: Beef Heart Skewers
Beef Kidney
Strong flavored, and the heart of a steak and kidney pie.
Best cooked: Soak, then braise or pie
Read: A Guide to Beef Offal
Marrow Bones
Canoe-cut halves. Roast them hot and spread the marrow on toast.
Best cooked: Roast hot, cut side up
Broth Bones
For stock and bone broth that sets when it cools.
Best cooked: Roast, then simmer for hours
Read: Stock, Broth and Bone Broth: What Is the Difference?What to Do With Beef Bones
Beef TallowAlso called rendered beef fat
For frying, searing and roasting potatoes. Stable at high heat.
Best cooked: Fry, sear, roast
Read: What Is Beef Tallow? Rendered Beef Fat, ExplainedHow to Cook With Beef Tallow, Including Frying
Gray, on what to fry in
“It may be lard, but if it's not lard, it has to be tallow.”
Gray Shipley, Shipley Farms
Want a freezer full of these?
A beef share is a published list of cuts from across the animal, for one price, so you know exactly what you are getting before you order.
Written by Shipley Farms in Vilas, North Carolina, where the beef is cut and packed on the farm. Every quote is Gray Shipley, in his own words. The tenderness, flavor and value marks are a cook's rough guide, not lab measurements. For safe cooking temperatures, see FoodSafety.gov.