Grill Maestro

There are basically eight cuts of meat on a cow and every part of the cow outside the head, tail and legs will make it’s way into the beef we eat (the rest make it into Taco Bell’s burritos, just kidding!). Those eight major cuts, including the various parts within that cut, are:

Chuck - Pot Roast, Short Ribs, Top Blade Steak, Mock Tender, Ground
Breast and Foreshank - Corned Beef, Crosscut Shank, Brisket, Ground
Rib - Rib Eye Roast, Rib Eye, Back Ribs
Plate - Ground
Short Loin - T-Bone, Porterhouse, Tenderloin Steaks
Flank - Flank Steak, Skirt Steak, Steak Rolls
Sirloin - Sirloin Steaks
Round - Tip Steak, Rump Roast, Round Steak, Round Roast

The best cuts of meat are closer to the head and the top of the cow. As you move backwards and downward, the meat is typically tougher because there is more lean muscle (especially near the rear of the animal). Unless you eat a lot of beef (or overcook your meat), you may not even be able to tell the difference!

There are also three grades of beef: Prime, Choice, and Select.
Prime has a higher fat content (and thus less meat) and usually found at meatmarkets, instead of a supermarket. Choice and Select are the grades of beef you’ll find at a supermarket, not as pretty as Prime cuts but Choice is juicier and more tender than Select cuts. Remember that these grades are a little subjective. For more information grades of beef, please read this introduction to the USDA grading system.