British Beef is some of the best in the world and worth the effort put into it by farmers and butchers alike. We live on the edge of my in-law’s beef farm often with our four-legged neighbours’ peeking over the fence eyeing up the lawn as a tasty treat. Our animals are a limousine crosses which produces a beast suitable for the economics of a small farm. The breeds which get the most press are Aberdeen Angus., Longhorn, White Park, Dexter, and Highland. The breed will dictate the configuration of the carcase and the size of the joints produced.
Fore Rib – Sirloin – Filet – Rump – T Bone – Wing Rib – Topside – Silverside- leg of Mutton Cut – Brisket – Shin – Oxtail
However, don’t get overly would up solely by the breed of the beef you are using. Producing a great piece of meat is a partnership between the farmer and butcher. Each party needs to play their part and take an interest in the others requirements. It’s possible that an everyday breed well fed and looked after. Then slaughtered with care and then properly aged and butchered will be superior to a headline breed badly produced.
Below is a guide to the most common cuts of beef and how to cook them. It’s important to use the right cut for the cooking method you want to use and visa versa. If you’re not sure ask the butcher for his advice and don’t be afraid to try something new.
Make sure to read our understanding meat pages to get a better insight into why certain cooking methods suit some cuts better than others. For further information on Scottish beef look up Quality Meat Scotland where you can also download their guide to Scotch Beef.
Everybody has a personal preference in the meat they enjoy. Your main criteria may be tenderness, ease of cooking, or flavour.
For me, I go for flavour so: –
Best Steak – Rib Eye.
The Beefiest Beef – Oxtail
Best Celebration Roast – Fore Rib
Best Family Sunday Roast – Sirloin
Premium Roasting joints and Steaks (dry cooking methods)
Fore Rib.
This is the beef equivalent of rack of lamb, located between the shoulder and middle back. It’s a large so great for family get togethers. The joint has a good proportion of intermuscular fat which, when well-conditioned, results in the real flavour and texture of beef. Undoubtedly a premium cut but worth every penny. When full trimmed back to the main muscle eye it gives one of the best steaks available: rib eye.
Cooking: As a roast there is none better though it’s more difficult to cook than sirloin. Don’t undercook too much – if you like your beef rare go for wing rib. The rib eye steaks, by far and away the best BBQ steak on the planet.
Sirloin.
This describes the lower middle of the animal’s back. It can be used on or off the bone as a roast but more often nowadays it’s seen as a premium steak. The sirloin is a single muscle with good marbling and a nice cover of fat on the outside. It benefits from good maturation which results in tenderness and developed flavour. For the absolute best roast ask for the sirloin on the bone if your carving skills are up to it.
Cooking: Sirloin is the best bet for an easy home roast beef and it’s great served cold. Char grill the steaks and lightly rub with a bruised garlic clove. For something, a bit different try a smoke roast on a kettle barbecue.
Fillet.
There are two fillets per animal (one on each side), located in the lumbar region beneath the backbone, on the opposite side of the bone to the sirloin. The fillet does extraordinarily little work so is very tender and also very low in fat hence it has a delicate, light flavour and will benefit from good hanging. Almost no external fat is present so marbling through the meat is essential to avoid dryness.
Cooking: Best suited to quick cooking but a successful roast can be obtained using the head or thick centre section. This is by far the tenderest cut on the carcass, but it is also the most subtle in flavour. This tenderness makes it ideal for serving underdone or even raw in a carpaccio or steak tartare. For steaks, pan fry them in olive oil with a little butter added halfway through cooking. Don’t cook them any more than medium and avoid too strong a sauce. It can be a toasting joint but may dry out if overdone, also works well quickly char grilled.
T Bone steak.
A slice taken across the bone in sirloin with the fillet still attached. The T bone is the shape of the bone between the two steaks comprising of the split spine bone. The flank is left on the sirloin and curled around the filet to protect it.
Cooking. Can be fried but char grilling is by far the best method. The steak need care to cook the fat through without overcooking the lean meat.
Wing rib.
Sits between the sirloin and fore rib. Some butchers cut the sirloin longer leaving the wing rib split between the wing rib between the two joints. It’s a leaner thinner version of the fore rib, ideal if you don’t like as much fat, but because of that has a little less flavour.
Cooking: makes a nice roast for smaller groups, but I have mainly used it to produce beef cutlets. Looks the same as a lamb cutlet but supersized. Serve char grilled as a joint for two people.
Rump (or ‘pope’s eye’ if your north of the border)
Located at the base of the spine where the back joins onto the leg. This cut is made up of a few muscles and is usually cut into thick steaks, though it can also be seam cut into individual muscles and then portioned. This is a full-flavored steak when properly matured and has more texture than the fillet. Cheapest of the ‘premium’ steaks.
Cooking: A great steak for the barbecue as you get good flavour from the meat, and it will take a marinade well.
Cuts for wet or dry cooking methods.
Topside
From the hind quarter, an economical boneless roast of acceptable quality when prepared correctly from good meat. This is a lean cut with reasonable texture and flavour. Also good for braising, minute steaks, and for curing as in salt beef or bresaola.
Cooking: Topside is a lean meat that can dry out easily, so if it’s being roasted any over cooking or reheating can leave it appearing to be tough. It’s better as a pot roast with plenty of vegetables to make a full flavoured sauce.
Silverside
Again, from the hindquarter of the animal and sits between the rump and leg. It can have good flavour but is coarser in texture. It takes its name from the shiny silvery membrane covering its surface.
Cooking, it’s mostly used for braising steaks or diced meat. The classic cut for boiled beef and carrots it will make a decent slow cooked pot roast. If you find your canteen serving very thinly sliced roast beef covered in gravy, its likely to be silverside.
Secondary joints, wet cooking, braising, stewing.
Feather Blade
It sits on the side of the shoulder blade and when sliced looks like a feather with the nerve like the quill. Cut like this it is good for casseroles. However, if the nerve is removed it gives two flat muscles that are very lean with a good flavour and firm texture. These are also good for daubes and casseroles but also for flash frying. Excellent value for money but need to be well trimmed.
Cooking: Brilliant slow cooked, or in a curry. Can also be char grilled very rare and thinly sliced for a Thai style salad or sandwich.
Leg of mutton cut
Taken from the shoulder, it’s typically sliced for braising steak or cubed for casseroles and the like. Occasionally used as an economy flash-fry steak or to make beef olives. Can also be used as an economical roast when properly de-nerved, but because this is a lean cut it will require barding with fat and lots of basting
Cooking: Braise in red wine with shallots and parsnips.
Brisket
From the breast area, the brisket is typically boned and rolled allowing it to be trimmed of any excess fat. It’s not best suited for quick cooking methods but responds well to slow cooking and is a very economical cut. Brisket is also a popular choice for making salt or pickled beef.
Cooking: A cheap source of good eating – five hours in a slow cooker and it is butter tender with great flavour. Do give it a try.
Shin (or ‘Hough’)
Shin has a high amount of nerve and connective tissue, but when correctly cooked results in a tender, hearty stew with that glutinous attribute we all long for in comfort food. This can be sold whole, sliced, or cubed and occasionally sliced on the bone similar to osso Bucco.
Cooking: The cut to use for a good deep sauce. Try cooking in chicken stock with red wine and tomato to make knockout gravy and keep the meat to make a steak pie for the family. Great eating buts needs work to get the best from it.
Oxtail
Have your butcher trim well and joint ready to go. Oxtail will respond wonderfully to long slow cooking resulting in a gelatinous meat full of flavour that falls effortlessly off the bone. This is real comfort food and considering there’s only one per animal it’s good value too.
Cooking: My personal favourite, I braise mine with onions, garlic, and roots. Stain after a couple of hours the add more vegetables to serve with the meat and finish the cooking. You can try serving the meat off the bone for your less adventurous guest or get the butcher to bone and stuff the tail. Then braise whole and serve as a joint.
There’s plenty there for you to try and my biggest tip, is don’t stick to the same old steaks or joint. Experiment, try something different particularly the lesser known cuts. You will be pleasantly surprised and might save a little money as well.
Enjoy Life,
John