Beef Cuts Explained
Rib	Tender and flavorful ribs can be cooked any number of ways. Most recipes call for ribs to be smoked, roasted, sautéed, pan-fried, broiled, or grilled.
Rib Roast	Known as a standing rib roast (bone left in), or without the bone for convenient slicing. Excellent when dry roasted. A seven-bone prime rib roast can be quite a hefty addition to the dinner table. It is great for a crowd, but for a small family a bone roast will do. Many butchers will cut a roast to order for you.
Short Loin	This area boasts extremely tender cuts and can be prepared without the aid of moist heat or long cooking times. Cuts from the short loin may be sautéed, pan fried, broiled, pan broiled or grilled.
Tenderloin	Often considered the most tender cut of beef; responds well to sauces, meaning the meat does not overpower the flavor of the sauce. It can be cut as the whole strip, or into individual steaks for filet mignon.
Rib Eye	Cut from the rib section, these are extremely tender steaks.
New York Strip	One of the more elegent cuts. This steak is excellent on the grill with just salt and pepper or a light marinade.
T-bone Steak	Cut from the middle section of the short loin; similar to the porterhouse steak; has a smaller piece of the tenderloin; usually grilled or pan-fried.
Sirloin	These tender cuts respond well to sautéing, pan-frying, broiling, pan-broiling or grilling.
Sirloin Steaks	These steaks are available in a variety of boneless and bone-in steaks.
Sirloin Tip Roast	Excellent when dry roasted or marinated.
Flank Steak	This steak has a great flavor, and should be sliced thin against the grain for maximum chewability. Use to make the classic London broil.
Short Plate	This section is best used for stew meat, where its rich, beefy flavor can be appreciated.
Round	The round consists of lean meat well-suited to long, moist cooking methods.
Top Round	This is the most tender part of the round; it can be prepared as pot roast or cut into thick steaks for braised dishes.
Rump Roast	A very popular cut for pot roast, but can also be roasted at low temperatures.
Chuck Meat	is basically muscle, and the chuck happens to be a heavily exercised area. Luckily, this area contains a great deal of connective tissue, including collagen. Collagen melts during cooking, making the meat intensely flavorful. Cuts from this area benefit from slow, wet cooking methods like stewing, braising or pot-roasting.
Chuck Steak	A good choice for kabobs if well marinated
Shank/Brisket	Traditionally used for corned beef, brisket is best prepared with moist heat. Suitable preparation methods include stewing, braising and pot-roasting but most notably smoked for excellent Bar-B-Que.
Foreshank	Excellent stew meat.