Cuts of Beef

The tenderness of a cut of beef depends on what part of the cow it comes from. The cow is divided into different areas, called primal cuts. The illustration shown here identifies the primal cuts of beef. The primal cuts are then further divided to make the market-ready cuts that appear in retail stores or ground to make ground beef. The rest of this guide covers the primal beef cuts in detail, providing illustrations of the market-ready cuts taken from each primal cut and explaining the best cooking methods for each market-ready cut.