Beef, Pork, and Chicken Cuts & Cooking Tips

Image - Beef Cuts & Cooking Tips

Beef Cuts & Cooking Tips

  1. Chuck - Beef chuck is most often cut into roasts or steaks or can be ground. Roasts are best when slow cooked while steaks can be grilled, broiled, or cooked in a skillet. Try our Cola Chili con Carne!
  2. Brisket - Brisket comes in flats or points. Both are best when slow cooked. Try our Beer-Braised Beef Brisket!
  3. Rib - The ribeye can be cut into roasts or steaks. Steaks are best prepared on a grill, broiled or cooked in a skillet. Roasts are best when slow cooked. Try our Beef Ribeye Roast with Herb Shallot Sauce!
  4. Plate - This includes Short Ribs, Skirt Steaks, and is often used for making ground beef. This cut is best braised.
  5. Short Loin - This cut of beef includes Porterhouse, T-Bone, and Strip Steaks. These cuts are best grilled. Try our Greek-Seasoned T-Bone Steaks!
  6. Flank - This cut includes Flank Steaks and London Broil and can be grilled, pan-fried, broiled, or braised.
  7. Sirloin - This portion is cut into steaks and roasts and can be grilled, broiled, or braised.
  8. Tenderloin - This cut of beef can be cut into roasts or steaks and is good for grilling and roasting. Try our Steak and Black Bean Salad!
  9. Top Sirloin - Top Sirloin is cut into steaks and can be prepared by grilling, broiling, sautéeing, or pan-frying. Try our Grilled Citrus Spiced Steak Kabob Salad!
  10. Bottom Sirloin - This cut is less tender than the Top Sirloin and can be cut into roasts or steaks. It is best prepared roasted or braised.
  11. Round - Round steaks are best prepared by moist-heat methods such as braising. It is also commonly ground.
  12. Shanks - Beef Shanks are best used in soups or stews when cooked a long time in moist-heat.
Image - Pork Cuts & Cooking Tips

Pork Cuts & Cooking Tips

  1. Jowl - Often called jowl bacon, this cut can be fried and eaten or used as a seasoning in soups and stews.
  2. Shoulder - The pork shoulder contains cuts such as Blade Steaks, Boston Butt Roasts. These cuts are best slow cooked or roasted.
  3. Rack - This portion contains cuts such as Country Style Ribs and Baby Back Ribs. These are best roasted or grilled. Try our Carolina Country Style Ribs. 
  4. Loin - The loin is cut into boneless and bone-in roasts and chops. These cuts are best roasted, braised, or grilled. Try our Apricot-Mustard Grilled Pork Tenderloin!
  5. Sirloin - The sirloin is cut into roast and chops and is best roasted or grilled.
  6. Ham - Hams are most often sold cured, but can be found uncured. Some are sold ready to eat and others require oven roasting before serving. Try our Anytime Ham and Cheese Frittata!
  7. Belly - Pork belly can be sold fresh for frying or braising or cured as bacon.
  8. Spare Ribs - Spare ribs are sold in slabs and are great for roasting or grilling.
  9. Arm Shoulder - The arm shoulder is often sold as Picnic Roasts or ground for Ground Pork or Sausage. Try our All-Star Pork Meatballs!
  10. Hocks - Ham hocks are great for seasoning in soups and stews. They are often sold smoked.
Image - Chicken Cuts & Cooking Tips

Chicken Cuts & Cooking Tips

  1. Breast - Most often sold in bone-in, boneless, and tenderloin forms. Great for grilling, baking, and frying. Try our recipe for Cheesy Chicken Tortilla Soup!
  2. Leg - Dark meat best for roasting, broiling, grilling, and braising.
  3. Thigh - Sold bone-in or boneless this is an economical cut of dark meat good for roasting, broiling, grilling, and braising.
  4. Wing - Great for roasting, broiling, grilling, and braising. They make a great party food.