Flank
Outside Skirt
Inside Skirt
Cuts by Colour Guide
Variety is beef’s strength—with each cut having its own star quality, the options for making memorable meals with Canadian Beef are many.
Click on the coloured parts of the animal to learn more about the various beef cuts and their descriptions.
Flank and Plate
Flank
This cut is generated from the primal flank. It is an oval plate-shaped muscle.
Outside Skirt
This cut is a thin, rectangular, slightly dark, and a coarse muscle. It is situated across across the ribs which extend from the end of brisket to the lumbar bone.
Inside Skirt
This cut is a thick muscle and looks similar to, but wider and bigger, than the outside skirt. It is usually offered with the skin off and is practically free of fat.
Hanging Tender
Chuck
Chuck Roll
Chuck Short Rib
Chuck Tail Flat
Boneless Top Blade
Pectoral
Shoulder Clod
Chuck cuts such as Cross Rib, Blade and Short Ribs are a favourite for hearty fare like stews, curries and pulled beef. These cuts have bold beef flavour and coarse texture that becomes fork-tender when cooked with slow heat in a braising liquid such as broth or wine to make a luscious sauce. There are some exceptions to this rule-of-thumb such as Petite Tender and Flat Iron which are good for dry-heat cooking like grilling, pan-frying or slow oven-roasting.
Chuck Roll
This cut is generated from the blade portion of square cut chuck. The clod, and chuck tender are removed.
Chuck Short Rib
This cut is generated from rib bones of the primal chuck. It includes 4 ribs.
Chuck Tail Flat
The chuck flap tail is generated from the separation of the chuck eye roll from the chuck roll.
Boneless Top Blade
Pectoral
This muscle cut is separated from the shoulder clod and round bone by cutting through the natural seam. Individual cuts from this subprimal are Beef Stew Cubes and Marinating Strips.
Brisket and Shank
Brisket
Fore Shank
With big beef flavour and coarse grain texture, these cuts are a favourite in slow-cooked dishes like smoked brisket, corned beef, pulle d beef and Osso Buco. Brisket is a constant in Jewish cuisine for special occasions and has become popular for home smoking. Good for traditional braising or pressure cooking.
Brisket
This boneless cut is generated from the Brisket primal bone-in cut which is generated from the separation of the plate between the 5th and 6th rib. There are two additional cuts generated from the boneless brisket cut, the Deckle and Point.
Hip (Round)
Sirloin Tip
Eye of Round
Hind Shank
Outside Round
Inside Round
These beef cuts are some of the leanest with moderate tenderness and good beefy flavour. Marinate steaks or kabob cubes before grilling or pan-frying. Slow-roast larger portions with dry-oven heat and carve into thin slices for the most tender juicy roast beef.
Sirloin Tip
This cut is separated from the inside round and the outside round from the hip primal. This sub-primal can also be known as Beef Round Knuckle. The two most popular retail cuts for this sub-primal are the Sirloin Tip Oven Roast and Sirloin Tip Marinating Steak. Click on each cut to learn more.
Eye of Round
This cut is a cylindrical-shaped, single muscle inside the hind leg.
Hind Shank
The Bone-in Hind Shank is located in the lower hip region and is tougher in nature due to the constant use of the leg muscle. This cut is perfect for slow and low cooking applications such as stewing or braising.
Inside Round
Inside Round Marinating Medallion
Inside Round Marinating Steak
Inside Round Minute Steak
Marinating Stir-Fry Strips
Inside Round Oven Roast
This boneless portion of the round located inside of the leg is separated from the outside round by cutting lengthwise along the natural seam. This cut is also called top round or topside.
Sirloin and Loin
Bottom Sirloin Flap
Bottom Sirloin Ball Tip
Bottom Sirloin Tri Tip
Strip Loin
Top Sirloin Cap Off
Tenderloin
Short Loin
These ever-tender, premium beef cuts are familiar to most – think Tenderloin, Strip Loin or Top Sirloin for example. Steaks can be cooked quickly by grilling or skillet searing on the stovetop. Slow roast larger portions with dry-oven heat for tender juicy roast beef.
Bottom Sirloin Flap
This cut is the single muscle on the inner surface of the bottom sirloin butt.
Bottom Sirloin Ball Tip
Bottom Sirloin Tri Tip
This cut is a muscle portion of bottom sirloin butt. The boneless tip is separated from the ball tip and the flap meat through the natural seam.
Top Sirloin Cap Off
Top Sirloin Cap Grilling Steak
Top Sirloin Oven Roast
Top Sirloin Cap Oven Roast
Top Sirloin Grilling Steak
This cut is generated from the top sirloin butt after the removal of the cap.
Short Loin
This is the portion of the short loin from which the tenderloin is removed.
Rib
Rib Eye
Rib
Beef Short Rib (7 bones)
Oven Ready Rib
Prime Rib, Tomahawk and Rib Eye are familiar cuts from the rib, with good beef flavour, typically more interior fat and moderate grain texture. When served on the bone, especially as Beef Back Ribs, these cuts are impressive, taking centre-stage at the table. For tender juicy steaks and roasts cook with dry-heat cooking methods like grilling and oven roasting.
Rib
This is the portion of the front quarter which is separated from the chuck and the brisket.
Beef Short Rib (7 bones)
Short ribs are generated from the primal rib after separation of prime rib. This is the rib end portion of the rib and plate.
Oven Ready Rib
This cut is generated from the primal rib. The short ribs are removed. Individual cuts from this subprimal are Prime Rib Oven Roast and Prime Rib Grilling Steak.
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