Beef cut chart
Every steak on a menu is really a location on the animal. Muscles the cow barely uses are tender and expensive; muscles it works all day are chewier but far more flavourful. Here is the whole map, in plain English.
Chuck (shoulder)
Front of the animal, the shoulder and neck area.
A hard-working muscle group, so it is packed with beef flavour and sensibly priced. A few muscles hidden inside it are surprisingly tender.
| Steak | Tenderness | Fat | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flat IronSurprisingly tender and great value. | 4/5 | 3/5 | $$ |
| Denver SteakWell-marbled and tender for a shoulder cut. | 4/5 | 4/5 | $$ |
| Chuck EyeRibeye flavor at a fraction of the price. | 3/5 | 4/5 | $ |
Rib
Upper back, between the shoulder and the short loin.
The most marbled part of the animal. Rich, juicy and forgiving to cook — this is where steakhouse showpieces come from.
Short loin
Middle of the back, just behind the ribs.
Barely used by the animal, so it is the tender end of the menu. It holds both the strip muscle and the tenderloin.
| Steak | Tenderness | Fat | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York StripThe balanced classic: beefy but not too fatty. | 4/5 | 3/5 | $$$$ |
| T-BoneStrip and filet in one, split by a T-shaped bone. | 4/5 | 3/5 | $$$$ |
| PorterhouseA bigger T-bone with a much larger filet side. | 4/5 | 3/5 | $$$$$ |
Tenderloin
Tucked under the spine, running through the short loin and sirloin.
The softest muscle on the animal and the leanest premium cut. Tender rather than beefy, and priced accordingly.
| Steak | Tenderness | Fat | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Filet MignonThe most tender steak, mild and lean. | 5/5 | 2/5 | $$$$$ |
Sirloin
The hip, behind the short loin.
The middle ground: real beef flavour, moderate tenderness and everyday prices. Home of several grill favourites.
Flank
The belly, below the loin.
Lean, grainy and strongly beefy. Best cooked quickly and sliced thin across the grain.
| Steak | Tenderness | Fat | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flank SteakLean and intensely beefy, always sliced thin. | 2/5 | 2/5 | $$ |
Plate and diaphragm
Underneath the ribs.
Loose-textured, deeply flavoured cuts that butchers have always kept for themselves. Great value, best on a very hot grill.
| Steak | Tenderness | Fat | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skirt SteakThe most intensely beefy cut, best cooked fast. | 2/5 | 3/5 | $$ |
| Hanger SteakDeeply savory with a soft, loose texture. | 3/5 | 3/5 | $$$ |
Round (rear leg)
The back leg.
Very lean and firm. Usually turned into roasts, minute steaks or deli beef rather than steakhouse steaks.
No steakhouse steaks in this section — it rarely reaches a steak menu.