Custom Beef Cut Recommendations

A Comprehensive Guide to Tailoring Your Beef Order

Introduction

When purchasing a whole, half, or quarter beef directly from a farmer or rancher, one of the most exciting—and sometimes daunting—tasks is deciding how you would like your beef cut.

Customizing your beef cuts allows you to match your cooking preferences, family size, and culinary ambitions. This guide offers in-depth recommendations and considerations to help you select the perfect assortment of cuts for your freezer and table.

Understanding the Basics of Beef Cutting

Before diving into cut recommendations, it is helpful to understand how a side of beef is divided. The animal is split into large sections called primals. There is a total of nine primals:

1. Chuck – The shoulder section, known for its flavor and suitability for roasts, ground beef, and stews. There tends to be higher fat content in this region.

   • Popular cut options from the Chuck Primal

     • Chuck Steak

     • Chuck Roast

     • Arm Roast or Pot Roast

     • Flatiron Steak

2. Rib – Taken from the butcher beef’s backbone and upper ribs. The rear section of the rib cage is included in the primal rib cut. This area is prized for tenderness and marbling.

   • Popular cut options from the Rib Primal

     • Ribeye Steak (boneless)

     • Rib Steak (bone-in)

     • Back Ribs

     • Prime Rib Roast

3. Loin – This is located just behind the ribs, at the top part of the animal. The cuts from the loin are highly regarded as some of the most tender. Loin cuts are known to be lean, naturally tender, and hold robust flavor.

   • Popular cut options from the Loin Primal

     • Tenderloin Steak (Filet Mignon)

     • Tenderloin Roast

     • New York Strip Steak

     • T-Bone Steak

     • Porterhouse Steak

4. Sirloin – The rear-most cut of the loin region, which comes naturally lean. Sirloin cuts are typically best for grilling or roasting and rarely used for slow cooking.

   • Popular cut options from the Sirloin Primal

     • Tri Tip, Steak

       Tri Tip, Roast

       Petite Sirloin Steak

       Sirloin Tip Steak

       Sirloin Tip Roast

5. Round – The back leg that extends from the rump downward. It is often leaner and used for roasts, steaks, and cube steak. Many inexpensive beef cuts come from this primal due to its lean characteristics and lack of tenderness.

   • Popular cut options from the Round Primal

     • Round Steak

     • Round Roast

     • Top Round

     • Bottom Round

     • Cube Steak

6. Shank – The front and back legs, often leaner and used for roasts, steaks, and cube steak. Because they are heavily exercised muscles the meat is lean and tougher.

   • Popular cut options from the Shank Primal

     • Soup Bones

     • Stew Meat

7. Flank – The flank primal is found on the belly of the animal and includes the Flank Steak, a thin, lean cut of meat. It is also a well exercised muscle, and the meat fibers are tight-grained. Flank steak is boneless and, when trimmed properly, should feature very little fat.

   • Popular cut from the Flank Primal

     • Flank Steak

8. Plate – The abdomen area of the animal, right under the rib primal. Plate cuts often hold a tight grain structure and are fattier than rib cuts.

   • Popular cut options from the Plate Primal

     • Hanger Steak

     • Skirt Steak

     • Short Ribs

9. Brisket – The breast section of the animal under the first five ribs. This is the pointed chest portion of the livestock. This primal contains large amounts of tissue when smoked for long periods of time render into rich gelatin, imparting the juiciness that brisket is known for at barbeques.

   • Popular cut from the Brisket Primal

     • Brisket

Each primal yields various familiar retail cuts, but this does not mean you will receive every single cut a primal can provide. For example, you can obtain Ribeye steaks and Prime Rib roast from the same area because Ribeyes are steak-cut portions of the overall roast.

Therefore, if you order Prime Rib roast there will be no Ribeye steaks available and the same is true if you order Ribeye steaks; there will be no Prime Rib roast. Know what cuts you prefer the most and have a conversation with your butcher to ensure you get the most out of your order!

Determining Your Cuts

Step 1: Assess Your Cooking Style and Preferences

Self-reflection is a valuable tool.

Consider how you typically prepare beef at home:

• Do you love grilling steaks, or do you prefer slow-cooked roasts?

• Are quick weeknight meals your focus, or do you enjoy elaborate, special occasion dishes?

• Do you want a variety of cuts to experiment with new recipes, or do you prefer more ground beef for convenience?

Knowing these answers will help you customize your order to best suit your household.

Step 2: Choose Your Steaks

Steaks are the biggest reason for many custom orders.

Popular steak cuts include:

• Ribeye

  • Richly marbled, tender, and flavorful. Great for grilling or pan-searing.

• New York Strip

  • Cut from the short loin, slightly leaner than Ribeye but still tender and flavorful.

• T-Bone and Porterhouse

  • These steaks combine a strip steak and a portion of tenderloin, separated by a T-shaped bone. The porterhouse has a larger tenderloin section.

• Tenderloin and Filet Mignon

  • The most tender steak, sometimes portioned into medallions. Luxurious but limited in quantity per animal.

• Sirloin

  • Lean, versatile, and affordable. Great for grilling, stir-fries, or kebabs.

• Flank and Skirt Steak

  • Flavorful but tougher; best marinated and grilled or used in fajitas and stir-fries.

• Flat Iron

  • Cut from the chuck; tender and flavorful, suitable for grilling.

Recommendation: If you are a steak lover, request all premium steaks cut to your preferred thickness. Many people prefer between 1 and 1 ½ inch steak cuts. If you rarely cook steaks, consider having some of these cuts used for roasts, kabobs, stir-fries, or ground beef.

Step 3: Roasts — For Slow Cooking and Sharing

Roasts provide hearty meals and leftovers.

Most roast options include:

• Chuck Roast

  • Well-marbled, perfect for pot roast, shredded beef, or slow cookers.

• Arm Roast

  • Similar to chuck, often a bit leaner, excellent for braising.

• Rump Roast

  • From the Round primal, leaner, best cooked low and slow.

• Sirloin Tip Roast

  • Lean but flavorful, suitable for slicing thin for sandwiches.

• Brisket

  • Prized for barbecue, smoking, corned beef, or braising; can be cut in halves or left whole.

Recommendation: Request roast sizes that fit your family’s needs (2-4 pounds is typical for a roast). If you do not use large roasts, ask for them to be cut smaller or cut up for stew meat, ground beef, or cube steaks.

Step 4: Ground Beef and Burger Options

Every beef order leaves behind a significant amount of trim and lean meat, which is ideal for ground beef.

Customization options include:

• Fat Content

  • You can specify lean-to-fat ratio (80/20 is common for burgers; 90/10 for leaner options).

• Packaging Size

  • Standard is 1 to 2-pound packages; choose what fits your meal prep style.

• Specialty Grinds

  • Request some trim for ground round, ground chuck, or even ground brisket for unique flavors.

• Burger Patties

  • Some processors will pre-form burger patties for your convenience, usually for additional cost.

Recommendation: If you cook mostly quick meals, ground beef is invaluable. Specify your preferred package size and fat ratio for best results. We prefer 90 percent beef to 10 percent fat because it maintains good flavor, is still easy to form into burger patties, and results in minimal grease to clean after cooking.

Reminder: A 90/10 versus an 80/20 will affect final yield weight due to tallow quantities. Therefore, if you change your preferences from year-to-year you may have less or more meat than expected due to the addition, or removal, of added tallow to your previous order’s burger packages.

Step 5: Specialty and Lesser-Known Cuts

Maximize your beef order!

Explore less common, but still delicious, options:

• Short Ribs

  • Meaty and flavorful, fantastic braised or slow-cooked.

• Oxtail

  • Gelatin-rich, perfect for soups and stews.

• Soup Bones or Marrow Bones

  • Ideal for broth and bone marrow dishes.

• Shank

  • Tough but flavorful, great for slow braises.

• Tri-Tip

  • Terrific for grilling or roasting whole.

• Brisket Point and Flat

  • Ask to have the brisket separated for different uses.

• Hanger Steak

  • Known as the "butcher’s cut" for its flavor and rarity.

• Heart, Liver, Tongue, and Other Offal

  • If you enjoy organ meats, specify which you prefer saved. Usually, butchers request this information at the time of slaughter so items can be saved from the rest of the entrails.

Conclusion

The type of cuts of meat you want as part of your custom order is not always an easy decision. Assess your household activities, needs, and favorite flavors when eating beef.

Those who prefer barbequing may ask for more burger packages and smokeable cuts. However, if you prefer using a slow cooker you may ask for more roast options. If you are like us on the Hashknife and you tend to sear steak as you listen to that amazing sizzle after a long day, then perhaps those prized steak cuts are the priority for your order.

The cut order is rarely the same from customer to customer. So, know what you want and be precise in your communication to ensure the butcher meets your expectations.

More importantly, if you need assistance just ask the producer for their recommendations. They often have their own cut order and can provide valuable insight to you!