Primal Cuts of Beef

There is a total of (8) Primal cuts of beef and within each of those cuts are sub-primal cuts. The sub-primal cuts are portions of beef that you would find in the grocery store like steaks, roasts and ground beef. Each of these sub-primal cuts are unique and very different from each other in the way they are handled, prepared, cooked and served.

Here we take a look at each individual primal cuts of beef which are: Shank, Brisket, Rib, Short Plate, Flank, Round, Chuck, and Loin. Each of these primal cuts is then broken down into sub-primal cuts which are what is sold to the consumer.

There are over 100 different types of sub-primal cuts and each varies depending on the region of the world you live in. While America has 8 primal beef cuts, Europeans break the cow down differently only creating 6 primal beef cuts. In other countries, there may be as many as 20 primal cuts.

We will go over the list of American primal beef cuts and their sub-primal cuts to help you get a better understanding of the food you intend to prepare. We will also cover specific techniques and procedures for preparing and cooking each of the sub-primal cuts. This is a great webpage to have bookmarked just in case you want to go back to it every once in a while, for reference.