Beef is broken down into "Primal Cuts" (labeled in the diagram to the right). A Primal is a large muscle or group of connected muscles that come off the cow together. Then, these Primals are broken down into the roasts and steaks that you know, or are put to grind for ground beef

The meat from each Primal has different characteristics based on what that particular muscle was used for. So, if you can gain a very basic understanding of where the cut of beef you are cooking came from, and what it was used for, you'll know exactly the best wat to serve it.

Don't worry, you don't havge to memorize it. We'll lay it out each cut and what to do with them for you.

• Chuck: Chuck comes from the cow's shoulder. It's a very flavorful region that can be cut and prepared in several ways, but because it's a highly used muscle, it is a firmer cut of beef. Chuck includes cuts such as ground chuck (hamburgers), chuck short ribs, shoulder tender medallions, chuck pot roast, shoulder steak, flat-iron steak and stew meat to name a few.

• Rib: Refers to meat cut from the cow's rib and backbone. Rib cuts are known for their fatty marbling, tenderness, and distinctive flavor. Cut you can find from the rib are short ribs, ribeye steak, ribeye roast, back ribs and others

• Loin: This is where you'll find most of your "high-end" cuts. The loin is located directly behind the ribs. Because of the location, this muscle is not heavily used. This makes the loin very tender compared to more muscular cuts. The Primal cut consists of two parts worth mentioning: sirloin and short loin. Sirloin gives cuts such as sirloin steak, top sirloin, bottom sirloin, tri-tip roast and tri-tip steak. Short sirloin common cuts are NY strip, tenderloin filet, filet mignon and strip loin.

• Round: Located near the cow's hind legs, it's typically a leaner cut of beef, but very flavorful. Cuts include round steak, eye of round, tip roast, tip steak, top round and bottom round roasts.

• Flank: This cut is located just below the loin. This region is not as tender as the loin, but it is more flavorful. Flank steaks (sometimes called London Broil) come from this region.

• Short Plate: Located near the stomach of the cow, it is a highly used muscle group and makes for firmer and more flavorful beef. Cuts from this area are skirt steak, short ribs and is a flavorful ground beef source.

• Brisket: The brisket comes from the cow's breast. As one of the most used muscles, it is one of the toughest cuts of meat but packed with flavor. For this reason, it is a popular cut for BBQ cooks that can make it tender. The brisket can be cut into two sections, the flat and the point. The flat is a more even rectangle shape and leaner, while the point has a rounded end and more marbling.

• Shank: The shank comes from the cow's forearms. It is perhaps the toughest cut on the animal, which means perhaps the most flavorful as well. For thos that know how to cook it, it becomes a favorite. From the shank we get cross cut shank (soup bones) and stew meat.