Your cut sheet is where a side of beef becomes your beef. Here is what each primal offers and where the real decisions are. Weights below are approximate for one side; larger animals yield larger roasts and steaks, so always specify your ideal size.
Chuck
The chuck, or front shoulder, is most often ground into hamburger. If you like a slow-cooked pot roast, a chuck roast is very flavorful — request a roast or two and have the rest ground. About 50 lb on a side.
Rib
Excellent quality meat with good marbling. Have it cut into rib steaks, standing rib roasts, or some of each. All rib cuts are bone-in. About 20 lb on a side.
Loin
The short loin and tenderloin — generally the best cuts on the animal. You can take T-bone, porterhouse, New York strip, and filet mignon. One choice matters here: if you want the tenderloin cut into filet mignon, the strips come as New York strips. You cannot have filet mignon and T-bones and porterhouse, because those steaks contain a piece of tenderloin on one side of the bone and the strip on the other. About 15 lb on a side.
Sirloin
Very flavorful; the top sirloin is usually the most tender. Some households have part or all of the sirloin ground, because it adds real flavor to the hamburger. If you want steaks, specify thickness — otherwise they are cut about 1 inch — and tell the butcher how many steaks per package. About 20 lb on a side.
Round
The round offers the most options. The eye of the round is typically left whole as a lean, flavorful roast. The top round can be roasts or London broil. The bottom round can be pot roast or ground. Families who use a lot of hamburger often have the whole round ground and keep the eye of the round for a special occasion. 50 lb or more on a side.
Bonus cuts
- Brisket is typically left whole for marinating, slow cooking, or smoking.
- Flank can be taken as flank steak or ground.
- Stew meat — specify pounds per package and total packages. Lean pieces that would otherwise be ground are used.
- Organ meats — tongue and liver can be sliced and packaged; heart can be left whole or sliced.
- Dog bones — we are glad to bag them up.
Finally, tell us which roasts you want bone-in and which boneless. If you would rather talk it through, we walk every customer through the sheet before it goes to the butcher.