Steak is an extremely familiar dish for those passionate about Western cuisine. However, some people are confused and do not clearly understand the difference between different cuts of steaks. We’re excited to look into some of the most well-known cuts of steak and give you our list of the 13 best and worst cuts for home cooking.
As a beef lover, I enjoy a nicely grilled steak or a slow-roasted prime rib as much as anyone. However, not all cuts of beef are created equal. While some cuts like ribeye and tenderloin yield mouthwatering results, others are nearly inedible when cooked improperly. In my experience sampling steaks and roasts, I’ve found several cuts of beef that are decidedly the worst. Let’s explore which cuts of beef turn out chewy, tasteless, and downright unpleasant, and why you’re better off avoiding them.
Understanding Beef Cuts
Before diving into the bad cuts, it helps to understand where various steaks and roasts come from on the cow. Beef is divided into large sections called primal cuts – chuck, rib, loin, round, brisket, shank, plate, and flank. These are then broken down further into subprimals and specific retail cuts.
The tenderness and flavor of a cut depends mainly on which part of the cow it comes from Areas with more connective tissue and work, like the shoulder and leg, tend to be tougher The loin and rib areas are more tender. Marbling – the thin streaks of fat within the meat – also impacts taste and juiciness. With that said, here are some of the worst cuts to avoid based on tenderness, flavor, and value.
Round Steak and Roast
Cut from the rear leg of the cow, the round primal contains some of the toughest, stringiest cuts of beef. Muscles in this area get a lot of use, so they develop thick, chewy connective tissue. Specific cuts from the round are almost inedible when cooked incorrectly.
-
Top round – Extremely lean and tough Best for stew meat or slow cooking only
-
Bottom round – Contains the eye of round, one of the toughest steaks around. Avoid grilling it.
-
Round tip – Also known as sirloin tip, it’s chewy and lacking flavor. Needs to be thinly sliced.
Overall, I find round cuts completely unsuitable as steaks. They end up dry and chewy no matter how carefully I cook them. Roasting a whole round primal or eye of round can yield decent roast beef, but there are far better alternatives. Leave these round cuts behind.
Chuck Steak and Roast
Another famously tough primal, the beef chuck comes from the shoulder and neck region. It’s comprised of muscles that see a lot of use. Specific bad cuts from the chuck include:
-
Shoulder steak – Gristsly and tough unless braised for a long time.
-
Cross rib steak – Contains a lot of connective tissue even when grilled.
-
Shoulder tender – Despite its name, still quite chewy.
Chuck roasts like the chuck eye or shoulder clod can make decent pulled beef or stew with moisture added. But I’ve found most chuck steaks turn out chewy and sinewy, even when marinated. They lack the buttery tenderness of higher quality steaks. For an affordable roast, chuck is okay, but I definitely don’t recommend chuck steaks.
Brisket
Brisket is a very tough cut that needs to be prepared correctly. The brisket primal sits just under the chuck. It contains a lot of connective tissue that must be slowly rendered for tender, pull-apart beef.
-
Whole brisket – Requires hours of slow cooking to get tender. Not ideal for quick grilling.
-
Flat half brisket – Super lean so it easily dries out and toughens up. Hard to cook properly.
-
Point half brisket – Contains more fat but still very tough if not prepared properly.
While delicious Texas-style barbeque brisket requires patience, most people don’t have 10+ hours for traditional smoking. If you rush cooking brisket or cook it incorrectly, you’ll likely end up with dry, rubbery meat. Leave this finicky cut to the pitmasters.
Flank Steak
The flank steak comes from the bottom abdominal area of the cow. While it has rich beefy flavor, the flank is unfortunatelyquite gristly and chewy. Because it contains many long, thick muscle fibers, flank steak tends to be tough no matter how you slice or cook it.
-
Whole flank steak – Fibrous and chewy texture. Can be tough to eat.
-
Flap meat steak – Trimmed from flank steak, still contains chewy fibers.
Flank does absorb marinades well, so for stir fry or fajitas it can work decently. But grilling or pan frying a flank steak whole often leaves you chewing your way through tight, chewy muscle strands – not a great experience. I’d avoid flank steak in favor of more inherently tender cuts.
Plate Steak
Adjacent to the flank is the beef plate. This area is used for short ribs and other tough cuts containing cartilage. Two steaks trimmed from the plate are particularly poor choices:
-
Skirt steak – Tenderizes somewhat when marinated, but still quite fibrous.
-
Hanger steak – Very tough and stringy despite its intense flavor.
Both skirt and hanger steak have that classic beefy taste, but their inherent toughness is hard to overlook. They generally require very rare cooking plus lengthy marinating to have any chance of coming out tender. Even then, they often retain quite a chewy texture. I’d skip the plate steaks and choose more naturally tender options.
Shank and Heel
Cuts from the cow’s leg below the knee offer little in terms of tenderness. These include:
-
Braising beef shank – Needs to become fall-off-the bone tender through braising.
-
Heel of round – Mainly used for ground beef due to its connective tissues.
The shank and heel muscles do so little work, they are laden with collagen that requires prolonged moist cooking to break down. Using these cuts for quick-cooked steaks would be extremely tough and chewy. Leave them for stews and opt for tenderloin or sirloin instead.
Choose Tender, Well-Marbled Cuts
When deciding which steaks and roasts to spend your money on, tenderness and marbling should be your main considerations. Heavily exercised areas of the cow with more connective tissue generally yield the worst cuts of beef. For beautifully tender and flavorful meals, I suggest sticking to choices like ribeye, tenderloin, top sirloin, or tri-tip instead. Avoid the chewy, sinewy disappointment of round, chuck, brisket, flank, or shank cuts. With so many fantastic steaks and roasts to explore, leave the chewy cuts behind!
1 Round steak
A round steak is a beef steak from the “round”, the rear leg of the cow. There are three cuts in the round: the eye (of) round, the bottom round, and the top round. The “round” bone (femur) may or may not be present, and the knuckle (sirloin tip) may be present depending on how the round is separated from the loin. This is a lean cut and it is moderately tough.
The skirt steak is a thin and long steak from the cow’s diaphragm. Because it is so thin and comes from a muscle section, this cut of beef is leaner and tougher than other beef slices. But if you like leaner cuts, the skirt steak is the best meat to serve for lunch or dinner.
It is important to cook a skirt steak rare or medium-rare so that it is soft and tender. If you cook it any other way, it will be tough to chew. When cooked at the right temperature, it has a very rich and beefy flavor.
The main reason we chose flank steak over skirt steak is that the steak tastes better. The meat lacks softness and is still quite rough. This shouldnt be used as a standard steak, in our opinion.
Depending on how it’s cooked, flank steak can be made less rough. However, slower braises won’t break down the muscle fibers enough, so the cut will stay chewy. By holding onto more moisture, quick cooking on high heat will aid in improved fiber breakdown.
As one of the oldest and best-known steak cuts, the bottom sirloin has been added to our list. It is a traditional cut that rarely lets you down when it’s cooked right. The bottom sirloin isn’t used as much as the top sirloin or the back of the tenderloin, but a lot of people still love it because it’s cheap and easy to cook.
The best way to serve bottom sirloin is not like you would a regular steak. Roasting it whole will make it more tough. So that the bottom sirloin can shine, add it to stews or sandwiches. These foods will keep its tenderness and flavor.
The strip steak comes from behind the cow’s ribs, where there isn’t as much muscle. This makes for a more tender cut of steak. Half of the T-bone steak is made up of strip steak. This steak has several names because it has been around for so long. It may also be referred to as the strip loin steak or the New York strip. Anyway you look at it, this is a classic steak for people who like their meat between soft and rough.
Vacio or bavette steak
Also known as flap steak, bavette is a flat cut with an intense beef flavor. the bavette is also known as the butchers cut because butchers often saved it for themselves. “Bavette” comes from the French word for “bib,” which means “lower chest.” This cut comes from the cow’s lower chest, close to the top of its abdomen. This well-exercised but still fatty part of the cow makes bavette versatile, in addition to delicious.
People sometimes mix up flank steak and bavette, but Steak Revolution stresses that there are big differences in taste, texture, and price between the two.
People who like steak like this cut better than the tougher bottom sirloin in terms of taste and appeal. This cut, which comes from the top rear end of the cow, is usually much more soft and tasty even though it doesn’t have any bones. It rarely becomes extremely chewy and rubbery when cooked properly. Even though it is less expensive than some of the more expensive steaks, this steak is still excellent.
T-bone steak may be the most overrated cut there is. T-bone steaks are cut across the short loin, so they have parts of both the tenderloin (also called filet mignon) and the short loin (also called NY Strip). The tenderloin and the short loin are separated and held together by the same bone.
7 Ways To Cook The Worst Cut Of Beef To Make It Delicious!
FAQ
What is the unhealthiest cut of beef?
What is the toughest cut of beef?
What is the nicest cut of beef?
What is the most expensive beef cut on a cow?
Beef cuts from the short loin region contain some of the most expensive cuts on the cow. Cut from the rear end of the loin, this cut of beef features two steaks, connected by a T-shaped bone: the larger strip steak, which packs a flavorful punch, and the smaller, incredibly tender filet mignon.
Which meats should one avoid?
You should limit or avoid processed meat products such as sausages, salami, pate and beefburgers, because these are generally high in fat and salt. Also limit meat products in pastry, such as pies and sausage rolls. Choose lean cuts, if you are buying pre-packed meat, check the nutrition label to see how much fat it contains and compare products. Prepare turkey and chicken without the skin, as these are lower in fat (or remove the skin before cooking).
What are the most popular cuts of beef?
Let’s explore some of the most popular cuts of beef. Whether you’re grilling, roasting, or pan-searing, these cuts offer a range of flavors and textures: 1.**Ribeye**: Known for its rich marbling and
Are lean cuts of beef bad for You?
Even the leanest cuts of beef can be bad for your weight and health if you prepare them in unhealthy ways. Here are a few simple tips to control the fat: Trim it. Cut off any solid fat that you can see before you cook the meat. Then remove any leftover fat you can see before eating it. Drain it.