Beef - suitable cooking methods

Main cuts

Illustrations of cuts normally available at a British butcher's shop

Cooking methods by cut

When buying beef, it is important to choose cuts appropriate for the chosen method of cooking. Common cooking methods are as follows:

• Shin and leg - lean meat with a high proportion of connective tissue. Suitable for stews, casseroles, stock, soups and brawn.
• Neck and clod - usually cut into pieces and sold as stewing steak or mince.
• Chuck and blade steak - a large, fairly lean cut of high quality meat, removed from the bone and sold as chuck steak. Suitable for braising, stewing and pie fillings.
• Thick flank aka top rump - a lean cut suitable for roasting, pot roasting and braising, or when sliced, for braising and frying.
• Thin flank - ideal for braising and stewing. Often salted or pickles. Frequently sold minced.
• Brisket - sold either on the bone or boned and rolled. It is suitable for braising or rolling, and is often salted. Good served cold with salad.
• Thin ribs and thick ribs - usually sold boned and rolled. Ideal for braising and pot roasting.
• Silverside - traditionally , salted and sold for boiling (boiled beef and carrots). Nowadays, more often sold for roasting, but because it is lean, needs constant basting. NB Uncooked salt beef is grey, but turns pink during cooking.