The great thing about Wagyu is that it is soft, juicy and full of flavour so every cut has the potential to make a dinner that will knock your socks off.
Rump
The rump beef cut is taken from the hindquarter and the muscle above the hip bone of the animal. There are two pieces of rump beef per cow. A very full-flavoured piece of meat that is excellent and versatile when roasted, braised or casseroled, stir fried or pan fried. As it is taken from a working muscle, rump steaks, or the whole rump joint may be a little tough, but they are full of flavour. The steaks will generally be quite large in size, with steaks that are cut from the centre, or the eye of the rump being more tender, and they make very good grilling and frying steaks. You may have eaten very thin slices of rump, known as Minute Steaks, which are very good for cooking on the barbeque.
Rump cap
In South America the Picanha has achieved cult status. Caramelise the fat on a high heat then back it off to medium, close the lid on the BBQ or put in the oven to medium rare. Great with chimichurri or salsa verde.
Rump heart
The absolute all-rounder, the rump heart can be roasted, BBQ'd, minced, skewered on kebabs or our favourite – eaten as a steak. The Rump heart is tender and juicy, with a beautiful deep beefy flavour.
Tri tip
In summer the whole West Coast of the US smells like BBQ'd Tri Tip. Californian's invented them, buy them like crazy and are rock stars at cooking them. BBQ them like a thick steak and eat in the sunshine.
The round, also known as silverside, beef cut comes from the steer’s hind legs, thigh, butt, and hams. These are the largest muscles in the body. It is a less expensive beef cut and also quite lean. Since the round beef cut derives from a part of the animal responsible for mobility, it is sometimes tough and muscular. That’s why marinating round beef is recommended for tenderizing. If not ground, most round beef cuts are prepared by braising, baking, or roasting.
The shape makes it perfect for cooked and cured meats, try grass-fed wagyu pastrami on your next cheese platter and wait for them to start cheering. The silverside is a big old cut that does a lot of work, great corned and served with mustard sauce.
As part of the legs, the shank meat cut tends towards toughness. These are lean cuts, but they do require considerable cooking time. Because shank meat is quite lean, it makes good low-fat ground beef. It is used in stews and soups and dishes such as beef bourguignon. As a cheaper cut of meat, shank meat cut is found in cultural recipes across the globe. In Asia, it has long been a popular cut. The Italian dish Osso Bucco translates to “bone with a hole.” That describes the shank meat cut. The dish is stewed in wine, carrots, onions, tomatoes, and chopped celery. Garnish with the gremolata, a combination of parsley, garlic, and orange peel.
Ribeye
If the ribeye is the king of marbling among steaks, wagyu beef is the king of marbling among all beef. So, it stands to reason that the Wagyu Ribeye is the ultimate steak lover’s steak.
The ribeye is carved from the cow's beef rib. It falls between the chuck (shoulder) and the loin, and spans from ribs six through twelve. This section of the animal naturally collects more intramuscular fat, creating the beautiful white lines of fat – the fantastic marbling unique to the ribeye. The marbling will melt into the steak as it cooks, creating a juicy and tender steak. The bold and rich flavors are why the ribeye is a favorite among steak lovers.
A bone-in ribeye is a beautiful steak, but more complex than boneless. The bone insulates the meat while its cooking, which allows the steak to retain moisture and juiciness. However, bone-in ribeye requires more culinary skill for the perfect doneness. When you cook a bone-in steak, the meat farther from the bone will cook faster and the portion closer to the bone cooks slower.
“Prime rib” comes from the same rib primal as the ribeye. Prime rib is a large cut of beef, cut between bones 7 and 11, while a ribeye is a steak cut from the rib roast. Both can be boneless or bone-in. Basically, a ribeye steak is cut from the rib roast before cooking and prime rib is cut from the rib roast after cooking.
Brisket is a set of two overlapping muscles that run along the chest of the cow. This muscle does a lot of heavy lifting, using it to walk, run, push itself off of the ground, and more. Since this muscle is regularly used, it is a very tough cut of meat laced with tight connective tissue.
These qualities make the brisket a terrible cut of meat for slicing like a steak, but the same qualities make it perfect for the low and slow love and dedication of a good smoke. The slow and steady climb in temperature and exposure to wood smoke tenderizes this stringy muscle, breaks down that tight connective tissue, and seals in all of the rich beefy flavor. If you’ve ever had really good brisket, you will always have a little place in the back of your mind that craves it.
Think “slow and low” when cooking brisket. Make sure the meat does not become too dry. Brisket is also the perfect choice for a BBQ!
The chuck cut comes from the shoulder and neck, and the Flat Iron steak comes from this cut. Because the shoulder is an area in constant movement, the meat is tougher, but it is flavorful. It is a less expensive cut, so a good choice for cost-conscious customers. Marinating is often recommended. Because the shape of the shoulder bone looks like a seven, chuck steaks are known as 7-bone steaks. Chuck roasts are somewhat fattier than cuts from other parts of the body.
Although chuck meat is not one of the more expensive primal cuts, the right cooking can make it among the tenderest. There is no shortage of tasty chuck beef recipes for grilling, roasting, baking, or sautéing.
Neck
As the name suggests beef neck is a cut taken from the neck. It is a very economical cut. Due to the tendons and bones found in the neck, it can be a rather tough cut if cooked quickly, but if braised or stewed low and slow, the meat will become tender.
Beef neck is a great winter-warmer cut. Usually, beef neck would be braised or stewed over low heat for a prolonged period, but this can be made easier with the use of a slow-cooker. If cooked low and slow, the meat will become soft and tender and the flavour becomes very intense.
Sirloin
The most expensive cuts of beef come from the loin, located right behind the ribs at the top of the body. These cuts are costly because they are so tender. In fact, that is the name of one sub cut. There are two parts to the loin – short loin and sirloin. Sirloin cuts are slightly less tender, but boast more flavor. Sirloin cuts include: Coulettes, Sirloins, and Tri Tips.
Small, thin, lean, incredibly tender muscles located on either side of the backbone, tenderloins are the most prized cut on the entire animal. Their buttery tenderness is legendary and people are willing to pay very high prices for tenderloin roasts & filet mignon steaks. This cut has a relatively mild flavor (though grass-fed tenderloins are more flavorful than grain-fed ones), so tenderloin roasts & steaks are frequently paired with sauces that add moisture & additional flavor. One of the fancier classical roast recipes, Beef Wellington, is traditionally made with beef tenderloin. This is also an excellent cut for making steak tartare and carpaccio.
Filet Mignon is part of the Tenderloin, which is why some see Tenderloin and Filet Mignon as one in the same. Filet Mignon is cut from the tip of the Tenderloin, a delicate and tender area of the loin primal. It’s also an incredibly lean part of the animal, which means you’ll enjoy a fork-tender steak without much fat or connective tissue. Filet Mignon means “small cut,” as it is only one to two-and-a-half inches thick. For this reason, many see Filet Mignon as a luxury cut to be served with fine sides on special occasions.
These qualities have made Filet Mignon one of the most prized cuts of beef.
Located below the loin, the flank cut does not contain bones. Although tough, it is flavorful albeit chewy. Because it is a lean cut, flank is becoming more in demand as customers turn away from fattier cuts. Flank cuts include flank steak and London broil. It’s also popular for ground beef. Best when braised, or marinated and grilled.
Shortloin
The most expensive cuts of beef come from the loin, located right behind the ribs at the top of the body. These cuts are costly because they are so tender. In fact, that is the name of one sub cut. There are two parts to the loin – short loin and sirloin. Sirloin cuts are slightly less tender, but boast more flavor. Sirloin cuts include: Filet Mignon, NY Strip Steaks, Porterhouse, and T-Bone.
The shortloin consists of the striploin and tenderloin separated by a “T” shaped bone. Because of the heavy bone, it is not typically roasted whole, and can only be sliced into steaks (porterhouse steaks or T-bone steaks) with the help of a band saw. Apart from the bone, the tenderloin and striploin are both very tender, highly prized steak & roasting cuts.
The Short Plate cut is right under the rib primal with a higher fat content. The Short Plate is a source for Short Ribs and Ground Beef. It's also the home of the Skirt Steak—a thin, flavorful cut that's best when marinated and seared over high heat.
Short ribs require slow-cooking, but the steaks are best grilled or fried. Try a Korean Galbi recipe with short ribs - you'll never forget it.
