Common Cuts of Beef

Also known as: Tenderloin steak.

What it is: Filet mignon (French for “dainty fillet”) is taken from the tenderloin—a long strip of the steer’s most supple meat. (Not sure where that is? See the Beef Cuts diagram.) A 1,000-plus-pound steer yields only about 7 to 15 pounds of this mild cut, which is why it’s fairly expensive.

Price*: $17 a pound.

For 4 people, buy: Four 1¼-inch-thick steaks (6 to 8 ounces each).

Best way to prep: Season with salt and pepper or use a rub.

Grill: 3 to 4 minutes per side.

Sear: 4 to 5 minutes per side.

(For more details on these methods, see How to Cook Steak.)

*Prices are based on averages of figures obtained from retailers around the country; local prices may vary.

Also known as: Jiffy steak.

What it is: This long, flat cut from the belly muscle has a distinctive vertical grain and can be a bit chewy (read: tough). To tenderize this lean meat, try a marinade. And always slice it thinly against the grain. Because it tends to get stringy when overcooked, it should be watched closely on the fire, says Michael Grieb, the director of culinary creations at A&P supermarkets and its affiliated companies. A great addition to stir-fries and Asian noodle soups.

Price: $8 a pound.

For 4 people, buy: One ¾- to 1-inch-thick steak (1½ to 1¾ pounds).

Best way to prep: Season with salt and pepper, use a rub, or marinate.

Grill: 4 to 5 minutes per side.

Sear: 5 to 6 minutes per side.

Broil: 6 to 7 minutes per side.

Also known as: Top-blade steak.

What it is: This small shoulder cut from the chuck region has a trifecta of virtues: It’s tender, it cooks quickly, and it’s über-inexpensive, making it a great weeknight steak. If you’re not familiar with it, there’s a good reason: The cut wasn’t generally sold in markets before 2002. Today you may have to seek it out from your butcher; restaurants often snap up the supply before it gets to supermarkets.

Price: $7 a pound.

For 4 people, buy: One ¾- to 1-inch-thick steak (1½ to 1¾ pounds).

Best way to prep: Season with salt and pepper, use a rub, or marinate.

Grill: 3 to 4 minutes per side.

Sear: 4 to 5 minutes per side.

Broil: 5 to 6 minutes per side.

Also known as: Bistro steak, butcher’s steak.

What it is: Once a well-kept secret (some butchers used to keep the cut for themselves), hanger steak is a muscle that is attached to the steer’s last rib, located on its underside (an area called the plate). Since there is only one of these intensely flavorful cuts per animal, you may need to special-order them from your butcher.

Price: $10 a pound.

For 4 people, buy: Three 1½-inch-thick steaks (8 to 10 ounces each).

Best way to prep: Season with salt and pepper, use a rub, or marinate.

Grill: 4 to 5 minutes per side.

Sear: 5 to 6 minutes per side.

Broil: 6 to 7 minutes per side.

Also known as: Shell steak, top loin steak, Kansas City strip.

What it is: Cut from the top of the short loin, New York strip, a longtime steak-house favorite, is renowned for its robust flavor and somewhat dense texture, says Theo Weening, the global meat buyer for Whole Foods Market. Serve it with a baked potato and creamed spinach for a classic (and always delicious) combination.

Price: $13.50 a pound.

For 4 people, buy: Two 1-inch-thick steaks (12 to 14 ounces each).

Best way to prep: Season with salt and pepper or use a rub.

Grill: 3 to 4 minutes per side.

Sear: 4 to 5 minutes per side.

Also known as: Tuscan steak.

What it is: Cut from the short loin, the area just behind the steer’s rib section, the porterhouse is a combination of two prized cuts of beef: the rich-tasting New York strip and the buttery-soft tenderloin. For many, this best-of-both-worlds pairing makes a porterhouse the ultimate steak. (It’s the main cut on the menu at legendary New York steakhouse Peter Luger, which opened in 1887.)

Price: $13 a pound.

For 4 people, buy: Two 1-inch-thick steaks (16 to 18 ounces each).

Best way to prep: Season with salt and pepper or use a rub.

Grill: 3 to 4 minutes per side.

Sear: 4 to 5 minutes per side.

Also known as: Rib steak (bone-in), Delmonico steak.

What it is: One of America’s most popular steaks (it shares that title with the New York strip), the rib eye is cut from the top of the steer’s rib section, where the meat is generously marbled with fat. That marbling is what gives this steak a velvety texture and a full-bodied flavor. A great choice for the grill: The fat in the middle (called the eye fat) keeps the meat juicy over high heat.

Price: $13 a pound.

For 4 people, buy: Two 1-inch-thick steaks (11 to 14 ounces each).

Best way to prep: Season with salt and pepper or use a rub.

Grill: 2 to 3 minutes per side.

Sear: 3 to 4 minutes per side.

Also known as: Top sirloin steak, sirloin butt steak.

What it is: Sirloin comes from the area between the short loin (home of the porterhouse and the T-bone) and the less pricey round, so it delivers taste and tenderness for a lower price. Look for steaks labeled “top sirloin.” Higher in quality than bottom sirloin, they come from right below the tenderloin and have a similar texture to New York strips. Sliced thin, the cut makes a killer steak sandwich.

Price: $8 a pound.

For 4 people, buy: One 1-inch-thick steak (1½ to 1¾ pounds).

Best way to prep: Season with salt and pepper, use a rub, or marinate.

Grill: 3 to 4 minutes per side.

Sear: 4 to 5 minutes per side.

Also known as: Romanian steak, Philadelphia steak.

What it is: Like hanger, skirt steak is from the steer’s plate section. And like flank, it has an intensely beefy flavor and a sinewy texture, making it a natural for fajitas, kabobs, and satays. A long, narrow cut—most range from 12 to 15 inches—it’s sometimes sold in pieces (two are shown below). Since parts of it are thin, the steak cooks quickly and should be watched closely.

Price: $10.50 a pound.

For 4 people, buy: One ½- to ¾-inch steak (1½ to 1¾ pounds).

Best way to prep: Season with salt and pepper, use a rub, or marinate.

Grill: 1 to 3 minutes per side.

Sear: 2 to 4 minutes per side.

What it is: Named for its distinctive T‑shaped bone (see photo), this high-quality steak is much like a porterhouse. The difference: It is cut from the front end of the short loin, which contains less tenderloin. A favorite of backyard grillers everywhere, the T-bone is an ideal partner for potato salad, tangy slaw, and cold beer.

Price: $12.50 a pound.

For 4 people, buy: Two 1-inch-thick steaks (16 to 18 ounces each).

Best way to prep: Season with salt and pepper or use a rub.

Grill: 3 to 4 minutes per side.

Sear: 4 to 5 minutes per side.

Also known as: Top round steak.

What it is: The top round is a boneless cut from the rear of the steer with big, juicy flavors. Because it is lean, it must be tenderized with a marinade before cooking and thinly sliced before serving. It’s often labeled London broil, but that’s a bit of a misnomer: London broil refers to a preparation method (marinating, broiling or grilling, and thinly slicing), not a cut of beef.

Price: $6 a pound.

For 4 people, buy: One 1½-inch-thick steak (2 to 2¼ pounds; about the smallest piece you can get).

Best way to prep: Marinate.

Grill: 4 to 5 minutes per side.

Sear: 5 to 6 minutes per side.

Broil: 6 to 7 minutes per side.

Also known as: Newport steak, triangle steak, bottom sirloin steak.

What it is: Tri-tip is a triangular cut from the bottom sirloin section of the steer. Extra thick, it needs to be covered when grilled. Most common on the West Coast and in the southwest.

Price: $7 a pound.

For 4 people, buy: One 1½- to 2-inch-thick steak (1½ to 1¾ pounds).

Best way to prep: Season with salt and pepper, use a rub, or marinate.

Grill: 8 to 10 minutes per side over medium heat (covered).

Sear and roast: Sear for 4 to 5 minutes per side, then roast at 450° F for 8 to 10 minutes.

Broil: 10 to 12 minutes per side.

One of the tougher, leaner cuts (it comes from the breast, just behind the front leg, or foreshank), brisket is still flavorful with long, slow cooking. It makes excellent corned beef or pot roast. The two cuts found in the supermarket are the leaner flat or first cut and the thicker, more flavorful point cut, which includes a layer of fat.

Best for: Braising and stewing.

This large, square shoulder portion of the steer is coarse grained and tends to have lots of connective tissue running through it. It is tough yet flavorful, making it an inexpensive choice for stews and pot roasts. In fact, it’s often labeled “pot roast.”

Best for: Braising and stewing.

For tender, juicy burgers and meat loaf, choose ground chuck. Twenty percent fat is ideal (it’s often labeled “80/20”). Ground meat made from a lean cut, like sirloin, tends to dry out and is therefore best for chili and meat sauces. Look for meat that’s bright red (browning indicates that the meat is not fresh).

Best for: Pan-frying, roasting, broiling, and grilling.

The best cut for roasts, the rib roast includes the rib meat and the adjacent steaks. When sold with the rounded short ribs in, it’s called a standing rib roast. Cuts with the bones removed are much easier to slice. Rib roasts can be cut to various sizes, suitable for a family or a large dinner party.

Best for: Roasting.

Sold in rectangular, blocklike pieces that are 2 to 3 inches long, short ribs come from the loin, chuck, or midrib area. Thick layers of meat and fat give the ribs a rich taste, but they can be tough, so aren’t suitable for grilling. Instead, they benefit from long, slow covered cooking.

Best for: Braising.