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Beef cuts: which to grill, roast or braise
Beginner Butchery and seafood
A quick guide to matching beef cuts to cooking methods, based on where on the animal they come from.
Written with AI help from the sources listed, and published by Cory. Sources: USDA safe minimum internal temperatures, USDA on the danger zone (40-140°F). Spot a mistake? Tell us and we'll fix it.
How do you do it?
- Grill or sear the tender cuts from the rib and loin: ribeye, strip, tenderloin, top sirloin. Cook to 145°F or your preference and rest 3 minutes.
- Grill flank, skirt and hanger hot and fast, then slice thinly across the grain.
- Roast big tender pieces whole: rib roast, tenderloin, top sirloin, or lean eye of round sliced thin.
- Braise or slow-cook hard-working cuts: chuck, brisket, short ribs, shank, oxtail, until fork-tender.
Why does it work?
Muscles that do little work, along the back, are tender and low in connective tissue, so quick heat is all they need. Muscles that work hard, like the shoulder, leg and chest, are full of collagen. Fast cooking leaves it tough, but hours of low, moist heat melt it into gelatin, which makes the meat tender and the sauce silky.
What are the common mistakes?
- Grilling chuck or brisket like a steak — tough and chewy.
- Braising tenderloin — it turns dry; it has no collagen to melt.
- Slicing flank or skirt with the grain — stringy bites.
Still stuck? Watch someone do it on YouTube.
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