This article discusses the path that great beef steaks and roasts take to get to your favorite meat case.
The weights are approximates.
Today the carcass, in most cases, is processed at the packinghouse into primal cuts for delivery to retail market.
For the purpose of this article will will assume the carcass is delivered to the retail market in hindquarters and forequarters, just like it was in the old days.

Live weight 1200-----Carcass weight 590 lbs

This is the path from beef carcass to individual beef cuts.

Carcass to Primals (i.e. Chuck) to Sub-Primals (i.e. Shoulder Clod) to Individual Cuts (i.e. Beef Clod Roast)

Beef carcass has 13 ribs, the FOREQUARTER is separated from the HINDQUARTER between the 12th and 13th rib, leaving 1 rib on the HINDQUARTER and 12 ribs on the FOREQUARTER

FOREQUARTER PRIMALS
The forequarter is separated into two primals, CHUCK  (ribs 1 to 5 inclusive) and RIB  (ribs 6 to 12 inclusive)

HINDQUARTER PRIMALS
The hindquarter is separated into two primals, ROUND  and LOIN

Primals are groups of muscles from a particular section of the carcass.

Sub-Primals are produced, from the Primals, by meat cutters at retail market meat departments.
Sub-Primals are then cut into individual cuts.

Beef cuts can be single muscles (ribeye) or can include sections of several muscles (Porterhouse (part of tenderloin & top loin)

Cuts from the center of the animal (LOIN & RIB ), which get little or no exercise, are the tender cuts, cooked using DRY HEAT
Cuts from the CHUCK or ROUNDwhich get the most exercise, are the tough cuts, cooked using MOIST HEAT

Cut names may vary from region to region or country to country.

Popular Cuts From Each Primal.
Bone-in cuts in RED
Stew meat can be made from any part of the primals.
Meat for grinding can be made from any of the primals.
CHUCK...generally requires MOIST HEAT Method (described here)
Sub Primal: Brisket
chuck blade steak---chuck blade roast---chuck 7-bone steak---chuck 7-bone roast---o-bone steak---o-bone roast---boneless chuck steak---boneless chuck roast---chuck eye steak---chuck eye roast---flat iron steak---shoulder clod roast-shoulder steak---brisket whole---brisket flatcut---brisket point cut---petite roast---flanken ribs---neck pot roast---
Other Names: western grillers---cross rib roast---english cut roast---espaldilla

RIB...usually cooked using DRY HEAT Methods (described here)
Sub Primal: Plate
rib steak large end--rib steak small end--rib roast( ribs 9-12)--large end rib roast ( ribs 6-9)--whole rib roast--boneless ribeye steak--boneless ribeye roast--beef back ribs
Other Names:Delmonico steak/roast--Market steak--Spencer steak--Standing rib roast

LOIN...usually cooked using DRY HEAT methods (described here)
Sub-Primals: Short Loin--Headloin.

SHORTLOIN:
t-bone steak--porterhouse steak--top loin steak--top loin steak--top loin roast
Other Names: new york steak--new york strip steak--new york strip roast--shell roast
strip loin roast--kansas city steak--filet mignon--filet steak-chateaubriand

HEADLOIN
top sirloin--top sirloin roast--bottom sirloin steak--bottom sirloin roast--tritip steak-tritip roast--tenderloin steak--tenderloin roast--sirloin butt
Other Names: filet mignon--filet steak--chateaubriand--culotte--triangle--pin one--flat bone--cattleman steak--

ROUND...generally requires MOIST HEAT methods
Sub Primal; Knuckle
round steak full cut---round steak full cut---top round steak---top round roast---bottom round steak---bottom round roast---eye round steak---eye round roast---sirloin tip steak---sirloin tip roast---silverside roast---rump roast---rump roast---watermelon roast---heel of round roast---hind shank---
Other Names: london broil---milanesa-

Live Weight Dressing %  Slaughter Weight Primals Round Top Round Bottom Round Tip  Rump Stew/ Ground Fat/ Bone Loin Porterhouse T-Bone Strip Steak Sirlion Steak Tenderlion Steak Stew/ Ground Fat/ Bone Rib Rib Roast Rib Steak Short Ribs Stew/ Ground Fat/ Bone Chuck Blade Roast/ Steak Arm Roast/ Steak Cross Rib Pot Roast Stew/ Ground Fat/ Bone Flank, Brisket, ect. Flank Steak Pastrami Squares Outside Skirt Inside Skirt Boneless Briskett Stew/ Ground Fat/ Bone Miscellaneous Kidney, Hanging Tend. Breaking Fat

1100 61% 671 % of Carcass Pounds 4.85% 32.5 4.38% 29.4 2.36% 15.8 1.09% 7.3 4.68% 31.4 4.49% 30.1 2.75% 18.5 1.37% 9.2 2.10% 14.1 2.15% 14.4 0.95% 6.4 3.18% 21.3 3.72% 25.0 3.23% 21.7 1.29% 8.7 1.21% 8.1 2.31% 15.5 1.18% 7.9 4.75% 31.9 4.98% 33.4 3.56% 23.9 11.68% 78.4 4.40% 29.5 0.50% 3.4 0.41% 2.8 0.31% 2.1 0.35% 2.3 2.24% 15.0 12.24% 82.1 2.82% 18.9 0.69% 4.6 3.90% 26.2 Total Yield In Lbs       671

Cooking Methods Described     Back to Top

DRY HEAT Roasting Roasting is to cook foods by surrounding them in dry heat usually in an oven or by spit roasting over an open fire or on an outdoor grill. Broiling Broiling is to cook foods at a high temperature with an overhead heat source, four to six inches below the heat source. meat is usually only turned once during cooking Sauteing Sauteing is to cook fast in a small amount of fat. The pan should be preheated to allow the food to be seared quickly.  Baking In baking method of cooking, the food is cooked using convection heating. The food is put into an enclosed area where heat is then applied and the movement of heat within the confined space, acts on the food the make it get cooked. MOIST HEAT Boiling Boiling is cooking in liquid at 212 °F at sea level. The liquid may be water, a seasoned liquid, wine, stock, or a mixture Simmering to 205 Simmering is cooking in a liquid just below the boiling point.  The temperature of the liquid is 185 °F°F Poaching Poaching is to cook in a liquid that is not actually bubbling at 165°F to 180 °F It is usually used to cook delicate foods such as fish and eggs. Stewing In the process of cooking using the stewing method food is cooked using a lot of liquid. Different kinds of vegetables are chopped, diced or cubed and added to the pot with pieces of selected meat, fish or chicken is also chopped and added to the stew. The liquid is slightly thickened and stewed food is served in that manner.

DRY HEAT Grilling Grilling is done an on open grid or grate over a heat source. The heat source can be electric,charcoal, or a gas flame. Frying There are two types of frying: Pan frying is done in a moderate amount of fat over moderate heat. This method is used for larger pieces of meat, turned more than once during cooking. Deep fat frying is to fry foods completely submerged in fat, meat must be fried at 350°F to 360°F degrees to minimize fat absorption of the nutrients are not lost during the cooking. Barbequing The method of cooking food by barbequing is usually associated with fund raising activities, parties or picnics. It is most suitable to cooking meat cutlets, fish or chicken pieces. The food is usually marinated with spices and tenderizers (for meat cuts) for sometime before it is cooked. With this method of cooking, a sheet of metal with stands is heated up and oil is used to cook the food. A sufficient amount of oil is heated up and food is added. MOIST HEAT  Back to Top Steaming Steaming is cooking foods by exposing them directly to steam, on a rack above boiling liquid, by wrapping foods tightly, or in a covered pan allowing the food to cook in its own steam, it is a good method for fish, not meat. Blanching To cook food items briefly in boiling water is known as blanching, meats are placed in cold water and brought to a boil or placed directly into boiling water. After a brief cooking time they are removed and plunged in icewater to stop the cooking process and to set color. Meats are blanched briefly to leach out impurities or salt.

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