by Lisa Fillers

Created on: April 21, 2009

It is absolutely necessary to know the different cuts of meat, location they are cut from, and their characteristics in order to properly prepare and serve a terrific meal. This came natural growing up with a father who raised, slaughtered, and butchered his own livestock.

Purchasing roasts and steaks seems to be quite confusing for many people. It seems a great number of people do not realize steaks are cut from the same areas of the steer as roasts. Listed below are the different cuts of roasts and steaks and how best to cook them as well as some tips for choosing the best cuts of meat.

GRADING

One major factor that needs to be looked at when pouring over the sale ads in the newspaper or standing at the meat counter is the grade of the beef. The age of the animal and the marbling of fat in the meat determine the grade of beef. Grading of the meat is performed by a third party. In the United States, grading is done by the USDA and the beef is graded whole. Therefore, the grade can vary a little in individual cuts.

USDA Prime is the highest grade assigned in the United States. USDA Choice is the middle grade and USDA Select is the lowest grade found at the meat counter. Anything less than USDA Select is used for meat by-products and such other uses.

MARBLING

Marbling refers to the amount of fat streaks seen in the cut of beef. Cuts with less marbling are lower in fat but have less flavor. They also are more tender than those cuts with more marbling. In order to grill a great steak, the cut needs to be both flavorful and tender. Choosing a steak with thin streaks of creamy white marbling will produce the best grilled steak. Thick streaks of fat will have a lot of connective tissue that makes the meat tough.

CUTS OF ROASTS

CHUCK ARM ROAST and CHUCK ROAST

These roasts comes from the shoulder and are best used as pot roast.

BOTTOM ROUND ROAST

The round comes from the rear leg of the beef steer. It is a lean muscle meat but tough. Bottom round is usually divided into two cuts, the bottom round roast and the rump roast. If the bone is left in the rump roast it is called a standing rump roast. A roast cooked with the bone in is usually more flavorful. Bottom round makes a great pot roast or corned beef.

EYE OF ROUND ROAST

Eye of round roast is a boneless roast. It looks like a tenderloin but is tougher. It is a great roast to slow cook for beef barbecue or use as a pot roast.

TOP ROUND ROAST

Top round roast is lean and more tender than the bottom round or eye of round roasts. This

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