How to Identify Different Cuts of Meat

Identifying different cuts of meat requires only a basic understanding of how butchers present their product. The meat is generally arranged by type and is ready to cook. Different cuts have common characteristics, even if the meat comes from different animals, and can be easily recognized at the butcher counter. So whether it is beef, pork, lamb or veal, the cuts will be largely the same. Prepackaged meats will generally be labeled with the cut as well as the type of meat.

Instructions

1. Steaks most commonly come from cows because the animals are big and have broad backs, which is where the steaks--sirloin, strip, rib eye--generally come from. Tougher, round steak comes from the rump. These are often cut to be boneless and in varying thicknesses for grilling, broiling or frying. More often now, a rib-eye steak is cut bone-in, meaning that it will still have the rib bone attached. A T-bone or Porterhouse steak also has the rib attached, with the tenderloin on the other side of the bone.

2. Chops are cut from the rib portion of the animal and often have the bone attached along one side. The term generally applies to cuts of pork and lamb. These are also cut to certain thicknesses so that they can be quickly cooked by grilling, broiling or frying.

3. Roasts are larger cuts of meat meant for longer cooking in the oven or in a pot. They are often tied to hold their shape during roasting, so that they cook more evenly. They come from different parts of the animal. Some roasts, such as chuck from the shoulder, are tougher and are better when braised (cooked slowly in a small amount of liquid to grow tender). Others, such as a pork loin roast from the middle back section of the pig, roast really well.

4. Shanks are cuts with a big bone from the lower part of the animal's leg. Their size is deceptive because of the size of the bone; the actual amount of meat may be limited. These are braised or roasted, with the bone providing a lot of flavor. Veal, pork and lamb shanks are usually easy to find.

5. The animal's inner organs, called offal, are usually reddish-purple in color and have a different texture than other cuts. Liver is the most common cut available, particularly beef and veal liver, which fry up well. Chicken livers often are sold separately and can be prepared as chopped liver to use as a spread.

References

• The River Cottage Meat Book by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall (2004)