Beef is butchered symmetrically into halves.Then meat portions are separated from front and back halves.
Front Half:
- Chuck (source of bone-in and bone-less steak. Ground beef is mostly made from bone-less chuck).
- Rib (source of short ribs,prime rib, and rib eye steaks).
- Brisket (Used for barbecue,corned beef, and pastrami).
- Shank (Toughest of all the cuts hence used mostly in soups and stews).
- Plate (Source of short ribs,skirt steak which is used in fajitas. It can also be used as a ground meat because of the toughness and fattiness).
Back Half:
- Short Loin (source of T-bone,porterhouse steaks, and strip steaks).
- Sirloin (two divisions - top sirloin and bottom sirloin. Flavorful meat portion).
- Tenderloin (source of filet mignons).
- Round (low fat and moderately tough).
- Flank (used in making London Broil,Fajitas but mostly grounded).
Apart from the above cuts, almost all the parts of beef are eaten around the world.
- Sweet breads,bone marrow,foot,tail etc.