Guide to Understanding Cuts of Beef

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Guide to Understanding Cuts of Beef

Adam Kaine • November 17, 2022

What do I get when I order a quarter or a half?

One of the most common questions we hear from those thinking about ordering large quantities of beef from us is “What cuts of beef will I get if I order a quarter, half or whole cow? Great Question. Cattle are divided into eight regions. These eight areas are called the primal cuts, or the main cuts.The eight primal cut names should sound very familiar to you since theyare an essential component of how beef cuts are labeled. Here are theeight primal cuts of beef:

Chuck
Rib
Loin (short loin and sirloin)
Round
Flank
Short Plate
Brisket
Shank

These primal cuts are then broken down into subprimals, and then they’recut into individual steaks, roasts and other retail cuts.

Whether you buy a quarter or half beef directly from our farm, or you purchase from a local retailer, you get portion cuts. A portion cut is individually wrapped, ready to cook cuts of beef like steak, roast, ribs, and brisket.

The best, most expensive and tender cuts of beef are always from the center of the steer, which is the loin or rib section. The four most popular cuts from this area are the tenderloin (a.k.a. filet mignon), ribeye, strip and T-bone steaks.

The loin and ribs are at the center of the animal and they don’t do much work, so they’re tender cuts. Another way to say this that you may hear from your butcher is that “Beef gets more tender as the distance from horn and hoof increases".

Why are there so many different names for cuts of beef?

How cuts of beef are named can be very confusing to anyone. Even us!

One of the many reasons there is confusion is because grocery stores and butchers can cut beef in a variety of ways and name it however is best for their store or region. In fact, one study showed that many grocery stores carry more than 60 different beef products.

For example, a strip steak can also be called a NY Strip, KC Strip, or hotel steak, just to name a few.

Cuts of Beef Explained:

Since you probably don’t want to carry around a beef cuts chart in your pocket, here’s what you need to know about each of the cuts based on the 8 Primal cuts:

Chuck:

Meat from the chuck primal cut is from the cow’s shoulder. Cows use their shoulder a lot, so it’s a tougher cut of beef. However, it’s also a very flavorful cut, and butchers cut it in a variety of ways so you have lots of options at the grocery store.

Types of cuts you’ll see for chuck are ground chuck (hamburger), flat-iron steak, chuck short ribs, shoulder tender medallions, chuck pot roast, blade roast, boneless chuck short ribs, stew meat, country style ribs, and top blade steak, just to name a few.

You should choose chuck beef when you want lots of flavor, but need to be cost conscious too.

Brisket:

You should choose chuck beef when you want lots of flavor, but need to be cost conscious too.

Shank:

The shank is located at the animal’s forearm in front of the brisket. It is one of the toughest cuts. One of the most famous dishes that comes from the shank is Osso Buco, which requires braising to make the meat more tender. Make stews and soups with the shank.

Ribs:

The cow’s ribs and backbone make up the ribs. There are 13 pairs of ribs, but only the last section (6-12) are in the primal section of the ribs. The others are in the chuck cut. Ribs have lots of flavor and marbling. Types of cuts you’ll see for ribs are boneless ribeye roast, cowboy steak, ribeye steaks and beef short ribs. Choose ribs when you want a tender cut of beef with extra marbling.

Plate:

The plate, or short plate, is the other source of short ribs and it’s found near the abdomen. It is fattier. Make fajitas, pastrami, skirt steak, Philadelphia steak and short ribs with this cut and you’ll be happy with the results.

Loin:

The loin is where the most expensive cuts of beef come from. It is located at the top of the steer directly behind the rib, and since it’s not a heavily used muscle, it’s very tender and flavorful. The loin has two parts: shortloin and sirloin. Popular cuts from the shortloin are filet mignon, tenderloin steak, T-bone, Porterhouse steaks, strip steak, New York Strip, and KC Strip.The sirloin area is a little less tender than the shortloin, but it’s also more flavorful. Common cuts from the sirloin area are sirloin steak, center cut sirloin steak, top sirloin, bottom sirloin, ball tip steak, Tri-Tip Roast and Tri-Tip Steak.

Round:

The round is a lean and inexpensive cut. It’s found at the cow’s rump and hind legs, so it’s sometimes tough. When you’re at the store, you’ll often see round sold as ground beef. Other common cuts are round steak, eye of round, tip steak, tip roast, top round and bottom round roasts.

Flank:

The flank is located below the loin. It has no bones, and is very flavorful but also very tough. It used to be less expensive at the grocery store, but this has started to change because flank steaks are known for being lean. Since consumers want lean meat more than ever before, it’s increased flank steak’s popularity and price. Popular flank cuts are flank steak and London broil. When you order a quarter or half beef from our farm, we use a standard cut list. The reason for this is because you are sharing the animal with several other people. In order for everyone to get an equal number of cuts, we have to cut the animal in a standard way.

What about Delmonico and Club Steaks?

A comment we sometimes hear is that people are surprised that there aren’t more unique cuts on our standard beef cut list, such as Porterhouse Steak, Delmonico Steak, Club Steak, etc.

The reason for this is because a steer is made up of more than just steak. In fact, the number of steaks that can be cut from a steer is surprisingly

small.

Let’s explain this even more by looking at one cut of beef: A T-Bone Steak. The larger side has the strip steak, and the smaller side is the tenderloin. You’re probably familiar with a T-bone steak with its famous “T” shaped bone in the center. Depending on how you cut the T-bone and the size of it, it can have many different names.

For example, if you decide to cut the bone out, you would no longer have a T-bone. Instead, you would have two distinct cuts — a tenderloin (or filet) and a strip steak. Keeping in mind that there’s a limited amount of beef in each animal, if you’re purchasing a whole steer, and you want filets and strip, you won’t get T-bone. You can have EITHER T-bone steaks OR filets and strips. You can’t have both since all of those cuts come from the same section of beef.

When I purchase a quarter or half beef, what part of the animal am I getting? What is a side of Beef?

Technically, a side (Half) of beef is literally one side of the beef carcass that is split through the backbone. Each side is then halved between the 12th and 13th ribs know as a Quarter. These sections are called the forequarter (front of the cow) and the hindquarter (back of the cow).

However, when you purchase a Quarter beef from our Ranch, we do what’s called a mixed quarter or mixed half. That means that we equally divide all parts of the animal so that you get cuts of beef from the front and back of the cow.

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Why the Ranch

By Adam Kaine • November 1, 2022

Sky Hound Ranch is a veteran (27 years) owned Ranch 1 hour from Edmonton, in Lac Ste Anne County, that raises Grass Fed/ Grass finished Beef. We practice regenerative agriculture practices, this means no chemicals on the land, no growth hormones or unnecessary antibiotics in the cattle. Cattle are raised using low stress handling techniques ensuring they live a good life until their one bad day. The ranch sells directly to customer. We use a small, local custom butcher for all processing reducing the “supply chain” to less that 100KM; our Ranch to your house with a short stop in between. By selling direct and eliminating numerous steps in between you will know exactly where your food comes from and how it was raised. We sell by the ½ or ¼ and will do custom freezer boxes on request. Our next herd is booked for October processing. This is an indication of how far in advance the local butchers have openings. Discounts on 1/2s and 1/4s for veterans, serving members and first responders. If you would like to try our Product we have two freezers at out St Albert home full of individual cuts that can be purchased. All current stock is being sold at last February prices. If you would like to reserve an order for October please let me know. We raise limited cattle each year based on how many cattle the land can sustain. We also offer Horse programs. Ground based or mounted and Equine Assisted Learning (EAL). Come out and visit with the “boys”. The Ranch is open for visits and for those who just need to get away we are offering veterans current serving members and first responders the ability to come and camp (rustic services) at the ranch to enjoy the peace and quiet, sit around the fire pit and relax. Overnight stays are based on a pay what you can/want basis. If you would like to know more Like and follow our Facebook and Instagram sites or send me a message.

You ask, We answer

By Adam Kaine • November 1, 2022

You asked for some information on the ranch and the cattle. I hope the following answers you questions. Sky Hound Ranch is a family run ranch that practices Regenerative Agriculture practices. With respect to the ranch it means we do everything naturally. The cattle are raised and finished on Grass. The are not given any artificial growth hormones or steroids and I limit the use of antibiotics to only when it is necessary. I recently had to treat one heifer with antibiotics (the first such case on the ranch). She will not be sent for processing until long after the antibiotic withdrawal time. For her dosage the withdrawal time is 8-9 days, my timeline is a minimum of 45 days before I will consider her for processing. The cattle are raised with low stress handling, everything possible is done from horseback and the corral and handling facility is based on a design from Dr. Temple Grandin, to work cattle in the most low stress way possible. They basically live a great life until their "one bad day". When they leave the ranch I transport them 30 min to a local custom butcher. The way we manage the land is just as important as how we raise the cattle. We focus on soil health and diversity. We do not till the land, the is no chemical input (no pesticides, herbicides, fungicides or synthetic fertilizers) The only input is seed to help cover any bare areas. The grasses are managed with rotational grazing (the cattle are moved often from pasture to pasture). even the process of putting down seed uses the cattle. I use a B & T method. Broadcast and trample. I spread the seed and let the cattle push it in to the ground. If you would like to see how the cattle are raised and the methods we use to keep the stress to a minimum I welcome anyone who would like to connect with their food production. I even have some customers that will pick out the specific heifer or steer for their order. Please let me know if you or your friend have any more questions or if you would like to plan a visit.

Crazy man talks to his cows

By Adam Kaine • November 1, 2022

Have you ever had one of those days where everyone you had to deal with made you hate people. For me today was one of those days. An online purchase in June has led to a series of unauthorized charges on my credit card. They all had different company names but my credit card company assured me they were all the same business. My one purchase had somehow ended me up on a number of unwanted subscriptions that took me most of the day to sort out. Slimy business practice like this just gets under my skin. As my frustration and anger was about to peak I packed up and drove to the ranch. The drive allowed me to cool down and when I arrived here, pretty much hating people, I walked out to the North pasture to see the cows and horses. Watching them come up to greet me had such a calming effect. Don't ask me why but for the next 20 minutes I stood out in the field talking to the horses and the cattle. Anyone who would have come upon the scene who be wondering who this crazy man was but let me tell you it was the best conversation I had all day.

I want to be more like my cattle

By Adam Kaine • November 1, 2022

There are lots of people who attempt to villainize the beef industry. Claims that methane from cows is destroying the climate. I’m pretty sure these same people never fly in an airplane, drive a car or heat their homes and they defiantly never buy vegetables that have been shipped halfway around the globe. I expect most of those who rally against the beef industry have never stepped foot on a working cattle ranch. When I was setting up that ranch, I made a commitment to welcome anyone who wants to come out and visit. I have nothing to hide and to be honest the best part of having the ranch is to be able to share it with others. This summer I had the pleasure of hosting a lot of people, each one had their own reasons for coming out and I got to view the ranch in a different light almost every time. One thing I tell everyone is how I attempt to give my cattle the best life possible until their one bad day. Recently I had a visitor that was here to learn about the ranch and to take some pictures. While we were out in the pasture, trying to get the cattle to co-operate for pictures, she said something that has stuck with me, “Its interesting how different species live”. I asked what she meant by that. (Paraphrasing the conversation) Humans are always busy, trying to stay on schedule, complete our to-do lists, meet deadlines, always on the go and stressing about something: money, jobs, relationships, or what others think. The cattle are just living in the moment, taking their time, hanging out with the herd, eating when they are hungry, drinking when they are thirsty sleeping when they are tired- They live a pretty good life. I think we all have the desire to simplify life and focus on what is important and not some artificial pressure we seem to find ourselves under. You just have to google “the great resignation” or “quiet quitting” or any of a multitude of stories about people re-evaluating what is important in their life. So, what does this have to do with the “anti-beef” movement; I would like to invite anyone who thinks the beef industry is cruel or destroying the planet to come out and see first-hand how much Ranchers care for our animals and the environment. Are there bad actors in the industry, yes, I can’t deny that but there are bad actors in any part of society. I would argue that the growing number of small farms and Ranches practicing regenerative agriculture practices are doing more to heal the environment than those protesting our industry. To the anti-beef movement, or anyone else with an interest in where your food comes from, please come and visit. Let me show you that our cattle live a happier, lower stress life than most humans, let me show you how our practices are helping mend the soil. Let’s discuss how our cattle are contributing to a healthy water cycle, and see what real plant based protein production looks like. Maybe then you will agree with me when I say I want to be more like my cattle.

Buying Direct From Ranch

By Adam Kaine • November 1, 2022

I would like to thank everyone for the great support the ranch has received in our first year. As a veteran I have made one of the ranches goals to support and give back to the community. One way is by making the ranch accessible to visitors who want to see how the ranch operates, the other is by producing an all natural, nutrient dense product at a very competitive price. The price of groceries is on the rise so planning ahead may provide some cost benefits. So far this year Sky Hound Ranch is planning on keeping last years pricing. The only change currently being considered is a centralized pick up point versus delivery to your door. This will depend on the price of gas at the time of delivery. I have received a lot of questions about prices and ordering so I thought I would outline the process and benefits of ordering direct. Pricing on halves and quarters vary depending on the weight of the cattle at time of processing. On the day of processing the cattle are loaded on my stock trailer and 30 minutes later are at the custom butchers. Once processed the carcass is weighed, this is know as “hot weight”. There are some fixed processing costs/cow and the remainder of the ranches costs are based on hot weight. The meat is then hung or “dry aged” for a minimum of 2 weeks. After the dry age process is finished the meat is cut and wrapped and is ready for delivery to your doorstep or pick up point. There will be some shrinkage from “Hot Weight” to “Box Weight” or the amount you actually receive. An average works out like this. I purchase the cattle based on their live weight and hope they eat lots of great grass and put on weight while at the ranch. Once processed the Hot weight is approximately 60-62% of live weight. After dry aging, deboning trimming excess fat the Box weight averages between 65-70% of Hot weight (60% if you don’t take soup bones. When ordering a half you are given a custom cut sheet and you pick the cuts you want and the ones you don’t. Any cuts you don’t want are turned into ground or stew based on your preference. If you order a quarter there is a standard cut list. You will receive a mixed quarter, this means some from the front quarter and some from the hind quarter. If two people want to split a half and choose their cuts this can be accommodated as long as both agree to one custom cut form. Any halves or quarters that are not pre-purchased are sold as individual cuts or custom freezer packs, depending on stock available. So what is it going to cost? I currently charge $5.00/lb Hot Weight. This includes fixed processing costs, cut wrap and delivered (in the Edmonton area). Example: 1000lb live weight cattle will have an approximate Hot weight of 610lbs. The entire cow cut, wrapped and delivered would be $3050.00. For a Half $1525.00 and a Quarter $762.50. (If the cow weighs less the cost is less.) Box weight delivered for the entire cow would be between 396-427lbs (approx. 366lbs without soup bones). This equates to a price/ lb of delivered meat between $7.12- $7.70/lb (approx. $8.30/lb without soup bones). I expect the example of the 1000lb live weight will be at the upper end of where cattle will be. Most will come in at the 850-950lb range this year. Individual Cuts are priced based on a comparison of at least 3 grocery stores prices and I attempt to do better. A reservation list for the fall processing is currently open. A deposit will be required in late August so that I can confirm the processing dates in October. Once the butcher provides me with the hot weight I send an invoice for the remaining amount. Payment can be made via e-transfer or check. I have processing dates booked for the first three weeks of October. This would mean late October early November delivery dates. If you would like to reserve an order please let me know. I can also walk you through deciding what custom cuts to choose based on your preferences.

Training the Cattle

By Adam Kaine • November 1, 2022

Every day I go out and check the herd. I do it with as little stress to them as possible. At first I would be lucky to get within 50 meters of them. I've slowly been getting closer and closer. Today was the turning point. Jack and I started across the field to check on them. When they saw us they started coming to me. I just stopped Jack where we were and waited. after I stopped this video I rode through the herd without any fuss. Ranching doesn't have to be a rodeo. A slow calm approach reduces stress on the cattle and in the end makes working with them a lot easier. Taking shortcuts never pays off in savings. There are 3 gates between the North pasture (where the cattle are) and the south pasture where we all letting the grass grow thick and lush before moving the cattle on to it. Tonight I was riding Turbo and as usual Jack was along for the fun. I opened the center gate then stopped to take the picture with Indi (the cattle dog). In a moment of “I really don’t know what I was thinking” I decided to leave the gate open as we were only going to do a quick check and then ride right back. The second picture is seconds before 64 cattle decided to chase the cattle dog, and it was a site to see. Indi in the run for his life with all the cattle in hot pursuit. Of course Indi ran straight for the open gate. By the time I got to the gate with Turbo half the herd were through. After a full lap of the south pasture I managed to reunite the herd. Note to self shortcuts don’t pay. Do it right or don’t do it at all

Grass and Water

By Adam Kaine • November 1, 2022

Two things that I am really excited about. WHY because they are FREE and I have them; and if I'm smart about it I will continue to have them. I went down the road of regenerative agriculture not only because I strongly believe it is better for the environment but because the concept of minimizing input costs to maximize return on investment make perfect business sense. A lot of News articles and agriculture forums mention how input costs are currently outpacing revenue. Fertilizer is expected to rise 300% (I have not fact check this- why because I don't use any chemical inputs), the price of Hay makes me want to cry, Gas and Diesel for equipment is at all time highs, the cost of purchasing equipment is also something that seems out of reach for most. The cost of everything is rising. The reason we hear about most often is because of disruptions in the supply chain; Covid, border protests, the war in Ukraine, pipelines, no pipelines drought, floods, forest fires, hurricanes the reasons seem never ending. In the end no matter the reason (real or perceived) the increased costs are passed on to us, the consumer. Walk through your local grocery store and take a look at where the food came from. The longer the distance your food travels the more the increased handling and transportation costs are going to be passed on. So back to Grass and Water and why I'm excited. I walked the ranch this morning and I realized that mother nature is providing me all the input requirements I need FREE OF CHARGE. By working with the land and not overstocking we are starting the spring with plenty of grass. That grass does more that just feed cattle, It creates a armour to protect the soil from overheating, allowing water to be retained. When that water arrives in the form of rain or snow melt the grass prevents runoff. The grass also sequesters carbon and nitrogen right out of the air ALSO FREE OF CHARGE. We have a truck a tractor a side by side and a few implements that we attempt to minimize the use of. Otherwise the "employees" (ranchers, horses and cows) and mother nature do all the work. The only supply chain we worry about is the distance from the Ranch to the Custom butcher to your front door, usually less that 100KM. Walking the ranch today I realized the land is doing a great job all by itself. There are natural swales capturing snow melt into small catchments waiting for the soil to thaw so it can soak in all that water. The grasses, left plentiful last fall, are ready to receive the next herd of cattle and even the ponds that after last years drought were almost empty are full again. That is why I apply Regenerative Agriculture practices and why I am so excited about Grass and Water.

Raised Naturally

By Adam Kaine • November 1, 2022

Raised Naturally is something we truly believe in at Sky Hound Ranch. Our grass is our greatest asset and is what grows our cattle. We don’t want their food covered in chemicals. Agriculture should be about fostering life and growing natural nutrient dense food. Herbicides, Pesticides, Fungicides by their name are about killing, however they more often kill the good with the bad and strip the soil. Regenerative Agriculture is a process that is trying to reverse that course. Avoiding tillage, rotational grazing, diversity of forage species, cover crops are just a few ways that we can improve the soil and ultimately improve our environment. We should all want to know what goes into the food we eat. The best way to do this is reach out to a local farmer, one who will welcome you, show how your food is raised, treated and harvested. Contrary to what you might see at rodeo events, working cattle on the Ranch is done in a slow and low stress manner. Over the summer we continually ride through the herd getting the cattle use to us and the horses. That way when it is time to rotate pastures or round up for transport its just another day of walking around for them. We strive to have our animals live as good a life as possible until that "one bad day". During their time with us they have lots of good grass, ample water, kind treatment and low stress handling. I would often ride out to check the herd and on my way back to the "barn" find I had approximately 80 cows following me, and no they were not keeping 6 feet apart

The Story of Grampy

By Adam Kaine • November 1, 2022

One of my biggest influences was my Grandfather. At the age of 3 my "Grampy" put me on a horse and I was hooked. He had a number of horses, big beautiful horses, Chico (I still have a scar on my thumb from feeding carrots to him with my thumb up in the air), Sheila his go to mare and his Palomino- Amad a mixture of my name because my mom refused to allow him to name a horse after her son:-) In the early 1970s our vacations were wagon trains like the one from Wood Mountain Saskatchewan to Wolfe Point Montana in 1972. At 3 years old I wanted to be one of the outriders but was stuck with Mom and Nannie as they drove the car and trailer to the next nights stop, not fair after all I was a cowboy (at least that is what my 3 year old self thought). Grampy taught me to ride on a little pony named Candy but I wanted to be on Chico and riding with the cowboys. Those were great summers, stopping each night for a barn dance or a pow wow and usually ending the last day as part of the opening parade for some rodeo somewhere. By 1972 I was upgraded to "wagon passenger" still not what my now 4 year old self wanted but at least I got to spend the day with Grampy on the trail. To say I wanted to be just like Grampy might be an understatement. When we were not riding we were fishing or hunting or traveling to rodeos. So while I look forward to our first full year of running Sky Hound Ranch I am taking time to reflect on the man who put me on the path to who I am today. Grampy I miss you but I know you are in a better place where the sun always shines, the meadows are green and the horses never buck, well almost never.

The Ranch Why

By Adam Kaine • November 1, 2022

Although 2020/2021 have been tough on all of us with the Covid Pandemic, I have managed to find something good. It has been a life long dream to run my own Ranch. After a long search we purchased some land in Lac Ste Anne County and on March 31 2021 Sky Hound Ranch was established. I would like to thank everyone who has supported and encouraged me while I worked to make this a reality. Why a Ranch and Why now? This has been asked to me a lot. As a kid I grew up in Saskatchewan, influenced by my grandfather. Horseback riding, camping, fishing and spending weekends at rodeos with ranch friends and helping out during branding season. After leaving home my 27 years in the military and years after that as helicopter pilot flying mostly in Central America and West Africa had me travel the globe. I saw some absolute beautiful places and some that I would rather forget. I also saw the damage that "progress" was doing to the environment. It made me want to get back to my beginnings, horses, cattle, and ranching. After reading about permaculture and regenerative agriculture I decided that was the direction I wanted to go. I suppose like everyone else the pandemic has given me time to think about what is important. So with minimal experience I took the leap. After years of it "not being the right time" the pandemic made me realize there is no time like the present It took over two years of searching to find the right piece of land for the Ranch. Countless hours searching the internet, thousands of KMs on the truck going to look at properties and a few false starts (I got excited but they didn't pass the "Beverly" test) and a few missed opportunities. So what were we looking for? I wanted a quarter section that was suitable for horses and cattle, something that was fenced, or could be, with lots of pasture and water available, could be a turn key farm or bare land to develop. Beverly was more concerned with proximity, she wanted something within an hour of town and it had to have some diversity, fields, hills, trees and as a Maritimer water was highly desirable. She once told me it had to pass the "Ice Cream test". That meant that if she bought Ice Cream at the Grocery store she would have to make it home before it melted. I offered to buy a cooler that plugged into car but apparently that was not part of the rules. Luckily after an exhaustive search we found our little piece of heaven. Sky Hound Ranch is 149 Acres 55 minutes away from our home in St Albert. It is located on the west side or Lessard Lake, in Lac Ste Anne County From the edge of the property to the shore of Lessard Lake is about 180 meters. It is fenced for livestock and apart from one old cattle shelter there was no infrastructure, but it had everything we were looking for. There is about 100 acres of pasture. The pasture is currently divided into the "South" pasture and the "North" pasture. They are rolling hills with some tree line wind breaks and some scattered copse of trees. Each Pasture has a dugout for water. The South East corner of the property has 30 acres that is mixed forest (bush). There are numerous trails crossing the woods and it extends into both the South and North pasture also providing shelter for the animals. On the far eastern edge there is 19 acres of wetland with a 3 acres pond in the middle. During the spring/ Summer season there are 60-100 ducks, geese and other birds in the wetlands on any given day. Even though we are in our first year we have been amazed at the diversity of plant and animal live our little corner of the world supports. Beverly has been cataloging the birds and has identified well over 40 species of birds and is in the process of logging the varieties plant life. Deer, Elk, Coyotes criss cross the Ranch and although I have not seen one yet Moose also populate the area. When we first looked at the property it was the dead of winter. By the time we bought it the snow was still hanging on in parts of the property but the trees were still bare and the grass was still brown. I knew I had struck gold when I took Beverly up in early June after everything was green. With tears in her eyes said "This is absolutely beautiful". She was 100% correct.