Beef chuck is the biggest primal cut of beef, and it's the source of some of the most flavorful steaks and roasts. But it's not just big — it's also complicated, made up of more than a dozen separate muscles, several large bones, and quite a bit of connective tissueholding it all together.
What Is the Beef Chuck Primal Cut?
In the old days, a whole beef chuck would simply be cut up into thick roasts. These days, butchers are learning to take the beef chuck apart one muscle at a time, introducing new steaks and roasts that didn't exist a decade or two ago.
One approach isn't necessarily better than the other. Sure, it's true that sometimes, in our search for the next new thing, or new way of doing something (often just for the sake of newness), it's possible to lose sight of what made the original so good to begin with.
Still, the beef chuck is loaded with meaty, beef flavor, and as long as it's prepared and cooked properly, you really can't go wrong. Here, then, is an overview of the mighty beef chuck, with examples of the many different steaks and roasts it can be broken down into, and the best ways of cooking each one. More »
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The Beef Chuck Tender: Not Tender At All
As if it's not already hard enough to figure out all these different steaks and roasts, someone has to go and give them confusing names, too? Like the so-called "chuck tender." It may be a lot of things, but "tender" is not one of them. More »Chuck Roll and Chuck Shoulder Clod
The chuck roll and chuck shoulder clod are the two major boneless subprimals that come from the beef chuck. The shoulder clod is the big muscle on the outside of the shoulder, and the chuck roll comes from underneath the shoulder blade. More »
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Chuck Eye Steaks: Delmonico or Not?
This is another one of those cases where someone in the marketing department may have gotten a little bit carried away. Chuck eye steaks are actually quite good. They're made from the same muscle that ribeye steaks are made from. But calling them "Delmonico steaks" might be a bit of a stretch. More »Beef Chuck Roll: Steaks and Roasts
The chuck roll is usually split into two sections, the chuck eye and the underblade. The chuck eye is where chuck eye steaks come from, and the underblade gives us a couple of newer steaks: the Denver steak and the Sierra steak. More »
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The 7-Bone Roast: A Classic Beef Chuck Roast
Some things never go out of style — or if they do, it's for no discernible good reason. Such is the case with the 7-bone chuck roast. It's an old-school roast, to be sure, and it needs to be braised for a while before it will relinquish its heavenly, beefy magic. But the 7-bone roast is pure comfort food. More »Beef Chuck Shoulder Clod: Steaks and Roasts
The shoulder clod is large clump of tough muscles on the outside of the shoulder. It gets a lot of exercise from locomotion and supporting the weight of the steer, but it does feature one large muscle which is surprisingly tender. More »What is a Flat Iron Steak?
The flat iron steak is made from the top blade muscle, which comes from the shoulder clod. It's tender and flavorful and has good marbling. To make it, the butcher will fillet the top blade lengthwise, like a fish, to remove a seam of tough connective tissue in the middle of it. It's great for grilling, broiling, or pan-searing on a cast-iron skillet. More »What is a Denver Steak?
Denver steaks come from a flat muscle called the serratus ventralis, which is part of the the chuck underblade. They're flavorful steaks, and they're theoretically tender enough to grill, but it's important to slice them against the grain. Marinating beforehand is also a good idea. More »
What is a Sierra Steak?
Sierra steaks also come from the underblade, and they have coarse muscle fibers similar to the ones you'll see in a flank steak. In fact, the best way to cook Sierra steaks is the same way you would cook a flank steak: marinate it, grill it quickly over high heat, and then slice it against the grain. Just be careful not to overcook it. More »What is a Beef Blade Steak?
Beef blade steaks are made from the exact same muscle as the flat iron steak. The only difference is that instead of filleting it lengthwise as for a flat iron, the steaks are made by cutting cross sections right across the muscle. The main drawback is that it leaves that tough layer of connective tissue intact, which can make for chewy eating. More »
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