Beef Cut Descriptions

Below are the main primal cuts available.

CHUCK – The chuck is very flavourful and comes from the front shoulder. This cut is typically a pot roast, other alternatives are steak or hamburger. This primal cut is ideal for one-pot slow roast cooking or braising.  

RIB – The Rib area yields an excellent quality of steak with high marbling. This cut comes from the front section of the backbone area. The most common cut from this area is the Rib Steak or Prime Rib Roast.  Better yet order some of both, why choose. All rib cuts come with bone-in.  

LOIN –The loin consists of the Short Loin and Tenderloin, the area below the backbone. This is where some of the most tender and popular cuts come from. This primal gives you the T-bone steak. If you want the Tenderloin cut into Filet Mignon it is not possible to request Filet Mignon along with T-bones. The T-bones have a piece of tenderloin on one side of the bone (like a Filet Mignon).

SIRLOIN – The Sirloin is a versatile, flavorful part of the beef.  The Sirloin is most often cut into steaks that come from the short loin. Some like to have it ground into hamburger to increase that delicious beef taste or turned into Sirloin tip roasts. 

ROUND – The Round offers many options! This is the most inexpensive cut, the leanest and least tender of the primal cuts. The Eye of the Round roast is typically left as one large, whole roast, lean and flavorful. Rump Roast are usually done as a boneless. 

The Top Round can be cut into steak roasts or ground. The Bottom Round can be cut into roast for slow cooking pot roasts like the Eye of Round and Rump Roast, Round Steak or  ground into hamburger.  Families who use a lot of hamburgers will often have all of the round ground saving the Eye of the Round roast for a special occasion and helping to lean out the ground. 

BRISKET – The brisket is typically left whole or split into half for marinating slow cooking or smoking. The brisket is only available on half or whole purchases. Otherwise, the brisket is turned into hamburger.  On side and whole orders please indicate if you would like the brisket, and cut into two pieces or left whole. 

SHANK (soup bones) – A portion of the leg, which is used extensively for movement. The Shank is cut into cross sections called Shank Cross-Cuts which are braised to make flavorful, fork-tender dishes or smaller pieces for soup bones. This is also the area you get those juicy dog bones from.

SHORT RIBS – Short ribs are taken from the forequarter after the brisket is removed. They’re made up of rib bone and layers of rib meat and fat. Simmering the ribs before cooking breaks down the connective tissue, ensuring a tender, moist result. Rich and full-flavoured, short ribs take on flavour well. The length of ribs can be varied.

BLADE – The Blade comes from the forequarter in the rib area. Blade roasts come from the shoulder area and is made up of several muscles containing layers. This tasty cut is best-roasted whole, allowing the connective tissue to break down, taking on the full-bodied flavour while tenderizing the meat. Blade steak is a versatile cut with a great flavour that can be barbecued, pan-fried, cut into strips for stir-fries or diced for slow-cooking.

STEW MEAT – Comes from the front shoulder area and is one of the less-tender but very flavourful cuts. Lean pieces will be used from what would otherwise be ground into hamburger. Stewing beef is ideal for slow cooking to break down the fibres into  mouth-watering tender meat. The other alternative is to turn the stewing meat into ground.

OFFAL – If you are a fan of offal meat, or feed pets a raw diet you can have the Tongue, Heart, Liver and Oxtail. Beef liver comes sliced in one-pound packages. Oxtail is cut between the vertebrae, this robust piece is best slow-cooked in rich, gelatinous sauces.

Custom Cut Beef 

Custom cut and wrap

Custom cut beef is available on bulk orders of quarters, sides and whole beef orders. All our beef comes fast frozen and wrapped in butcher paper.

Quanity of product

Cut requests do not need to indicate quantities, only roasts size, steak thickness and number per pack.The total amount varies based on cutting.

Need Help

If you have not ordered directly from the farm before, we prefer you arrange a time to go over the cutting directly with us; it usually takes 15-20 minutes. 

Steak Thickness

Steak thickness on quarters needs to match the other quarter. Steaks cut at 1- 1 1/2 inches are often the best choices.

View a sample cut sheet here.

Custom cutting is only available on bulk orders.

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