Ask Your Butcher: Try Some Lesser Known Cuts from the Whole Beef
Our whole-animal mission makes the most of our sustainably sourced meat with a variety of cuts of beef you might not have heard of before.
We source all of the meat we purchase as whole animals direct from our network of local farmers. Each whole beef gets broken down into large format "primal' pieces, then our team of butchers skillfully cuts these into whole muscles, like you see in the photo below. Eventually, these whole muscles will be trimmed up and portioned into steaks, sliced into stir fry, cut into stew, or tied into roasts. The remaining bits and pieces we call “trim” will become ground beef.
Everyone knows the hits: NY strips and skirt steaks are always the first cuts to be requested and sold. But there are so many more cuts to know and love from a whole animal. Our butchers can always offer alternatives to fit any recipe. Thinking about short ribs? Have you ever tried cross-cut shanks? Feeling like a boneless ribeye? Have you tried a chuck steak, or maybe a Denver steak?
The teres major, or as we call it, “chuck tender” is true to its namesake and just perfect to sear and slice for a steak salad. It’s roughly the size of a pork tenderloin and one of the most tender cuts on a beef. Ranch steaks are quick-cooking shoulder steaks that are full of flavor, and baseball steaks are similar, but cut from a muscle in the “round” or leg. We love both of these steaks on the grill in summer time, but know they are also a customer favorite for sous vide cooking.
Want to explore some lesser known cuts? The Primal Supply Butcher’s Club is a weekly curated box where members get a selection of steaks and roasts from the whole animal. You can also order a Butcher’s Choice package from our online store for a one-time experience of favorite cuts selected by our team. Get to know your local butcher and try some new steaks on the grill this summer!