# What is this beef cut, and what do I do with it? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 8, 2010, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-beef-cut-and-what-do-i-do-with-it/546005 "2010-07-08T19:43:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-beef-cut-and-what-do-i-do-with-it/546005/1 "2010-07-08T19:43:02Z")
We got “beef for boiling” as part of a meat CSA package. It weighs three pounds, and is essentially an oblong slab of beef with less fat than you’d think something labeled “beef for boiling” should have. It is about 2.5 inches thick. I think it has a bone, but I’m not certain. I can provide pictures if necessary. Does anyone know what this cut might be? I’m not at all keen on doing what the label tells me to. I’m guessing maybe a braise or crockpot would be decent, but it would be more helpful if I knew what it really was. And before you say “ask the farmer,” this has been sitting in the freezer since April and I’m guessing the farmer doesn’t remember at this point. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-beef-cut-and-what-do-i-do-with-it/546005/2 "2010-07-08T20:00:40Z")
A picture would help. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-beef-cut-and-what-do-i-do-with-it/546005/3 "2010-07-08T20:04:21Z")
Seconding the picture request. But based on the description, I would suggest braising it. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-beef-cut-and-what-do-i-do-with-it/546005/4 "2010-07-08T20:17:37Z")
Ugh, no meat should EVER be boiled. Poached or braised, sure, but boiled? Blech… But yeah, it’s nearly impossible to tell you what it is without pictures, though based on the rough description and that it’s labeled as being for boiling (ugh) and not grilling/steaks, I’d say it’s not any shank cut, tenderloin, ribeye, sirloin, strip, hanger steak, flat iron steak, skirt steak, or flank steak. It’s most likely brisket, shoulder, or rump. ---
**Author:** ![antonio107](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7ea924/32.png) [@antonio107](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antonio107)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-beef-cut-and-what-do-i-do-with-it/546005/5 "2010-07-08T21:35:57Z")
> [@bouv](#): > > It’s most likely **brisket** , shoulder, or rump. BBQ brisket is to die for…if that’s what it is, look for a recipe on the internet and slow cook that bad boy! ---
**Author:** ![Alpha\_Twit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alpha_twit/32/265_2.png) [@Alpha\_Twit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpha_Twit)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-beef-cut-and-what-do-i-do-with-it/546005/6 "2010-07-08T21:37:14Z")
> [@bouv](#): > > It’s most likely brisket, shoulder, or rump. As the OP describes the cut as “less fat than you’d think” then I doubt heavily it’s brisket. Beef round seems much more likely to my way of thinking. ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-beef-cut-and-what-do-i-do-with-it/546005/7 "2010-07-08T21:41:41Z")
My first thought when I saw the “beef for boiling” note was did they mean for something like New England Boiled Dinner? That’s usually brisket - corned or plain. Maybe they really meant beef for stewing? ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-beef-cut-and-what-do-i-do-with-it/546005/8 "2010-07-08T21:43:05Z")
Interesting link listing cuts for boiling: [http://www.fleisch-teilstuecke.at/en/tsdetail\_rind/fts/1403/1000.1311/](http://www.fleisch-teilstuecke.at/en/tsdetail_rind/fts/1403/1000.1311/) ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-beef-cut-and-what-do-i-do-with-it/546005/9 "2010-07-09T00:40:49Z")
> [@Motorgirl](#): > > Interesting link listing cuts for boiling: > [http://www.fleisch-teilstuecke.at/en/tsdetail\_rind/fts/1403/1000.1311/](http://www.fleisch-teilstuecke.at/en/tsdetail_rind/fts/1403/1000.1311/) Man, I want to cut some thin little steaklets out of whatever that cut on the upper left is. Yum! ---
**Author:** ![Ibanez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a4c791/32.png) [@Ibanez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibanez)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-beef-cut-and-what-do-i-do-with-it/546005/10 "2010-07-09T01:23:03Z")
I don’t think there’s a bone in it cows have big bones, if there was it would be heavier than 3 lbs. With that cut of meat I would either make a beef stir fry or a beef dip in a crock pot (thin cuts of beef). If you want the recipe let me know. You could make a stew but it be a second rate stew due to the lack of fat. ---
**Author:** ![Tetramydes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/41988e/32.png) [@Tetramydes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tetramydes)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-beef-cut-and-what-do-i-do-with-it/546005/11 "2010-07-09T08:24:36Z")
From the description, I’d guess it’s either beef shank or a piece of pectoral meat, though a picture would help considerably. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-beef-cut-and-what-do-i-do-with-it/546005/12 "2010-07-09T13:38:26Z")
> [@Alpha\_Twit](#): > > As the OP describes the cut as “less fat than you’d think” then I doubt heavily it’s brisket. Beef round seems much more likely to my way of thinking. Also, if there’s a bone, it’s not brisket. I’m not sure what cut it is, based on the description, but if I saw something with the note “boiling beef” on it, I would end up using it in any long, slow-cooked application like a stew. Or possibly a beef broth. ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-beef-cut-and-what-do-i-do-with-it/546005/13 "2010-07-09T15:03:30Z")
I’ll take a picture when I get home. It doesn’t look like a brisket at all. It’s literally the shape of a brick. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-beef-cut-and-what-do-i-do-with-it/546005/14 "2010-07-09T15:05:11Z")
Then toss it in a crock pot or braise it in the oven. Can’t really go wrong with those methods. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-beef-cut-and-what-do-i-do-with-it/546005/15 "2010-07-09T16:33:45Z")
> [@Taomist](#): > > Man, I want to cut some thin little steaklets out of whatever that cut on the upper left is. Yum! I’m not sure you do…that’s chuck, one of the toughest cuts on the cow if you don’t cook it right. And cooking it like a steak (hot, dry, fast heat) is not the way to go. Even slicing it thin doesn’t help. I mean…imagine eating a 1/2" thick piece of leather…yeah, better than a 1" thick piece, but that doesn’t mean you want to eat it! 😛 But cook chuck low and slow in some sort of flavorful liquid (as either a braise or a stew) and it just falls to pieces in your mouth as all that connective tissue gets dissolved. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-beef-cut-and-what-do-i-do-with-it/546005/16 "2010-07-09T20:13:20Z")
[Ropa Vieja](http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Ropa-Vieja-11486) ---
**Author:** ![redtail23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3e96dc/32.png) [@redtail23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/redtail23)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-beef-cut-and-what-do-i-do-with-it/546005/17 "2010-07-09T20:16:39Z")
Maybe chuck? I’d probably either make stew/soup out of it, or do a pot roast. Mmmm, pot roast. Stew/soup is pretty no-fail, though. Some cuts (like rump) don’t pot roast very well. ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-beef-cut-and-what-do-i-do-with-it/546005/18 "2010-07-09T20:30:14Z")
Pictures: [One side](http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g244/drainbead/53a47a42.jpg) [The other side](http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g244/drainbead/b7c4c6f1.jpg) Most of the meat looks like the second picture–the majority of the fat is that layer on the top in that first picture. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-beef-cut-and-what-do-i-do-with-it/546005/19 "2010-07-09T20:49:27Z")
Crock pot with red wine is what I would do. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-beef-cut-and-what-do-i-do-with-it/546005/20 "2010-07-09T21:23:58Z")
Yeah, I’d cube it, throw it into a crock pot with onions, potatoes, carrots, celery and red wine. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-beef-cut-and-what-do-i-do-with-it/546005.md?page=2)