| Primal | American Name | British Name | Chinese (中文, Pinyin) | German Name | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chuck | Chuck Roast | Braising Steak / Chuck | 肩肉 (Jiān ròu) | Bugstück / Schulter | Flavourful, tough cut with lots of connective tissue; best braised or slow-cooked. |
| Chuck | Flat Iron Steak | Feather Blade | 板腱 (Bǎn jiàn) | Schaufelstück | Tender, well-marbled, taken from top blade; great grilled or pan-seared. |
| Rib | Ribeye Steak | Ribeye / Scotch Fillet | 肋眼牛排 (Lèyǎn niúpái) | Entrecôte / Hochrippe | Very marbled, juicy, and flavorful; excellent for grilling and pan-frying. |
| Rib | Prime Rib | Fore Rib Roast | 肋排 (Lèpái) | Hochrippe | Large rib section roast; tender and rich, often roasted whole. |
| Short Loin | T-Bone Steak | T-Bone Steak | 丁骨牛排 (Dīng gǔ niúpái) | T-Bone-Steak | Cut with a "T"-shaped bone, includes both tenderloin and strip. |
| Short Loin | Porterhouse Steak | Porterhouse | 大丁骨牛排 (Dà dīng gǔ niúpái) | Porterhouse-Steak | Similar to T-bone but with a larger tenderloin section. |
| Short Loin | Strip Steak / NY Strip | Sirloin / Striploin | 西冷牛排 (Xīlěng niúpái) | Rumpsteak / Roastbeef | Lean, tender, and flavorful; popular grilling steak. |
| Short Loin | Tenderloin / Filet Mignon | Fillet Steak / Beef Fillet | 里脊 (Lǐjǐ) | Filet / Lendenstück | Most tender cut, very lean, mild flavor; excellent grilled or roasted. |
| Sirloin | Sirloin Steak | Sirloin | 沙朗牛排 (Shālǎng niúpái) | Lendensteak | Balanced flavor and tenderness; versatile cooking. |
| Round | Top Round Roast | Silverside | 上圆肉 (Shàng yuán ròu) | Kugel | Lean, moderately tough; good for roasting, deli meat, or braising. |
| Round | Bottom Round | Topside | 下圆肉 (Xià yuán ròu) | Unterschale | Lean, less tender; used for roasts or slow-cooking. |
| Round | Eye of Round | Eye of Silverside | 圆眼肉 (Yuán yǎn ròu) | Semerrolle | Very lean, can be dry; best for roasting or thin slicing. |
| Brisket | Brisket | Brisket | 牛腩 (Niúnǎn) | Brust | Tough, fatty cut; perfect for BBQ, braising, or corned beef. |
| Plate | Skirt Steak | Skirt Steak / Thin Flank | 横膈膜肉 (Héng gémó ròu) | Kronfleisch | Long, flavorful, coarse grain; best marinated and grilled. |
| Plate | Short Ribs | Short Ribs | 牛小排 (Niú xiǎopái) | Querrippe | Meaty ribs with fat and connective tissue; ideal for braising or BBQ. |
| Flank | Flank Steak | Flank | 腹肉 (Fù ròu) | Dünnung / Bauchlappen | Lean, fibrous cut; flavorful, great for marinating and grilling. |
| Shank | Shank / Beef Shin | Shin / Leg | 牛腱 (Niú jiàn) | Hesse / Wade | Very tough with lots of collagen; best for stews and soups. |
| Various | Ground Beef / Mince | Minced Beef | 牛肉末 (Niúròu mò) | Hackfleisch | Finely ground beef from mixed cuts; versatile for burgers, sauces, and fillings. |
| Primal Cut | American Cut Name | British Cut Name | Chinese Name (中文名) | German Name | Description & Best Cooking Methods |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chuck | Chuck Roast | Braising Steak (for smaller cuts) | 肩脊肉 (Jiān jǐ ròu) / 牛肩肉 (Niú jiān ròu) | Schulterstück / Bug | A flavorful, well-marbled cut from the shoulder. Ideal for braising, pot roasting, or slow cooking. |
| Flat Iron Steak | Feather Blade Steak | 板腱肉 (Bǎn jiàn ròu) | Schulterfilet / Blatt | Tender and richly flavored. The second-most tender steak. Great for grilling, pan-searing, or broiling. | |
| Rib | Ribeye Steak | Rib Eye Steak | 肋眼牛排 (Lēi yǎn niúpái) | Ribeye Steak / Entrecôte | Extremely juicy, tender, and fatty due to its marbling. Best grilled, pan-seared, or broiled. |
| Prime Rib Roast | Fore Rib Roast | 战斧牛排 (Zhànfǔ niúpái) (bone-in) | Rostbraten / Rippenbraten | A large roast containing the ribeye muscles. Perfect for roasting for special occasions. | |
| Short Loin | T-Bone Steak | T-Bone Steak | T骨牛排 (T gǔ niúpái) | T-Bone Steak | A steak containing a strip on one side and tenderloin on the other, separated by a T-shaped bone. |
| Porterhouse Steak | Porterhouse Steak | 红屋牛排 (Hóng wū niúpái) | Porterhouse Steak | Similar to the T-Bone but with a larger portion of tenderloin. For grilling. | |
| Strip Steak | Sirloin Steak | 纽约 strip (Niǔyuē strip) | Striploin / Rumpsteak | A tender steak with a robust beefy flavor. Excellent for grilling or pan-searing. | |
| Sirloin | Top Sirloin Steak | Rump Steak | 上后腰脊肉 (Shàng hòu yāo jǐ ròu) | Hüftsteak | A lean, affordable, and versatile cut. Good for grilling, broiling, or pan-frying. |
| Tri-Tip Roast | Aitch Bone Roast (similar cut) | 三角肉 (Sānjiǎo ròu) | Bürgermeisterstück / Trizeps | A tender, flavorful triangular muscle. Perfect for grilling or roasting. | |
| Round | Top Round Roast | Topside | 米龙肉 (Mǐ lóng ròu) / 牛霖 (Niú lín) | Oberschale | A lean cut from the hind leg. Best roasted slowly and sliced thin. |
| Eye of Round Roast | Silverside (often cured) | 黄瓜条 (Huángguā tiáo) | Rolleder / Runde | A very lean, tough, and economical cut. Primarily used for roasting and slicing thin. | |
| Brisket | Brisket | Brisket | 牛胸肉 (Niú xiōng ròu) | Brustkern / Dünnung | A tough cut from the breast. Requires long, slow cooking like smoking or braising. |
| Plate | Skirt Steak | Skirt Steak | 牛裙肉 (Niú qún ròu) | Saumfleisch | A long, thin, and flavorful cut. The traditional choice for fajitas. Best cooked quickly over high heat. |
| Flank | Flank Steak | Flank Steak | 牛腹肉 (Niú fù ròu) | Flanke | A lean, flat cut with a pronounced beefy flavor. Excellent for marinating. Cook quickly over high heat. |
| Shank | Shank | Shin | 牛小腿肉 (Niú xiǎotuǐ ròu) / 牛腱 (Niú jiàn) | Hachse / Wade | Extremely tough and lean, full of collagen. Becomes tender only through braising or stewing. |
Key Notes on Naming Conventions:
| Name | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| Tenderloin (Short loin) | 牛柳 | niu2 liu3 |
| Porterhouse(Short loin) | 里脊,外脊 | li3 ji, wai4 ji. |
| T Bone (Short loin) | 丁字骨牛排 | ding1 zi4 gu3 niu2 pai2 |
| Strip loin (Short loin) | 嫩腰 | nen4 yao1 |
| Rib eye (Rib) | 上脑、 腰眼 | shang4 nao3, yao1 yan3 |
| Top Sirloin (Sirloin) | 米龙 | mi3 long2 |
| Tri-tip (Sirloin) | 三岔肉 | san1 cha4 rou4 |
| Hanger (Flank) | 牛腩 | niu2 nan2 |
| Flank, Skirt (Flank) | 腰窝 | yao1 wo1 |
| Rump (Round) | 后腿, 臀尖 | hou4 tui3, tun2 jian1 |
| Sirloin tip (Round) | 牛外脊 | niu2 wai4 ji. |
| Eye round (Round) | 榔头肉 | lang2 tou rou4 |
| Top Round (Round) | 后腿,底板肉 | hou4 tui3, di3 ban3 rou4 |
| Bottom Round (Round) | 黄瓜肉,腱子肉 | huang2 gua1 rou4, jian4 zi rou4 |
| Blade (Chuck eye) | 上脑,前烧 | shang4 nao3, qian2 shao1 |
| Bone (Chuck) | 牛肩肉 | niu2 jian1 rou4 |
| Shoulder (Chuck) | 前烧,牛肩肉 | qian2 shao1, niu2 jian1 rou4 |
| Shank | 肘子,蹄胖,牛腱子 | zhou3 zi, ti2 pang, niu2 jian4 zi |
| Plate | 牛筋肉,牛腩 | niu2 jin1 rou, niu2 nan2 |
| Brisket | 胸口肉 | xiong1 kou3 rou4 |