Where each cut sits on the animal and how it's best cooked — beef, pork, lamb and chicken.
| Cut | Where it's from | Cuts & cooking |
|---|---|---|
| Chuck | Shoulder & neck | Chuck steak, pot roast, mince — braise, slow-cook |
| Rib | Upper back (ribs 6–12) | Ribeye, prime rib, short rib — grill, roast |
| Short loin | Mid-back | T-bone, porterhouse, strip steak, filet — grill, fry |
| Sirloin | Hip / rear back | Sirloin steak, tri-tip — grill, roast |
| Round | Rear leg & rump | Rump roast, eye of round, topside — roast, braise |
| Brisket | Lower chest | Brisket — smoke, slow braise |
| Plate | Lower front belly | Skirt steak, short ribs — grill, braise |
| Flank | Lower rear belly | Flank steak — marinate, grill, slice thin |
| Shank | Legs | Osso buco, soup — long braise |
| Cut | Where it's from | Cuts & cooking |
|---|---|---|
| Shoulder (butt & picnic) | Front shoulder | Pulled pork, roast — braise, smoke |
| Loin | Back | Pork chops, tenderloin, baby back ribs — grill, roast |
| Belly | Underside | Bacon, pork belly, spare ribs — cure, roast, braise |
| Leg / ham | Rear leg | Ham, gammon, roast — cure, roast |
| Hock & trotter | Lower leg & foot | Stock, terrine — braise |
| Cut | Where it's from | Cuts & cooking |
|---|---|---|
| Shoulder | Front shoulder | Stew, slow roast — braise, roast |
| Rack / rib | Upper back | Rack of lamb, cutlets — roast, grill |
| Loin | Mid-back | Loin chops, saddle — grill, roast |
| Leg | Rear leg | Leg of lamb, steaks — roast |
| Breast | Underside | Rolled breast — slow roast, braise |
| Shank | Legs | Braised shank — long braise |
| Cut | Where it's from | Cuts & cooking |
|---|---|---|
| Breast | Front / chest | White meat — grill, fry, roast (don't overcook) |
| Thigh | Upper leg | Dark meat — braise, roast, grill (forgiving) |
| Drumstick | Lower leg | Dark meat — fry, roast, bake |
| Wing | Wing | Fry, grill, bake |
| Whole / carcass | Whole bird | Roast whole; bones for stock |
The single most useful rule in cooking meat: hard-working muscles need low and slow, lazy muscles need hot and fast. Cuts from the shoulder, leg and chest — chuck, shank, brisket, shoulder — do a lot of work, so they're full of connective tissue that only melts into tenderness with long, moist cooking like braising, stewing and smoking. Cuts from along the back (loin, rib) barely move, so they're naturally tender and suit quick, high-heat methods like grilling and frying. Match the method to where the cut sat on the animal and a cheap cut turns out better than an expensive one cooked wrong. Then check it's done with the internal temperature chart.