Overview

A beef carcass is divided into four main sections, two forequarters and two hindquarters that is usually divided between the tenth and eleven rib of the carcass.

Hump

The hump is a boneless cut with a coarse, well-marbled texture used for a variety of dishes. Usually the breed and species is what will determine the size of the cut so please enquire about size if necessary. It is excellent for stews!

Neck

The neck, which is a very flavourful and tender cut when cooked for long periods of time consists of a large proportion of bone and white connective tissue. Before cooking it is essential to remove the thick yellow sinew otherwise the meat will not soften

Shin

Contains a large proportion of bone and white connective tissue that contribute to the taste. Purchase cut and cooking method Shin bone-in is a cut prepared from the lower part of either the front ( fore-quarter) or rear leg (hind-quarter). The shin is an often overlooked cut which contains a large proportion of bone and white connective tissue that help contribute to a delightful taste, strong in flavour and wonderful for stews. Slow, moist cooking methods over a low heat break down the connective tissue and allow the bone to give flavour. The meat is tender, making it an excellent cut for casseroles and curries.

Bolo

This cut is a bright red muscle layer which has on top what looks like a red patch. Bolo does not contain much intramuscular fat and is also boneless. Therefore resulting in a very lean and versatile cut. This cut has a coarse texture with a few muscle layers that can also be separated further.

Chuck Steak

Contains six vertebrae; six to seven rib bones, the blade bone, backbone and yellow connective tissue. It consists of several muscle layers Purchase cut and cooking method Chuck has several muscle layers and comes from the rib area. Contains six vertebrae; six to seven rib bones, the blade bone, backbone and yellow connective tissue. It consists of several muscle layers. Chuck steaks require a little more prep than more expensive cuts, but the value makes them worth the effort. You can prepare a delicious Chuck steak in the oven, Slow cooker or braai , but it is also great for grilling. Just remember, the more you grill a steak the tougher it will get, so try to stay at medium or medium-rare to achieve a tender result.

Short Rib

Beef short also known as flat rib comes from the fore-quarter & Hind-quarter and contains slight fat aswell as white cartilage is a highly flavourful cut.The cut has a flat shape and of course has rib bones.

Brisket

The cut contains breast bone and a few ribs. It is divided into the point brisket, mid-brisket and navel end. The texture of the meat is coarse. Purchase cut and cooking method The Brisket is a cut which contains breast bone and a few ribs. Ordinarily the cut is divided into the point brisket, mid-brisket and navel end. While the texture of the meat is coarse it can be essential to a Sunday lunch when cooked as a brisket roll in a slow roast or braised.

Prime Rib

Consists of three to four rib bones and eye muscle. On top of the eye muscle there are several flat muscle layers separated by layers of fat and connective tissue Purchase cut and cooking method The Prime Rib has three to four rib bones as well as eye muscle. On top of the eye muscle there are several flat muscle layers separated by layers of fat and connective tissue. Prime rib is used to make our delicious rib eye steaks that really shouldn’t be missed. It can also be cooked in a slow roast and savoured with your meal.

Thin Flank

The thin flank comes from the hind-quarter and is located from the abdominal muscles or lower chest, this cut is an inexpensive cut of meat but still contains plenty of flavour making it excellent for short ribs or even slow roasting to serve with your Sunday lunc

Striploin

The strip loin (sirloin) does not contain any ribs. It contains the vertebrae with the T-shaped bone and the fillet on the one side and the eye muscle on the other. The meat is tender and has a fine texture. It is essential for fillet steaks, T-bone steaks and Porterhouse steaks.

Rump

This cut comes from the hindquarter that covers the hip bone. It’s made up of three of the five rump muscles that results in a mix of textures and various levels of tenderness. Full of flavour, rump is tender and can be used for Roasts, Casseroles, Espetada, Stir-Fry and Rump steaks

Fillet

The fillet is situated inside the carcass alongside the vertebral column, from the wing rib to the rump. The fillet is boneless and without fat, and the most tender cut in the carcass. Several delicious dishes can be made using this cut as steak such as Minute. Mignon. Picata and Tournedo

Silverside

Silverside Comes from the Buttocks (butt) and is a lean, boneless cut of meat that features only a small amount of marbled fat. This cut also has a wide-grained texture. It’s similar to topside with the difference being that silverside is a little tougher and requires longer cooking in order to enjoy it tenderness. It works well for Prego steaks, Beef Olives, Goulash cubes and biltong.

Topside

Very much like silverside, topside has a lot of flavour despite being a fairly priced cut. It comes from the hind-quarter of the cow and as a result is very lean. Just beneath the marbled fat layer is a thin muscle layer that is followed by two larger muscle layers. The texture is coarse and results in a great ingredient for a steak roll, stewing steak slices, stew, biltong and Holland steak.

Aitchbone

Aitchbone is part of the silverside. Contains the tail bone and the texture of the meat is coarse. Aitchbone isn’t that tender or well marbled, but the lean meat is flavourful, and doesn’t contain some fat, Aitchbone used for beef roast, should be cooked slowly to retain as much moisture as possible, Serve aitchbone cooked below the medium well- done point to achieve the best results.

Thick Flank

Comes from the hind quarter, and is an inexpensive, flavourful, and versatile cut of beef. It’s about a foot long and is cooked whole rather than divided into smaller individual steaks Due to the low level of fat and a large amount of connecting tissue, the thick flank is suitable as pot roast, cooked slowly in high humidity over a long period of time.