Know Every Cut.
Twenty-five steak cuts, organized the way a butcher breaks down a steer — from the shoulder to the flank. Every guide gives you the anatomy, the seasoning, the right fire, the exact internal temperature, and the Steakman method to cook it right.
A steak is only as good as your understanding of where it came from. Every cut on this page is carved from one of the primals — the large sections a butcher separates a steer into — and each primal has its own personality. Muscles that work hard, like the chuck and round, build deep flavor and firm texture. Muscles that barely move, like the short loin, stay tender and lean. Knowing which is which tells you exactly how to season it, how hot to run your fire, and when to pull it.
That is what this guide is for. Instead of a generic "cook to 135°F" answer, each cut page gives you the real playbook: whether to run cast iron or a two-zone grill, whether salt-and-pepper or a full rub serves the beef better, the pull temperature for every level of doneness, and the carryover you need to account for while it rests. Start with the marbled and forgiving cuts like the ribeye, then work toward the leaner, less-forgiving cuts once your temperature control is dialed in.
Browse by primal below. Each one opens with what makes that section of the steer unique, followed by every cut we have documented from it — ordered so you can move from the easiest wins to the cuts that demand the most precision.
The hard-working shoulder. Deeply beefy, well-marbled, and packed with connective tissue — the chuck rewards cooks who understand heat and patience.
The marbling capital of the steer. Rich, forgiving, and buttery, the rib primal gives us the ribeye and the tomahawk — the cuts most people picture when they think 'steak.'
The premium middle. Tender, lean, and prized, the short loin delivers the strip, the filet, and the bone-in giants — the porterhouse and T-bone.
The value powerhouse. Firm, flavorful, and affordable, the sirloin primal is where smart cooks find big beef flavor without the prime-cut price tag.
The lean rear. Low in fat and honest in price, the round demands precise temperature control and a sharp knife to shine.
The underbelly. Loose-grained and intensely beefy, the plate gives us skirt and hanger — the butcher's-secret cuts built for high heat and thin slicing.
The abdominal wall. Lean, fibrous, and full of flavor, flank is the marinade-and-sear cut that lives or dies on a razor-thin slice against the grain.
No matter which cut you land on, the craft is the same: respect the cut, control the fire, and watch the temperature. Pair the right guide with the right gear from the arsenal, and read the standard behind every recommendation on this site. The pit is open.