This category includes cuts taken from different parts of the carcass, including ground beef, stew meat, and soup bones.

 

Cuts: 

beef bones = beef soup bones  Notes:  These are usually boiled with other ingredients to make a flavorful soup base.  The meatier the better.  Substitutes:  shank OR short ribs

beef shank   Notes:   This isn't a tender cut, but it's rich in flavor and great for making soups.   Substitutes:  veal shank OR stew beef (for beef bourguignonne) OR short ribs

cube steak = cubed steak = braising beef = minute steak  Notes:  This is a relatively tough cut of meat that the butcher tenderizes by turning it almost into hamburger.  In some parts of the country, a minute steak is a small, thin sirloin steak. Substitutes:  hamburger (formed into a patty)

ground beef = hamburger = mince beef Notes:   This varies in quality depending upon what part of the carcass the meat came from.  Ground chuck has a high fat content, which means it makes the juiciest hamburgers and meatloaf.  Ground round is very lean, and a good choice if you're trying to reduce the fat in your diet.  Ground sirloin is also lean, but it's more flavorful (and more expensive) than ground round.   Substitutes:  ground chicken OR ground turkey OR ground lamb OR portobello mushrooms (These are great for grilling; don't wash or marinate, just brush with oil while they're on the grill.) OR TVP

hamburger  See ground beef.  

mince beef   See ground beef.  

oxtail   Equivalents:  one oxtail = 2 pounds  Notes:  Cooks use these to make oxtail soup.  Each oxtail weighs about 2 pounds.  Substitutes:  kangaroo tails OR beef shank OR short ribs

stew beef = beef for stew = diced beef  Notes:   These cubes of meat are tough enough to require slow cooking in a liquid.  Don't use them for kabobs--they're too tough for the grill. Substitutes:  chuck steak (cut into small pieces)

Copyright © 1996-2005  Lori Alden