Guide to Welsh Beef Cuts

Do you know your fillet from your brisket? Or your topside from your sirloin? When choosing Welsh beef, it’s important to select the right cut for the right cooking method. Take a look at our easy-to-use guide or consult our handy beef primal cuts diagram and never get caught out again.

Shin (foreleg) and Leg (hind leg)
The shin and leg are lean cuts with a high proportion of connective tissue, which are perfect for stews, casseroles, soups and stock.

Neck
The neck is usually sold cut into pieces and is suitable for stewing and braising. It’s commonly used for mincing.

Chuck and Blade
A fairy lean cut of high-quality beef that is removed from the bone and sold as chuck steak, diced chuck. It’s suitable for braising and stewing and is very good for pie fillings.

Brisket
Brisket can be purchased on the bone but is nowadays more commonly sold boned and rolled. It’s suitable for slow pot roasting.

Forerib
The traditional cut of roast beef. It can be purchased either on the bone or boned and rolled. It’s also used to prepare the increasingly popular rib-eye steak.

Fillet
The fillet muscle is found on the inner side of the rib bones and is normally removed in one piece. Typically, it’s available in slices as fillet steak or can be obtained in pieces for a Beef Wellington or Stroganoff.

Sirloin
Sirloin is a very tender and succulent cut of beef that can be purchased on the bone but is usually sold boned and rolled to produce an easy carve supreme roasting joint. It’s mostly sold in slices as sirloin steaks that are suitable for frying, grilling and barbecuing.

Rump
Rump is a lean and tender cut, normally sold in slices for grilling, frying and barbecuing.

Topside
A lean cut of beef, with little or no fat, topside can be purchased with a thin layer of fat tied to it for added succulence. It makes for an ideal roasting joint, It’s also available in slices and is suitable as a quick frying steak.

Silverside
Silverside is a lean cut of beef most often used for roasting and pot roasting. Traditionally it’s used for salting and is sold sliced as salted beef.

Top Rump
A lean cut of beef suitable for roasting, pot-roasting and braising.

Steaks
Steaks are slices of the most tender cuts of meat e.g., Sirloin, Fillet, Rump, Rib-Eye and T-Bone. Steaks can also be sold cut into stir fry strips.

Mince
The nation’s favourite midweek meat, mince is prepared from a variety of lean cuts and can also be used to make burgers.