Meat cuts: which one to use for each cooking method
Picking the right cut solves half the job. A cut with lots of connective tissue, like shank, only turns tender with slow, moist cooking; a tender cut, like tenderloin, does well in a skillet or on the grill. This page groups those recommendations by cooking method.
The uses come from a Brazilian technical guide to beef cuts (IFTM), the Brazilian pork cuts manual (ABCS) and test kitchens for chicken. US names follow the USMEF nomenclature guide, which says it does not set anatomical or commercial equivalence: treat them as the name commonly used, not an exact match.
Which cut of beef should I use for each cooking method?
For the grill, the IFTM technical guide recommends picanha (top sirloin cap), tri-tip, top sirloin, strip loin, tenderloin, hump and outside skirt. For skillet steaks, tenderloin, strip loin, top sirloin and top round. For pot roast, chuck roll, bottom round, shank, eye of round and knuckle, among others.
The beef carcass is split between the 5th and 6th ribs: forequarter on one side, hindquarter on the other. Source: Ministério da Agricultura (MAPA).
| To make | Use | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Grilling / barbecue | Picanha (top sirloin cap), tri-tip, top sirloin, strip loin, tenderloin, hump, outside skirt; pork ribs, pork collar and pork chops; chicken thighs and drumsticks | IFTM, ESALQ/USP, ABCS, NPB, ATK |
| Skillet steak | Tenderloin, strip loin, top sirloin, top (inside) round, knuckle, outside skirt | IFTM |
| Pot roast / braise | Chuck roll, bottom round, shank, eye of round, knuckle, top round, shoulder clod, tri-tip, picanha, hump, outside skirt | IFTM |
| Ground meat | Chuck roll, knuckle, top round, brisket, shank, outside skirt; pork collar | IFTM, ABCS |
| Stroganoff | Tenderloin, strip loin, top sirloin, top round | IFTM |
| Oven roast | Tenderloin, strip loin, top sirloin, tri-tip, picanha, hump; fresh ham, pork loin and pork belly; chicken thighs | IFTM, ABCS, NPB, ATK |
| Pressure cooker | Chuck roll, shoulder clod, short plate ribs, top round, bottom round; pork ribs | Certified Angus Beef, NPB |
| Air fryer | Chicken wings; pork chops, pork ribs and pork belly | ATK, NPB |
Tap a name or a part of the drawing to see where the cut is.
- Hump
- Chuck roll
- Top blade / Flat iron
- Shoulder clod
- Brisket
- Thin skirt / flank (varia)
- Flank
- Short plate / ribs
- Hanger steak
- Cap of cube roll
- Ribeye
- Bone-in strip steak
- Strip loin
- T-bone / Porterhouse
- Top sirloin
- Top sirloin cap
- Tri-tip
- Eye of round
- Bottom (outside) round
- Knuckle (sirloin tip)
- Tenderloin
- Top (inside) round
- Shank
Source: MAPA, Portaria nº 5/1988
Tap a name or a part of the drawing to see where the cut is.
- Pork collar / shoulder (varia)
- Pork chop
- Pork loin
- Pork ribs
- Pork belly
- Fresh ham (leg)
Tap a name or a part of the drawing to see where the cut is.
- Chicken wing
- Chicken thigh
- Drumstick
- Chicken breast
- Chicken tenderloin
Source: 9 CFR 381.170 (USDA)
How to choose the cut
Step by step 1: Start with the method
Decide first how you will cook: grill, skillet, braise, oven or pressure cooker. Each method calls for a different kind of cut, and the chart above lists the ones the sources recommend.
Step by step 2: Check where the cut comes from
The IFTM guide says cuts from the hindquarter are of higher quality than forequarter and flank cuts. The section on beef sections, further down, lists the cuts in each one.
Step by step 3: Look at the connective tissue
Tenderness depends mostly on connective tissue, according to IFTM. A cut with lots of collagen, such as shank, only turns tender with slow, moist cooking.
Step by step 4: Skip the uses to avoid
Bottom round and brisket don’t suit quick cooking, and the first 6 to 7 cm (about 2½ inches) of the strip loin, next to the sirloin, has a sinew.
Step by step 5: Confirm with a thermometer
Once you have the cut, check doneness by temperature, not color. The CDC says only a food thermometer tells you food is safely cooked.
What is the most tender cut of beef?
Tenderloin. The IFTM technical guide calls it the most tender cut of the carcass, and tri-tip the most tender part of the sirloin. Tenderness depends mostly on connective tissue: the less collagen a cut has, the more tender it stays with quick cooking such as steaks and grilling.
The first 6 to 7 cm (about 2½ inches) of the strip loin, next to the sirloin, has a sinew; the rest is very tender. Source: Boletim Técnico IFTM.
Did you know?
How is a beef carcass divided?
Brazil’s official cut standard (MAPA, 1988) splits the carcass between the 5th and 6th ribs. Up front is the forequarter, with chuck roll, shoulder clod, brisket and hump. Behind it is the hindquarter: the plate and flank, with skirt and short plate, and the rear section with picanha, top sirloin, strip loin, tenderloin and the rounds.
Is fraldinha the same as skirt or flank steak?
Not exactly, and the sources disagree. ABIEC, the Brazilian beef exporters’ association, treats fraldinha as part of the diaphragm (thin or outside skirt), while MAPA places it in the flank. The USMEF guide lists it as outside skirt in the US, but only as the name commonly used.
What about pork and chicken?
For pork, the Brazilian cuts manual (ABCS) recommends ribs and collar for the grill and chops for the skillet. The National Pork Board warns against stewing pork loin, because it falls apart and toughens. For chicken, America’s Test Kitchen grills thighs and drumsticks over indirect heat.
Sources
- Cartilha técnica dos cortes bovinos ideais para cada tipo de preparo (Pereira & Macedo). Boletim Técnico IFTM, January 1, 2016.
- Portaria SIPA nº 5/1988: Padronização dos Cortes de Carne Bovina. Ministério da Agricultura (MAPA), November 8, 1988.
- Livro Brasileiro de Cortes Bovinos (2025). ABIEC.
- Guía de nomenclatura internacional de cortes de carne de res (Huerta-Leidenz). U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF), October 9, 2013.
- Garantir qualidade é a meta principal (Macedo), Visão Agrícola nº 3. ESALQ/USP, January 1, 2005.
- Manual Brasileiro de Cortes Suínos (2010). ABCS.
- Pork cuts and cooking. National Pork Board.
- Cut guide. Certified Angus Beef.
- Pressure Cooker / Instant Pot. Certified Angus Beef.
- The Best Chicken Thigh Internal Temp Is Higher Than You Think. America's Test Kitchen, March 3, 2024.
- Grilled Chicken Drumsticks. America's Test Kitchen, April 4, 2017.
- Preventing Food Poisoning. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), November 24, 2025.
- Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), August 1, 2017.
Every source was opened and checked by Equipe Timertok on .