Beef Cuts and Weights

Custom Beef Cuts

Custom beef cuts are organized in two different ways, by beef cut sheet and primal cuts. See examples of each:

beef cut sheet
primal cuts

Custom Beef Weights

the differences between live, hanging, and take-home weights

Learn about custom beef with these guides explaining the differences between live, hanging (or hot carcass), and take-home weights. Understand how these measurements affect your beef order and ensure you get the right amount.

Overall cutout sheet (by K-State Extension) (pdf): This info sheet explains the animal processing stages, dressing percentages for beef, pork, and lamb, and factors influencing meat yield, such as bone-in vs. boneless cuts, fat percentage, and aging methods

Did the butcher keep your meat? (pdf): This guide explains why meat returns from a butchered animal are less than the hanging weight, for which customers pay the butcher or producer? This information covers dressing percentages, how different cuts affect yield, and the impact of aging and processing methods.

Beef cut sheet

This beef cut sheet (pdf) is used to specify and record customer preferences for beef processing. It includes options for different types of cuts such as steaks, roasts, ground beef, and specialty items like brisket, short ribs, soup bones, heart, tongue, and liver. Customers can choose the thickness of steaks, the number of pieces per pack, and the size of roasts.

Primal cuts (raw vs cooked)

This guide will help you to understand beef primal cuts and portion cuts, including how they look raw versus cooked. Learn to choose and utilize various cuts for optimal results.

Beef cut diagram

Primal Cuts	Portion cuts	Raw image	Cooked image
Chuck	Chuck steak
	Chuck roast
Rib	Ribeye steak
	Prime rib roast
Loin (short loin)	Tenderloin
	Strip steak
	T-Bone steak
Sirloin	Top sirloin
	Bottom sirloin roast
Round	Ground Beef
	Patties
Brisket	Brisket meat
Plate	Short ribs
Flank	Flank steak
Shank	Shank cross cuts