Chuck steak is a
cut of beef and is part of the sub-prime cut known as the chuck.
The typical chuck steak is a rectangular cut, about 2.5 cm (1 inch) thick and containing parts of the shoulder bones, and is often known as a "
7-bone steak," as the shape of the shoulder bone in cross-section resembles the numeral '7'. This cut is usually grilled or
broiled
Grilling is a form of cooking that involves dry heat applied to the surface of food, commonly from above, below or from the side. Grilling usually involves a significant amount of direct, radiant heat, and tends to be used for cooking meat a ...
; a thicker version is sold as a "
7-bone roast" or "chuck roast" and is usually cooked with liquid as a
pot roast
Pot roast is an American beef dish made by slow-cooking a usually tough cut of beef in moist heat. Tougher cuts such as chuck steak, bottom round, short ribs and 7-bone roast are preferred for this technique. These cuts are American terms; ...
.
The bone-in chuck steak or roast is one of the more economical cuts of beef. In the United Kingdom, this part is commonly referred to as "
braising
Braising (from the French word ''braiser'') is a combination-cooking method that uses both wet and dry heats: typically, the food is first browned at a high temperature, then simmered in a covered pot in cooking liquid (such as wine, broth, coco ...
steak". It is particularly popular for use as
ground beef
Ground beef, minced beef or beef mince is beef that has been finely chopped with a knife, meat grinder (American English), mincer or mincing machine (British English). It is used in many recipes including hamburgers, bolognese sauce, meatloa ...
for its richness of flavor and balance of meat and fat.
Variations
Other boneless chuck cuts include the chuck eye (boneless cuts from the center of the roll, sold as ''mock tender steak'' or ''chuck tender steak''), chuck
fillet (sold as ''chuck eye steak'' and ''chuck tender steak''), cross-rib roast (sold as ''cross-rib pot roast'', ''English roast'', or "the bread and butter cut"),
top blade steak
A spinning top, or simply a top, is a toy with a squat body and a sharp point at the bottom, designed to be rotation, spun on its vertical Axis of rotation, axis, balancing on the tip due to the gyroscopic effect.
Once set in motion, a top will ...
or chicken steak, under-blade steak (otherwise known as the "Denver cut"), shoulder steak and
shoulder roast, and arm steak and arm roast.
The average meat market cuts thick and thin chuck steaks (often sold as ''chuck steak'' or ''chuck steak family pack'') from the neck and shoulder, but some markets also cut it from the center of the cross-rib portion.
Short ribs are cut from the lip of the roll.
Some meat markets will sell cross-rib pot roast under the generic name ''pot roast.'' The difference between a pot roast and a cross-rib pot roast is the vertical line of fat separating the two types of chuck meat; the cross-rib pot roast contains the line of fat. This is what creates richness of flavor in the roast.
Common uses
The chuck contains large amounts of connective tissue, including collagen, which partially melts during cooking. Meat from the chuck, once divided, is usually used for stewing,
slow cooking,
braising
Braising (from the French word ''braiser'') is a combination-cooking method that uses both wet and dry heats: typically, the food is first browned at a high temperature, then simmered in a covered pot in cooking liquid (such as wine, broth, coco ...
, or
pot roast
Pot roast is an American beef dish made by slow-cooking a usually tough cut of beef in moist heat. Tougher cuts such as chuck steak, bottom round, short ribs and 7-bone roast are preferred for this technique. These cuts are American terms; ...
ing and is ideal in a one-pot cooker. The top blade part of the chuck is preferred for grilling because it is the second most tender steak once the
gristle is removed. The fifth rib taken from the chuck can also be used as an alternative to the
prime rib roast, which is usually from bones 6–12. They are similar in terms of the proportion of meat and bone, although the fifth rib exceeds the prime rib in the amount of lean meat. The cross-cut or cross rib, which is the last part of the chuck located between the
brisket
Brisket is a cut of meat from the breast or lower chest of beef or veal. The beef brisket is one of the nine beef primal cuts, though the definition of the cut differs internationally. The brisket muscles include the superficial and deep pector ...
point and the short rib, can also be used as an alternative to the blade when cooking steaks. The chuck part cut from the shoulder clod is also used in place of
sirloin since it has a very beefy taste.
Classification
In the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...
, chuck has the meat-cutting classification
NAMP 113.
See also
*
List of steak dishes
This is a list of steak dishes. Steak is generally a cut of beef sliced perpendicular to the muscle fibers, or of fish cut perpendicular to the spine. Meat steaks are usually grilled, pan-fried, or broiled, while fish steaks may also be bake ...
Notes
Sources
*
{{Beef
Cuts of beef