What the heck is a side of beef anyway?
A side of beef is a lengthwise half of a cow used for food. Purchased from Misty Brook Farms, a side of beef yields about 100 pounds of usable meat. I’ll update more on typical weights of sides when I find more information.
A side of beef contains the primal cuts listed below.
Forequarter cuts:
- Rib
- Chuck
- Foreshank
- Brisket
- Plate
Hindquarter cuts:
- Round
- Loin, Short Loin and Sirloin
- Flank
Each of these primal cuts is subdivided into the retail cuts that we’re all familiar with. There are far too many for me to list so if you’re interested, check out Canada Beef for a pretty clear breakdown. A site that is much less clear but much more cool is Bovine Myology. It has 3D imaging of a side, interactive muscular and skeletal diagrams. You can rotate and view various cuts of beef and click for detailed information!
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