The case
What the sticker actually is
Grocery names, NAMP names, and marketing. Look at the muscle, not the poetry.
Delmonico
Usually chuck-eye, sometimes ribeye
The word has no legal meaning. Look at the muscle, not the sticker.
Open on the chartLondon broil
A method, often top round or flank
Not a cut. Grill or broil, rest, slice paper-thin across the grain.
Open on the chartCoulotte
Picanha / sirloin cap
If the fat cap is gone, it is just sirloin.
Open on the chartBavette
Sirloin flap, sometimes flank
French sticker, same loose grain. Slice across.
Open on the chartOnglet
Hanger
One per animal. If you see it, take it.
Open on the chartDeckle
Sometimes brisket point, sometimes ribeye cap
Ask which muscle. The word is used both ways and starts fights.
California roast / triangle
Tri-tip
East of the Rockies it still hides in grind. Ask.
Open on the chartClub steak
Strip, or a T-bone with almost no filet
Look for the filet. If there isn’t one, it is a strip with a handle.
Open on the chartFilet mignon
Tenderloin, portioned
Same muscle as a tenderloin roast. You pay for the shape.
Open on the chartStew meat
Usually round or chuck scraps
Fine for a braise. Terrible for a grill. Do not ‘stir-fry’ it and hope.
Fajita meat
Often inside skirt, sometimes flap
Pre-cut strips cook past done before a crust. Buy whole and slice after.
Open on the chartShort ribs
Could be plate, chuck, or flanken
English-cut with a meat cap = smoke. Thin flanken = kalbi. Chuck = smaller braise.
Open on the chartDinosaur ribs
Plate short ribs if you are lucky
Back ribs wearing this name are a disappointment. Look at the cap.
Open on the chartPoor man’s brisket
Chuck roast, smoked
Same salt-and-pepper, same 250–275°F, done in 5–7 hours.
Open on the chart7-bone roast
Chuck roast, the blade bone looks like a 7
Classic pot roast. Smoke it if you want.
Open on the chartPicnic ham
Cured picnic shoulder, not a rear ham
Lower shoulder, cured. Different muscle than a city ham.
Open on the chartPork steak
Blade / Boston butt, sliced
Not a loin chop. Cook to 190°F+ or they stay tough.
Open on the chartCountry-style ribs
Shoulder strips, not ribs
No rack. No 3-2-1. Braise or smoke like pork steaks.
Open on the chartNew York chop
Center-cut loin chop
The hog’s strip steak. Pull 140°F.
Open on the chartBaby back
Loin ribs from a market hog, not a baby
Curved, leaner, faster than spares.
Open on the chartSide ribs
Spare ribs
Canadian sticker, same rack.
Open on the chartFresh side
Pork belly, uncured
Bacon before the cure.
Open on the chartAirline breast
Chicken breast with the drumette on
The handle is presentation. Same temps as a split breast.
Open on the chartChicken tenders
Breast tenderloins, often from many birds
Fine. Fast. Easy to dry.
Open on the chartLeg quarters
Thigh plus drum, sometimes with back
The value pack. Cook to 185°F.
Open on the chartParty wings
Jointed drumettes and flats, many birds
A 4 lb bird does not make a platter.
Open on the chartEnhanced / flavor-brined
Injected with salt water
Skip extra brine. It already eats salty and weeps in the pan.
Angus / Wagyu sticker
A breed claim, not a grade
USDA Prime / Choice is the grade. A breed sticker without a grade is marketing.
Kobe-style
Almost never actual Kobe
If the price is grocery-case, it is not Kobe. Buy marbling you can see.