When you order bulk beef—whether a half, quarter, or whole animal—your processor will usually ask you to fill out a beef cut sheet. This order form tells them exactly how you want your meat cut and packaged.
For many first-time buyers, a cut sheet might feel intimidating or confusing. But it doesn’t need to be! In fact, it’s an opportunity: for consumers, a chance to customize their order to fit their household and get the most value; for processors, a way to provide better service and build long-term relationships. This balance is key to restoring local meat processing.
Here are our top considerations when filling out a beef cut sheet.
GENERAL QUESTIONS
Many processors begin their beef cut sheets with general information:
- Bone-in or boneless steaks/roasts. This comes down to personal preference. Bone-in cuts tend to have more flavor and retain moisture better in roasts, while boneless cuts are easier to store and cut.
- Roast size. As a rule of thumb for meal planning, estimate about ½ lb per person for boneless roasts and 1 lb per person for bone-in. Consider the size of your household and your cooking preferences (family meals vs. small dinners).
- Steak thickness. One inch is standard, but some people prefer 1 ¼ inch for premium steaks like ribeyes, T-bones, and porterhouses. Remember: thicker steaks = fewer total steaks.
- Steaks per package. How many do you typically eat at one meal? Two per pack is common, but singles are handy for smaller households (some processors may charge extra).
- Grind packaging size. Most people choose 1-2 lb per package, depending on their needs.
- Patties. Patties pre-made from ground product are a great option if your family eats a lot of burgers—just specify the weight per patty.
After the basics, cut sheets dive into each section of the animal. For clarity, we’ll group them into the forequarter and the hindquarter. Expect questions like whether you want steaks or roasts, ground product plus stew meat, and if you’d like to save soup bones.
A NOTE ON GRIND
Trim alone typically accounts for 20-25% of a carcass, so you’ll already receive plenty of ground beef. Adding whole cuts into the “grind” (ground product) can leave you with a lot of burger. Our advice: maximize steaks and roasts and let the grind come from trim.
FOREQUARTER PRIMALS & CUTS
The forequarter includes the chuck, ribs, brisket, plate, and shank. Read more on these primals (sections) here.
Chuck
- Choices: Chuck roasts, arm roasts, flat iron steaks, Denver steaks, stew meat, or grind.
- Consumer Tips:
- Chuck roasts are a slow-cooker favorite: flavorful, juicy, and forgiving.
- Flat iron and Denver steaks are hidden gems from the chuck—tender, great for grilling, but only a few per animal.
- If you don’t cook many roasts, consider grinding part of the chuck to make a premium burger.
- Processor Tips: Chuck provides an educational opportunity since many people are familiar with chuck roasts but less so with other options. Point out the different steaks to customers who grill often.
Ribs
- Choices: Ribeye steaks, rib roasts (prime rib), or back ribs.
- Consumer Tips:
- Ribeyes are a premium steak cut—juicy, tender, and great for grilling.
- Rib roasts are popular for special occasions like holidays.
- Back ribs are meaty and fun to cook, but you’ll only get them if you forgo rib roasts.
- Processor Tips: Always clarify ribeye vs. rib roast—it’s a common area of regret if customers aren’t warned about the trade-off.
Brisket
- Choices: Whole brisket, split into point/flat, or grind.
- Consumer Tips:
- Brisket is fantastic for feeding a crowd and is perfect for smoking or slow roasting.
- A whole brisket can be large (8–12 lb). If that’s too much, ask to have it halved.
- Processor Tips: First-timers often don’t realize the size of a brisket. Clarify whether they have the freezer space (and a smoker or oven big enough) to handle it.
Plate
- Choices: Skirt steak, short ribs, or grind.
- Consumer Tips:
- Skirt steak is the cut for fajitas. It’s thin, flavorful, and best cooked hot and fast. Like flank, there’s only one per side.
- Short ribs are deeply flavorful and perfect for braising or smoking.
- Processor Tips: Many customers don’t realize these cuts exist. Highlight them to add excitement and avoid everything ending up as ground product.
Shank
- Choices: Soup bones, osso buco-style crosscuts, or grind.
- Consumer Tips:
- Shank is tough but flavorful—ideal for soups, stocks, or braised dishes.
- If you don’t cook with bones, consider having the shank ground.
- Processor Tips: Shank bones are great for customers who enjoy bone broth.
HINDQUARTER PRIMALS & CUTS
The hindquarter includes the loin, round, and flank. Read more on these primals (sections) here.
Loin
- Choices: Strip steaks, T-bones/porterhouses, tenderloin (whole or steaks), sirloin steaks, sirloin roasts.
- Consumer Tips:
- If you choose T-bones/porterhouses, you also get strip + tenderloin together, but that means you won’t get as many individual tenderloin steaks.
- If your family prefers small, tender cuts, go with strip steaks and a whole tenderloin or filet steaks instead of T-bones.
- Sirloin is flavorful but lean, and is great for grilling if you slice it thin against the grain.
- Processor Tips: Ask your customers if they know the trade-offs (T-bone vs strip + tenderloin). It’s one of the most common areas of confusion, so your explanation can help.
Round
- Choices: Top round, bottom round, eye of round (roasts or steaks), cube steak, or grind.
- Consumer Tips:
- Round cuts are lean and can be tough if cooked quickly—best for roasting, braising, or slicing thin for sandwiches.
- Cube steak (tenderized round) is great for chicken-fried steak or quick skillet meals.
- If you know you’ll never cook roasts, consider cubing or grinding the round instead.
- Processor Tips: Ask customers how they like to cook: slow-cooker meals? Chicken-fried steak? No roasts ever? Those answers will help you guide them to maximize value based on their personal preferences.
Flank
- Choices: Flank steak or grind.
- Consumer Tips: Flank steak is fantastic marinated and grilled, and it’s a less common cut because there’s only one flank steak per side. If you like fajitas or stir-fry, don’t grind this one!
- Processor Tips: Flag this cut because it’s often overlooked or unfamiliar. This cut can feel like something special for many customers.
VARIETY MEATS AND OFFAL
Don’t forget about the “extras!” Many cut sheets ask customers whether they’d like to keep organs and other variety meats like liver, heart, tongue, or oxtail. These cuts are rich in nutrients, flavor, and can be a great addition if you enjoy cooking with them—or skipped, if you prefer.
For processors, variety meats are an easy value-add. A little education—what’s available, how to cook them, a recipe suggestion—can turn cuts that might otherwise be discarded into a bonus.
Learn more about these cuts (and how to use them) in our Creating Value-Added Products from Waste in Small Meat Processing Facilities post.
THE FINE PRINT
Every processor has their own preferences for how cut sheets are handled, and there are plenty of templates out there from which to choose. Some rely on online forms or fillable PDFs, others ask customers to print and return a hard copy, and some have dedicated cut sheet software. The key is finding a system that works smoothly for the business and keeps the process simple and clear for customers.
FINAL CUT
Filling out a cut sheet doesn’t have to be overwhelming. For consumers, it’s a chance to tailor your beef order to your family’s needs and get the most from your investment. For processors, it’s an opportunity to guide, educate, and build the kind of trust that keeps customers coming back.