Glossary of Meat Terms

A cut of meat consisting of the entire loin from both sides of the backbone. This expensive cut is very tender and makes an impressive presentation for a special occasion.

An Italian dry salami that is very similar to domestic salami except for the size of this dry sausage.

A fresh Italian link sausage made from ground pork and pork cut into very small pieces that are mixed with fat and then highly seasoned with herbs and spices.

A meat product that is sometimes mistakenly referred to as "fat back". This cut of meat comes from the side and the belly of the hog and consists of a layer of fat with some lean meat streaks running through it.

A type of cured dry sausage made from raw muscle meat of pork, beef, veal, chicken, or turkey, that is ground up and mixed with fat.

A meat product generally consisting of pork, but also made of beef, veal, lamb, poultry, or a combination of several of these meats.

Thinly sliced meat that has been flattened by pounding and is generally cooked by sautéing or frying.

Originating in Germany, this meat product is made from a lean cut of pork that is processed into a small slab of ham.

A German luncheon meat, which is made in a bologna-like manner and consists of beef and pork and large chunks of lean ham.

A German sausage made of pork, which is red in color and seasoned with white pepper and coriander.

A sausage made from scraps of cooked pork head, pork cheeks, and organ meat that have been ground and combined with cornmeal or oatmeal, strained broth, sage, onions, and other seasonings.

A whole or half ham from the leg primal cut that has only the leg bone remaining.

A variety of sausage that is harder and denser than fresh sausage, but not as hard in substance as a dry sausage.

Serrano is a Spanish word meaning "mountain", which is the area that provides the ideal processing conditions for the Serrano ham.

A crosscut beef roast from the shoulder blade portion of the chuck primal. It gets its name from the crosscut of bone within the roast that is shaped like a "7".

Any cut of meat taken from the foreleg of beef, lamb, pork, buffalo, or veal. Shank cuts include the pork ham hocks, which are sometimes referred to as the hock end or the ankle region on an animal.

Beef ribs that are cut into 3 to 4 inch sections, consisting of meat, fat and bone.

Short ribs that have been cut from the beef chuck primal (ribs 1 through 5). They have plenty of meat and have less fat than short ribs from the plate.

Refers to the ends of the ribs contained within the plate primal cut of beef (ribs 6 through 12).

An Italian sausage made from coarsely chopped, cured lean pork and some finely chopped lean beef.

A cut of pork taken from the fresh pork side of the flank area. This cut can be sliced and sold fresh, but is more commonly smoked, cured, sliced and then sold as bacon.

A crosscut steak from the beef sirloin. There are several different sirloin beefsteaks and each is given a different name depending on the shape of the piece of hipbone that is contained within the steak: 1) pin bone, which is a crosscut from the front section of the hip, next to the Porterhouse, and is the most tender of the bone-in sirloin steaks; 2) flat bone, which is another crosscut from the front section of the hip; 3) round bone, which is a third crosscut steak from the front section of the hip; and 4) wedge bone, which is the least tender of the four because of its proximity to the rump.

A chop from the sirloin end of the leg of lamb. It is identifiable by the crosscut section of round leg bone within the meat.

A cut of beef taken from the area that lies between the tender short loin and the tougher round.

In the United States, this cut of beef is a long, flat, boneless beefsteak taken from the plate primal of the beef carcass.

A specialty ham known as a "country ham" with origins in Smithfield, Virginia. To be a Smithfield ham, it must be cured and processed in the Smithfield, Virginia city limits.

Bacon that has been cured with smoldering, aromatic wood. The smoke from the burning wood gives the bacon a distinctive smoky flavor and scent.

Cuts of pork, such as hams, pork chops and bacon that have been cured with smoldering, aromatic wood.

A sausage that has been cured with the use of aromatic wood, which is burned to produce smoke.

A precooked smoked sausage made of coarsely ground pork and beef that is seasoned with black pepper, providing a somewhat spicy flavor.

A pork salami of Italian origin that is prepared by mixing meat from the legs of pork, the shoulders, or the throat and blending in seasonings such as pepper, galic and herbs.

Dry Italian salami that consists of all pork meat from the head of the hog or leftover pork trimmings.

Souse of Sulz is a cooked meat specialty, which is gelatin based and made basically the same way as headcheese, except it is flavored with a vinegar pickling liquid.

Meat that is from pork ribs, which are a long cut of meat taken from the side or belly primal cut of the hog, which includes the lower breastbone.

An Italian bacon that is made with the meat from the belly of a pig. Herbs, spices, and peppercorns are added for extra flavor before it is cured, air-dried, and lightly smoked.

A precooked ham that has been pre-sliced by spiral cutting in order to make it convenient for serving the ham slices.

The meat from a young sheep, generally under one year old. Also called "lamb" or "genuine lamb." Spring lamb is usually marketed at a weight ranging from 20 to 40 pounds.

Pork ribs that are taken from the whole spareribs of the hog, which have had the brisket bone and some meat surrounding it removed so the cut appears more rectangular in shape.

A beef roast, cut from the rib section, with the ribs left attached to the meat....

A slice of beef, cut from various areas of the beef carcass, ranging in thickness between one-half to one inch and of a size intended to be one serving (many steaks can easily feed two people).

Chunks of meat that are used as an ingredient for a dish containing stewed meat and vegetables.

A boneless beefsteak cut from the top loin muscle from the short loin, which is the most tender portion of the beef.

Refers to the smaller cuts of meat obtained from the larger primal cuts of an animal.

A ham that is wet or dry cured where sugar is at least ½ of the sweetening ingredient used in the curing mix.

A Lebanese spicy, beef sausage, which can be found in Middle Eastern markets.

A cooked specialty meat product that is similar to headcheese. It differs in that it has a sweet-sour flavor, which comes from the addition of vinegar pickling liquid, and sometimes dill pickles, sweet red peppers and bay leaves.

A slightly dry sausage of pork and/or beef combined with a mixture of spices, most notably coriander.

A ham that is wet cured in a sweet seasoned brine. The sweetener and seasoning used in the curing process will vary according to the recipe of the producer or the person curing the ham.

1) The thymus glands, from the neck or throat of a young calf or lamb, which are considered a delicacy for their distinct flavor and very tender texture.

1. Another name given to a steak cut from the beef arm roast. Braising is the best cooking method for this tougher cut, which is also known as arm steak.