Primal Cuts
The HORMEL® roast beef product line consists primarily of pre-cooked products, with some notable exceptions (e.g., steaks). In contrast to our pork operation, HORMEL does not slaughter its beef, but chooses to bring in specific quantities of those primal cuts needed to produce our product line.
The beef carcass is classified into five primal cuts:
Approximately 95% of HORMEL's roast beef products are cut from the Round section. However, select products are produced from each of the remaining primal sections (e.g., Pot Roast from the Chuck section).
Another excellent source of information on primal cuts and beef in general is the Meat Buyer's Guide produced by NAMP (North American Meat Processor Association). In fact, the NAMP guide is widely recognized as the industry "bible" because it has identified each acceptable cut of beef and assigned a numbering system to these cuts. This numbering system helps ensure that you are comparing or discussing like cuts of meat.
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Pot roasts can be made from any beef section. Traditional pot roasts, however, are cut from the shoulder clod (a chuck cut) which bests produces the fork-tender, extremely palatable roasts consumers expect. |
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Prime Rib is actually a rib roast from the rib section between the short loin and the chuck. Ironically, what is commonly referred to as "prime rib" is rarely cut from USDA Prime beef — rather it is typically cut from Choice grade beef.
Other foodservice cuts produced from the rib area include:
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The sirloin tri-tip, an extremely tender cut of loin, gives operators a versatile product that they can easily customize for their menu. This popular cut can be used for a wide range of applications, including center-of-plate, thin sliced steaks and upscale sandwiches.
Other foodservice cuts produced from the loin include:
- Strip Loin Steak
- Porterhouse Steak
- Tenderloin Steak
- Top Sirloin
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- The top (inside) round is the inside portion of the round primal. It can be roasted whole or cut into smaller roasts, as well as a variety of steaks, cubes, and strips.
- The flat is located on the outside or flank portion of the muscle and is predominantly used for corned beef. The flat will provide very consistent slicing yield. These products may be whole or deli faced. This cut is growing in popularity as a roast beef item.
- The eye is the inside portion of the bottom round with a similar position to the ham knuckle. This product is very lean and generally used for corned beef and pastrami. It provides even end-to-end slicing yield.
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The HORMEL brisket comes from the "armpit and chest" of the carcass and is available in two main forms: deckle-off and first cut. A deckle-off brisket is commonly referred to as a whole brisket (points-on). A first cut brisket (shaped like baseball's five-sided home plate) is considered the premium product because the cap meat and most exterior fat is removed. (The cap meat is attached to brisket similar to the way a cap is attached to a top round.) Brisket cuts are popular for use as corned beef and smoked beef. | |
