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Cutting Guide

Scotland is renowned for producing quality beef, lamb and pork, but for the consumer to enjoy these quality products, it is essential that butchers are skilled in the preparation of different meat cuts.

This Cutting Guide has been produced by Quality Meat Scotland as an introduction to primary preparation skills for butchers, whether in retail or an on-farm business. There are separate sections for Beef Forequarter, Beef Hindquarter, Lamb and Pork. Each section shows the breakdown of the carcase into primals and then you can select to view the preparation of a number of manageable retail cuts from each primal.

Learn the skills that can provide both chef and consumer with a product they will have pleasure in preparing.

Choose a Guide


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EUROP Classification Grid

The shaded area represents the grades of stock preferred by the major processors in Scotland. The darker areas show the core classifications that all buyers identified as meeting their requirements.

The carcase used in the demonstration was graded R4L

What is Carcase Classification?
The shaded area represents the grades of stock preferred by the major processors in Scotland. The darker areas show the core classifications that all buyers identified as meeting their requirements
Conformation
The shaded area represents the grades of stock preferred by the major processors in Scotland. The darker areas show the core classifications that all buyers identified as meeting their requirements
Fatness
The shaded area represents the grades of stock preferred by the major processors in Scotland. The darker areas show the core classifications that all buyers identified as meeting their requirements

Yield by % from 10 rib Forequarter of Beef

The side of beef used in this demonstration weighed 152kg and was graded as R4L

Fore Rib, Chuck & Blade (Shoulder)
Fore Rib 9.9%
Chuck and Blade (Shoulder) 28.5%

Brisket
Brisket 18.6%
Thin Rib 4.5%
LMC / Thick Rib 13.0%

Shin (Hough), Neck & Clod
Shin (Hough) 6.0%
Neck 8.5%
Clod 11.0%

Total 100%

Fore Rib, Chuck and Blade
Fore Rib: Rolled (Bone-in)

Roast
Fore Rib Rolled (Boneless)

Roast
Fore Rib: Rib eye steaks (Boneless)

Grill/Fry/Casserole/Pot Roast
Chuck Steaks (Boneless)

Grill/Fry/casserole/Pot Roast
Blade and Feather Steaks (Boneless)

Grill/Fry/casserole/Pot Roast
Blade and Feather Steaks (Boneless)

Grill/Fry/casserole/Pot Roast
Mince

Fry/Simmer on hob
Brisket, LMC/Thick Rib
LMC/Thick Rib Steaks (Boneless)

Fry/Casserole/Braise
Rolled Brisket (Boneless)

Pot Roast/Slow Roast
Mince

Fry/Simmer on hob
Shin (Hough), Neck & Clod
Clod: Diced (Boneless)

Stew/casserole
Neck: Sliced & Diced (Boneless)

Stew/casserole
Shin (Hough): Steaks and Dice(Boneless)

Stew/casserole
Mince

Fry/Simmer on hob

Glossary

Ageing

The storing of carcases or joints at refrigerated temperatures to improve eating quality. Also known as maturation or hanging.

Atich-bone

Part of the pelvic structure and occasionally used to suspend the carcase (hip suspension) to allow stretching of commercially important muscles.

Backfat

Subcutaneous layer of fat located between the muscle and the skin running along the back of the animal.

Bruising

Discolouration and haemorrhaging of muscle due to injury resulting in a reduced value for a carcase.

Chine

Removal of the vertebrae at the rib junction.

Chop

Cut taken by transverse slicing across the loin of an animal.

Chump

Hip bone and associated muscles of the pork/lamb leg or gigot primal.

Cod fat

Fat from the scrotum

Cold shortening

Occurs when muscles are cooled too quickly after slaughter

Connective tissue

Part of animal tissue responsible for muscle integrity

Eye muscle

Main muscle (longissimus dorsi – LD) running the length of the loin. Transverse cut of meat containing the eye often called a chop

Gigot

Other name for the leg of lamb.

Gristle or cartilage

Supporting connective tissue mainly of collagen. Cartilage present in meat is often termed gristle

Intermuscular fat

Fatty tissue found between muscles

Lairage

Area of an abattoir used to collect and rest animals before slaughter.

Lean

Skeletal muscle of the carcase with all visible fatty tissue removed

LMC

Leg of Mutton Cut. Another name for Thick Rib

Loin

Primal cut from carcases of which the main muscle (longissimus dorsi – LD) runs along the back of the animal between the shoulder and the chump

Primal jointing

The process of sectioning the carcase. The carcase is split into primal joints followed by the process of cutting into the retail joints

Probe

Sharp instrument used to measure backfat thickness by insertion.

Rack

Best end of lamb or pork. Can also be used to describe sheet boning technique – i.e. to ‘rack out’ rib bones.

Rind

Skin of the pig.

Saddle

Thoracic and lumbar section of the unsplit lamb carcase.

Scrag

Other name for the neck of a lamb.

Seam butchery

Preparation of the cuts from a carcase based on cutting along the natural seams between the muscles

Shank

Knuckle from the leg or shoulder of a sheep or pig.

Tendon

Strong, white fibrous connective tissue connecting a muscle to a bone. Mainly made up of collagen