Chuck steak is a cut of beef and is part of the sub-prime cut known as the chuck. The typical chuck steak is a rectangular cut, about 2.54cm thick and containing parts of the shoulder bones, and is often known as a "7-bone steak," as the shape of the shoulder bone in cross section resembles the numeral '7'. This cut is usually grilled or broiled; a thicker version is sold as a "7-bone roast" or "chuck roast" and is usually cooked with liquid as a pot roast. The bone-in chuck steak or roast is one of the more economical cuts of beef. In the United Kingdom, this part is commonly referred to as "braising steak". It is particularly popular for use as ground beef for its richness of flavor and balance of meat and fat.
Variations
Other boneless chuck cuts include the chuck eye, chuck fillet cross-rib roast, top blade steak or chicken steak, under blade steak, shoulder steak and shoulder roast, and arm steak and arm roast. The average meat market cuts thick and thin chuck steaks from the neck and shoulder, but some markets also cut it from the center of the cross-rib portion. Short ribs are cut from the lip of the roll. Some meat markets will sell cross-rib pot roast under the generic name "pot roast." The difference between a pot roast and a cross-rib pot roast is the vertical line of fat separating the two types of chuck meat; the cross-rib pot roast contains the line of fat. This is what creates richness of flavor in the roast.
Common uses
The chuck contains a lot of connective tissue, including collagen, which partially melts during cooking. Meat from the chuck, once divided, is usually used for stewing, slow cooking, braising, or pot roasting and is ideal in a one-pot cooker. The top blade part of the chuck is preferred for grilling because it is the second most tender steak once the gristle is removed. The fifth rib taken from the chuck can also be used as an alternative to the prime rib roast, which is usually from bones 6-12. They are similar in terms of the proportion of meat and bone, although the fifth rib exceeds the prime rib in the amount of lean meat. The cross cut or cross rib, which is the last part of the chuck located between the brisket point and the short rib - can also be used as an alternative to the blade when cooking steaks. The chuck part cut from the shoulder clod is also used in place of sirloin since it has a very beefy taste.
Classification
In the United States, chuck has the meat-cutting classification NAMP 113.
