Meat
Beef cuts
牛肉の部位
30 varieties
Beef cuts split broadly into prime cuts like sirloin and tenderloin and offal — the four stomachs (mino, hachinosu, senmai, giara) plus liver, heart, and the rest. Even among prime cuts, tenderloin carries the least fat and toughens quickly if overcooked, while short rib (karubi) layers lean meat and fat, so each cut calls for its own approach to heat. Harami and sagari are sold as prime cuts though they are in fact diaphragm muscle. This section follows the range from prime cuts to offal.
No single place of origin30
- Neckbeef neck — a hard-working muscle rich in flavor
- Sunebeef shank — a sinewy cut suited to long, slow simmering
- Bara (Karubi)short rib — the classic cut behind the word karubi
- Hirebeef tenderloin — the leanest, most delicate cut
- Kainomibottom flap — a lean cut alongside the flank, near the tenderloin
- Zabutonchuck flap — a marbled cut named for its cushion-like shape
- Kata Rosuchuck roll — a well-exercised, flavorful shoulder roast
- Giaraabomasum — the fourth stomach, fattier than the others
- Hatsubeef heart — lean, mild-flavored and low in fat
- Katabeef chuck — a lean cut from the shoulder, often processed
- Kobukurobeef uterus — a very rare, low-fat offal cut
- Mamebeef kidney — mild in flavor, named for its bean-like shape
- Rebabeef liver — a mineral-rich organ eaten fresh or seared
- Tanbeef tongue — grilled thin as the classic "gyutan"
- Hachinosuhoneycomb tripe — the second stomach's textured lining
- Haramioutside skirt — tender, rich offal often mistaken for lean meat
- Hohonikubeef cheek — a hard-working, gelatin-rich muscle
- Shintamaknuckle — a lean, economical round cut
- Maruchosmall intestine, nicknamed "marucho"
- Minomino (rumen) — the first stomach, prized for its firm bite
- Tailoxtail — simmered long for its gelatin-rich broth
- Rib Roastribeye roll — the marbled roast just behind the loin
- Rumpa lean, delicate cut near the hip
- Sagarihanging tender — harami's less common inner-diaphragm twin
- Senmaibook tripe — the third stomach's many thin folds
- Shimacholarge intestine, nicknamed "shimacho"
- Sirlointhe standard-bearer of Japanese steak cuts
- Misujitop blade — a rare cut from inside the shoulder blade
- Ichibotop sirloin cap (H-bone) — sirloin-like flavor from the leg
- Tomosankakutri-tip — prized second only to the tenderloin for tenderness