Understanding Different Cuts of Beef
Lesson 2 · The Five Cuts You're Not Cooking Yet
6 min read
Flat iron. Hanger. Tri-tip. Bavette. Denver. The half-secret cuts that pros love and most home cooks ignore.
Hanger steak (the butcher's steak)
Called the 'butcher's steak' because old-school butchers used to take it home — it's the most flavorful cut on the animal, hands down. Hangs (hence the name) between the rib and the loin, near the kidney. Marinate it, grill it screaming hot, slice across the grain. Tastes like beef concentrated. There's only one hanger per steer, so it's not always available.
Flat iron steak (the second-most-tender cut)
From the shoulder. Tied with filet for second-most-tender cut on the animal (after the tenderloin), but with far more beef flavor. Hard sear, medium-rare, slice thin. Most affordable pro-tier steak you can buy.
Tri-tip (West Coast classic)
Triangular cut from the bottom sirloin. Beloved in Santa Maria, California, mostly unknown east of the Rockies. Has a grain that changes direction in the middle of the cut — you have to slice it in two pieces, each against its own grain. Grill or smoke, medium-rare, fan slices.
Bavette (flap steak)
From the bottom sirloin / flank area. Loose-grained, beefy, perfect for fajitas, steak frites, or thin-sliced steak sandwiches. Marinate to add complexity, grill hot, slice across the grain. A weeknight champion.
Denver steak (a recent discovery)
Carved from inside the chuck shoulder using a butcher technique only popularized in the last 20 years. Surprisingly tender for a chuck cut, rich beefy flavor, takes a sear and a sauce beautifully. If you see one, buy it.
Try this next
Try a cut you've never cooked
Ask us about availability of flat iron, hanger, or tri-tip — or use the Ranch Club Box rotation to discover specialty cuts.
Quick Check · 3 questions
Prove you got it.
Get all three right to earn +15 XP and lock in the win. Retry as many times as you need.
1.The "butcher's steak" — famously only one per animal — is which cut?
2.The correct slicing rule for all five underrated cuts (hanger, flat iron, tri-tip, bavette, Denver) is:
3.About how deep does a marinade actually penetrate the meat, regardless of how long you marinate?
Answer all three to check.