Cuts of meat

Chuck is cheap and full of flavor, so it is perfect for slow stews.

The butcher ground the chuck for our burgers because the fat keeps them juicy.

A well-marbled rib steak stays juicy on the grill.

For the holiday dinner we are roasting a standing rib roast.

The short loin gives us tender cuts like the T-bone.

Because the short loin is so prized, it costs more per pound than the chuck.

She ordered a sirloin steak cooked medium rare.

A sirloin is leaner than a ribeye but still tender enough to grill.

Lean round is often sliced thin for jerky or roast beef.

Since the round has so little fat, marinating keeps it from turning tough.

Smoked brisket needs many hours of low heat to turn tender.

My grandmother braises a whole brisket with onions for the holidays.

Slice the flank against the grain to keep it tender.

We marinated the flank overnight and seared it fast for fajitas.

Beef shank makes a rich broth because of all the connective tissue.

A cross-cut shank with the marrow bone is the classic cut for osso buco.

Pork shoulder pulls apart easily after a long, slow roast.

I cubed the pork shoulder for a spicy stew on a cold night.

A pork loin roast dries out fast, so do not overcook it.

The butcher cut thick chops from the pork loin for the grill.

The back leg, or ham, is cured and smoked into deli slices.

A fresh ham that has not been cured roasts up like any lean pork leg.

Pork jowl is marbled and chewy, a favorite on the grill.

In the South, cured pork jowl is fried up much like bacon.

Sticky spareribs are basted with sauce as they roast.

We boiled the spareribs first so they would be fall-off-the-bone tender.

Pork belly has neat layers of meat and fat.

Cured and sliced thin, the pork belly becomes the bacon we fry for breakfast.

A ham hock adds deep, savory flavor to a pot of beans.

A roasted pork hock with crackling skin is a hearty winter dish.

Chicken breast is lean, so it cooks quickly and can dry out.

I pounded the chicken breast flat so it would cook evenly in the pan.

Save the back and bones to simmer a homemade stock.

When you butterfly a whole bird, you cut out the back first.

Crispy chicken wings are a favorite with cold beer.

She separated each wing into the drumette and the flat before frying.

Chicken thigh stays moist and is hard to overcook.

Boneless thigh meat is cheaper than breast and great for curries.

Kids love a drumstick because of its handy little bone.

A whole leg is a drumstick and a thigh still joined together.

The tenderloin is the soft little strip tucked under the breast.

Breaded and fried, the tenderloins become the chicken strips kids ask for.