Where does your favorite cut of steak come from?

During my #BigSkyMove, I had the opportunity to visit Manhattan, Kansas, specifically my friends Brandon and Jodi Oleen. Jodi works for the Kansas Pork Association and Brandon with one of the Beef Cattle units at Kansas State University. Talk about house divided when it comes to protein choices?!? Actually, Jodi is a big beef eater and Brandon loves his bacon, so all is well.

After driving for 8 hours into town, I jumped in the pickup with Brandon to do his afternoon cow chores (Yes, I am that guy who drives across 2 states to check cows!), before joining several friends in the area for a meal. I made the unfortunate decision to show up in MHK on Homecoming weekend. Our original plans to meet at Little Apple Brewery were scraped, but we were saved with a great meal at Rambler’s Steakhouse. Great food. Fun times.

I’ve been to several steakhouses and often times the menu has some sort of history and good reading. Ramblers has a sheet dedicated to showing where our favorite cuts of meat comes from.

cuts of beef diagramI thought that was a pretty cool inclusion in the menu. I figure many folks want to know which steaks are the best choice as they’re sitting down for a meal. It also helps with a little AgFacts 101 to acquaint the steak a specific location on the animal. After a little searching, I found a more-detailed diagram for the location of our favorite cuts of beef.
best cuts of beef cheat sheetThere are several great places for a conversation about beef and steaks on social media.

  • Reddit has it’s own stream of recipes and conversation about steaks. – /r/Steak
  • Janeal Yancey is a meat scientist at the University of Arkansas and answers a lot of concern from moms on her blog – Mom At The Meat Counter. She’s also found easily on Twitter – @MeatCounterMom.
  • Amy Sipes owns a family meat shop in Kentucky. She’s sure to tell you exactly what she thinks – @KYFarmersMatter.
  • David Hayden is a fellow Oklahoma State alumnus and works in the meat industry, though he comes from a family farm background. He shares many great viewpoints on his blog, Farming America, as well as on Twitter – @DavidHayden7.
  • The American Meat Institute makes some great resources available online for consumers wanting to learn more about where our meat comes from. I’ve shared before some of their videos from inside beef and pork slaughter facilities. Follow their blog and Twitter – @MeatAMI.

There are many more folks online discussing where our meat comes from. What resources do you utilize?

Published by Ryan Goodman

Ryan Goodman works in grassroots advocacy as a communications consultant with beef cattle farmers and ranchers across the United States. He is a proud alumnus of Oklahoma State University, with studies focusing on cattle reproduction and nutrition. Ryan's experience in the beef industry range from family farms and ranches in several states to large feedlots and non-profit policy organizations. Ryan is an avid trail and ultrarunner, proudly showing how beef can be an important part of a healthy diet and active lifestyle. Find Ryan on social media as @BeefRunner.