When choosing a cut of beef it is important to remember that the different parts of the animal are suitable for their own particular styles of cooking. In general, this means that tender cuts with little connective tissue should be cooked in dry heat (grilling, roasting and frying), whilst fibrous cuts with more connective tissue need slow, gentle cooking in moist heat (stewing, braising or boiling).
In this section, we take a look at each of the major cuts of beef, with advice on the methods that should be used to cook them.