Heard of books, butlers, lifters, or flat irons? Spoiler alert: They’re all the same steak.

Who decides what a cut of beef should be called—and how do we get more people to eat them? October 1st, 2019by Marilyn Noble

A few days ago, I picked up something called a chuck eye steak at the local grocery. I seasoned it and threw it on the grill—it was delicious. Not familiar with this particular steak? Well according to the main beef industry website, it is also known as a boneless chuck filet steak, boneless chuck slices, boneless steak bottom chuck, chuck filet, chuck roll, Delmonico steak, English steak, London broil, shoulder steak, and shoulder steak half cut.

Anyone but a dedicated carnivore or a seasoned industry professional would likely have no idea that those are all the same cut of beef. And the plethora of names for one cut isn’t limited to the chuck eye—search for the flat iron steak, for instance, and you’ll find it’s also called boneless top chuck steak, book steak, butler steak, lifter steak, petite steak, and shoulder top blade steak.

If all of this makes you feel out of the beef loop, don’t fret: Soon enough, the average meat eater may be boning up on a host of unfamiliar cuts. Driven by price, flavor, and the desire of many eaters to consume smaller portions of meat, the demand for underutilized cuts, as they’re known in the industry, is growing. But with that growth comes a new focus on the curious naming conventions surrounding beef cuts—and the consumer confusion these protocols can breed.

What’s now a burgeoning trend first grew from necessity. Back in the 1990s, the price for cattle was at an all-time low, due to an oversupply of domestic beef, along with competition from Mexican cattle imports and a glut of pork and chicken. The market price for beef chucks and rounds was depressed around 20 to 30 percent, according to Bridget Wasser, executive director of meat science and supply chain outreach at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA). In an effort to wring more value out of the carcass, NCBA, with funds from the Beef Checkoff—the mandatory marketing program that requires one dollar per head be paid by all beef cattle and calf producers—commissioned a research study at the Universities of Nebraska and Florida.  Read more