Beef Chuck
The Chuck is a shoulder group of muscles, which guides the animal. Wagyu are large in the Chuck area because for thousands of years in Japan they were working animals hauling rocks out of mines and logs out of forests.
The Chuck area is a complex set of muscles because it supports the weight of the animal. The Chuck has been revered in history for its unique flavor and held in high esteem for its nutritional source.
The Chuck has lost a lot of its reverence for cooking and consumption because of its muscle complexity. Most Chuck today is ground or necessitates long cooking times. Wagyu Chuck is unique because of its intramuscular marbling, tenderness and flavor profile.
We harvest 16 cuts from the Chuck. Our definition of the Chuck section includes four major parts: Chuck Shoulder Clod, Chuck roll, Brisket and Front Shank.
Chuck Shoulder Clod #
This muscle group lies above the shoulder blade and yields 4 muscles:
Flat Iron – The Flat Iron is the Shoulder Top Blade muscle. It is called the Flat Iron because its shape is broad on one end and narrow on the other. There is a connective tissue that runs horizontally through the length of the muscle when removed yields two Flat Iron Steaks cuts. This steak is delicious, tender, and well-marbled. The Flat Iron is ideal for grilling and high-heat applications. This Wagyu muscle will yield approximately 5 pounds with 4 pieces of 1-1/4 lbs each.
Shoulder Petite Tender – This is a small muscle that resembles the tenderloin in its oblong shape. It is exceptionally tender and delicious when grilled, or cut into medallions for sautéing. This muscle yields two per Wagyu at 12 ounces three-quarters of a pound each.
Shoulder Center Clod – The Shoulder Center Clod is commonly known as the Ranch Steak. This is the largest of the Shoulder Clod muscle group. It is tender, well marbled, and great for grilling or roasting. It may be roasted whole or cut across the grain for 6 to 8 oz. individual steaks for grilling. The “Ranch Steak” is also great for sous-vide roast beef cooking applications. Each Wagyu yields two cuts of approximately 9 lbs. each.
Mock Tender – The Chuck Mock Tender muscle is responsible for the locomotion of the front leg, which results in a tough, firm cut. The Mock-Tender name is deceptive because it’s not a tender cut at all! The Mock-Tender’s attribute is its rich flavor and resilient texture, perfect when used raw for steak tartar and beef Carpaccio. This muscle yields two pieces of about 2.5lbs each.
Below Shoulder Blade-Chuck Roll Muscle Group #
The chuck roll group of muscles lies below the Wagyu shoulder blade. These muscles yield 8 special cuts.
Delmonico (front area of the Rib eye muscle) is the forward section of the esteemed rib eye. It is exceptionally tender, well-marbled and perfect for grilling. Yields two of these cuts at approximately 2-1/4 lbs. Typically Portion cut into 5-6 oz. servings.
Chuck Under Blade Roast also know as Boneless Country Ribs and “America’s Beef Roast” which is the muscle that is positioned forward from the Delmonico under the blade. This cut is moderately marbled and less tender, is best used for braising or roasting. The Wagyu has two of these cuts of 2 1/2 lbs each.
Chuck Under Blade Center (Denver Cut or “Takeda Reserve”) is the Chuck Under blade center steak, which is below the Delmonico and boneless country ribs. It is an exceptional cut, extraordinarily flavorful and second only to the Sirloin Strip in tenderness. The Wagyu has two of these cuts of approximately 4 lbs each. Best cut into 5-6 oz. portions. Grill and serve whole as a steak or cut into slices for presentation. Joseph Decuis calls this “Takeda’s Reserve” in honor of Mr. Takeda for this extraordinary Wagyu steak.
Chuck Under Blade Flat (Sierra Cut) is the Chuck Under Blade FLAT steak, which lies under the Denver cut. Although smaller and less tender than the Denver cut, it is rich in flavor and grills well. The Wagyu has two of these cuts at about 3-4 lbs each. Cut into 5-6 oz portions. Grill and slice for presentation and to enhance tenderness.
Chuck Short Ribs are the lower muscle area of the rib structure, specifically 5 ribs in the Chuck area. The Chuck Short Ribs are extremely well marbled with a thinner fat cap than the short plate short ribs. There are several cooking techniques that can be applied:
- braise or roast bone-in as a complete roast or portioned into smaller individual portions.
- the ribs can be flanken cut (across the bone) similar to Korean short-rib styles and can be
braised, roasted or even grilled. - the meat can be removed from the bones and trimmed then grilled as you would any steak
- the bones can be slow roasted or braised bone-in resulting in what has been named “Angel
Ribs” for their meatiness and extreme tenderness.
The Wagyu has two of the Chuck Bone-in Short Ribs averaging 3 lbs each.
Chuck Under Blade Flat (like Iron) this cut is similar to the Flat Iron from above the shoulder blade. It is a thinner cut, equally tender as a Flat Iron, and best for grilling and slicing. Yields two cuts averaging 2 lbs each.
Chuck Pectoral muscles are also from the overall Chuck area-breastplate of the Wagyu. These smaller muscles are perfect for stews or ground for a rich flavorful grilled burger Wagyu yields approximately 12 lbs.
Chuck Neck Roast is the muscle structure adjacent to the neck that can be left attached to the bone in cattle less than 30 months of age or trimmed from the bone and tied to form a roast. It is rich in Wagyu flavor but requires longer cooking times with braising and roasting to develop its tenderness. The Chuck Neck Roast can also be used with the confit cooking technique, slow roasting submerged in Wagyu golden culinary oil, which delivers exceptional silky texture and remarkable flavor. Yields two roasts of approximately 4 lbs. each.
Front Shank – The Front Shank is the upper portion of the two front legs of the Wagyu. It is a very active lean muscle which must be braised to develop its tenderness and release the great Wagyu flavor. The Wagyu produces two large shanks which can be braised and shared or cut into four 1 lb. bone-in Osso Bucco style shanks.
