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Cut sheet · first-timer guide

How to Fill Out a Beef Cut Sheet (Without Overthinking It)

A cut sheet is the order form for your beef. The butcher uses it to turn your quarter or half into the steaks, roasts and ground beef you’ll actually cook. It looks like a test. It isn’t.

Fill-In Sheet ↓

Before you start

How Much Beef Should I Buy?

Your cut sheet depends on your share size, so settle that first. Quick guide:

Quarter: 75–130 lb

  • Couples or 2–3 people
  • Needs a 4.5 cu ft chest freezer

Half: 150–260 lb

  • Families of 4–5
  • Needs a 9 cu ft chest freezer

Rule of thumb: take-home pounds ÷ pounds you eat a week = weeks it lasts. Aim for about a year. Full sizing chart

Where Does Each Cut Come From?

The 9 U.S. primal sections of a steer. Every steak, roast and pound of ground beef on your cut sheet comes from one of these.

Beef cuts diagram: the primal cuts of a steerSide view of a steer facing left, divided into the U.S. primal cuts. Along the top from front to back: chuck, rib, short loin, sirloin and round. Along the underside from front to back: brisket, shank (front leg), plate and flank. The tenderloin runs along the inside of the short loin and sirloin.CHUCKRIBSHORTLOINSIRLOINROUNDBRISKETPLATEFLANKTENDERLOINSHANK

What you get from each section

Chuckshoulder

Chuck roast, ground beef, flat iron, Denver steak, chuck eye steak, short ribs, stew meat

Hard-working muscle with big flavor. Slow-cook it or grind it.

Ribupper ribs

Ribeye steaks, prime rib roast, back ribs

Rich marbling and tender. Home of the ribeye.

Short Loinmiddle of the back

NY strip, T-bone, porterhouse, filet mignon

The most tender steaks on the animal.

Sirloinhip, ahead of the rump

Top sirloin, tri-tip, sirloin cap (picanha), ball tip

Lean, beefy steaks that grill well and cost less than loin cuts.

Roundrump and back leg

Rump roast, top round, bottom round, eye of round, cube steak, jerky, ground beef

Lean and budget-friendly. Slice thin or cook low and slow.

Brisketchest

Whole brisket (flat and point), corned beef

Tough at first, but hours of smoking or braising make it the star.

Shankfront leg

Cross-cut shank (osso buco), soup bones, ground beef

Full of collagen. Made for soup, stock and braises.

Platebelly, below the ribs

Skirt steak, short ribs, hanger steak, ground beef

Fatty and full of flavor. Skirt is the classic fajita steak.

Flankbelly, ahead of the back leg

Flank steak, ground beef

One lean, wide steak. Marinate, sear hot, slice across the grain.

Tenderloin (dashed line): runs along the inside of the short loin and sirloin. Ask for it whole and you get filet mignon and a tenderloin roast, but no T-bones or porterhouses. Leave it in and it comes on those bone-in steaks.

U.S. (USDA/NAMP) primal names. Every butcher draws the lines a little differently.

01 / Start here

Which Cuts Fit How I Cook?

  • Grill a lot? Ask for more steaks.
  • Slow cooker family? More roasts.
  • Tacos and burgers every week? More ground beef.
  • Cooking for two? Smaller packages.

02 / The choices

What 5 Choices Matter Most?

  1. Steak thickness: ask what the butcher usually does. Thicker steaks mean fewer steaks.
  2. Steaks per package: match it to how many people eat at once.
  3. Roast size: smaller roasts fit weeknights.
  4. Ground beef pack size: 1 lb or 2 lb packs.
  5. Bone-in or boneless: bone-in weighs more, boneless takes up less freezer space.

03 / Trade-offs

Can I Get Every Cut?

Each animal has only so much of each section. Some choices cancel others:

PICK THIS
  • T-bone or porterhouse steaks
  • Ribeye steaks
  • Brisket whole
  • More roasts
AND YOU GIVE UP
  • Separate filets and strip steaks
  • A prime rib roast
  • Some ground beef
  • Some steaks or ground

When in doubt, ask the butcher: “If I pick this, what do I give up?”

04 / Example

What Does a Quarter Give You?

University of Minnesota Extension’s example quarter (about 142 lb of beef) included:

  • 7 ribeye and 6 T-bone steaks
  • 9 sirloin, sirloin tip and round steaks
  • 6 roasts
  • 35–60 lb of ground beef

Your numbers will differ by animal and cut choices.

05 / Honest answer

Can I Just Use the Butcher’s Standard Sheet?

Yes, and it’s a smart first move. Say “This is my first time. What do most people pick?” Then change the one or two things you care about.

Watch for extras. Patties, sausage, cube steak and special packaging often cost more. Ask before you check the box.

Know your deadline. Most plants want the cut sheet within days of the kill date. See kill date to freezer for the full timeline.

06 / Print or screenshot

Your Fill-In Cut Sheet

Bring this to the call:

  • People in my house: ____
  • Steak thickness: ____ inches
  • Steaks per package: ____
  • Roast size: ____ lb
  • Ground beef pack size: ____ lb
  • Bone-in or boneless: ____
  • Extras (soup bones, liver, brisket, short ribs): ____
  • Cut sheet due date: ____

Know your take-home pounds before you choose. See hanging weight explained, freezer space and the buyer’s checklist. Pricing it out? Try the half-cow calculator or see Ohio half-cow prices.

Find Ranchers Near You

Find a rancher, then fill out your cut sheet together. Start with Ohio ranchers or search all 2,500+ listings.

Ranchers Near You →

Source: University of Minnesota Extension, “Buying animals for meat processing” (quarter cut list).

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