Wednesday, November 11, 2009

The Spanish Names for Cuts of Meat

Wow! Buying meat was so confusing because I could not tell what cuts of meat were what here except for lomo fino which is filet mignon.
I found this list at www.movingtoargentina.typepad.com and I wanted to include here.
If there is anyone out there who is stumped at the market when buying meat

Guide to Cortes de Carne de Vaca* in Spanish and English
Aguja - Chuck Roast
Asado - Short Ribs, Roast Prime Rib
Bife Ancho - Prime Rib, Rib Eye Roast, Rib Eye Steaks
Bife Angosto - Porterhouse or Strip Steak
Bife a la Rueda - Round Steak
Bife de Alcatra - Sirloin Steak
Bife de Costilla (con lomo) -T-Bone Steaks
Bife de Chorizo  - Sirloin Rump Steaks
Bife de Vacio - Flank Steak
Bola de Lomo - Sirloin Tip
Carnaza - Stew Beef
Carne Picada Comun -  Ground Beef with Fat
Carne Picada Especial - Ground Beef with out Fat
Chinchulin - Lower Intestines
Chorizo -  Sausage
Churrasco de Paleta - Pot Roast
Cogote - Neck 
Colita de Cuadril - Rump Steak
Corazon - Heart
Costillas - Rib Roast
Cuadrada - Bottom Round
Cuadril - Rump Roast or Rump Steak
Entrana - Skirt Steak
Falda - Flank Steak
Higado - Liver
Lengua - Tongue
Lomo - Tenderloin
Marucha - Short Ribs
Matambre - Flank Steak
Milanesa - Minute Steak
Mollejas - Sweetbreads
Morcilla - Blood Sausage
Nalga - Beef Round for Stew
Osobuso - Osso Busco
Paleta (see also Churrasco de Paleta) - Pot Roast
Palomita - Shoulder Roast in Butterfly Cut
Peceto - Beef Round Steaks, Roast Eye of Round
Pecho - Brisket
Rabo - Oxtail
Rinones - Kidneys
Ros Bif - Roast Beef
Sesos - Brains
Tapa de Asado - Rib Cap Roast
Tira de Asado - Short Ribs
Tapa de Nalga - Cap of Round Roast
Tapa de Cuadril - Cap of Rump Roast
Tripa Gorda - Tripe
Ubre - Udder
Vacio (see also Bife de Vacio) - Flank Steak
Choosing the Right Cut of Beef
It's important to choose the right cut of beef for the type of cooking you plan to do.  I found an excellent website that gives the recommended cooking style for the cut of beef. It's completely in Spanish, but it's a nice outline.
You can also use the following as a quick reference for typical cuts and typical cooking styles:
Best Choices for:
Asado: Asado, Bife de Lomo or Lomo, Bife de Chorizo, Vacio
Milanesas: Milanesa de Bola de Lomo, Milanesa de Lomo, Milanesa de Nalga

Roasting: Colita de Cuadril, Corazon de Cuadril, Lomo, Peceto
Steaks: Bife Angosto, Bife de Chorizo, Bife de Lomo
Stews: Bola de Lomo, Nalga, Rosbif, Tortugita
Stir Frys: Churrasco de Cuadril

5 comments:

  1. Thank you. I am in NY and I also having a hard time to find the "peruvian" cuts here. The last time I used stew meat for guiso de carne and it took me hours..jajaj it was not the correct cut.

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  2. Thank you for this! I'm going to be cooking all our meals on an upcoming trip to Lima and this will be very useful.

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  3. Just want to say thanks for posting this back in 2009. I recently arrived in Lima and will be here for two years. While I have been working out some of the cuts of meat this is by far the best interpretation I have seen. You just made my steak life so much happier.

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  4. Hola! Also living in Arequipa! This explanation of beef cuts VERY helpful. Thank you.

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  5. Thank you for your comment I am not active in this blog anymore. I currently live in Hawaii a whole new frontier.

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