Meat Lesson – The Chuck Section

View my Kosher Beef Guide for a better understanding of the Kosher Forequarter and for a visual guide.

Today, we are focusing on the Chuck section.

The Chuck section (No. 2 on chart) more or less runs from the neck down the vertebrae of the back to about the 5th rib and down towards the shoulder area. Although chuck contains a high percentage of connective tissue with quite a bit of muscle tissue, it still yields some of the most flavorsome cuts of meat on the forequarter. Some of these cuts haven’t quite made it into the “popular crowd’s” group yet but I’m sure after trying some of these recipes their popularity will increase and it won’t be long before they’re accepted! I’ve always said that each and every cut on the forequarter has its own unique flavor and texture and there is most certainly ‘life after fillet’!

In South Africa we separate out a section we call Hump (no. 2a in picture), it is one of my favorite cuts to use in place of the more expensive brisket cut for pickled meats.  It does not seem that the butchers in the US are selling this cut, so you can use brisket in place of anything I call Hump.   Included in this section I am giving you recipes for Pickled Hump Roast (you can use brisket), Chuck roast (also known as the square roast) and Deboned Chuck Roast, which we call Raisin Rib Roast.

Corned Beef with Mustard Sauce

Slow Cooker Pulled Brisket

Reliable Riasin Rib Roast

Granny Smith’s ‘Raisin” The Roof Off Roast

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