Plate

The plate (sometimes called the short plate) sits on the underside of the steer, directly below the rib primal. It's a relatively small primal but punches well above its weight in terms of flavor.

These are hardworking muscles with plenty of connective tissue and fat, which translates to deeply beefy flavor when cooked properly. Some of my favorite cuts in the entire animal come from the plate.

Key Cuts: - Short ribs (both English-cut and flanken-style) - Skirt steak (outside skirt and inside skirt — the outside is far superior) - Hanger steak (the "butcher's steak" — hangs from the diaphragm) - Plate short ribs (the massive, meaty ribs popular in BBQ)

The Outside Skirt: This is the real skirt steak — the diaphragm muscle. It has a coarser grain, more fat, and significantly more flavor than the inside skirt. Most of the outside skirt gets exported to Japan or goes to restaurants, which is why you rarely see it at retail. If your butcher has it, buy it.

Hanger Steak: Called the "butcher's steak" because butchers used to keep it for themselves. There's only one per animal (about 1–1.5 lbs), and it has an incredibly beefy, almost liver-like intensity. Cook it hot and fast to medium-rare, max.

Plate cuts range from $8–$15/lb for Choice, with short ribs at the higher end and skirt steak fluctuating seasonally (it spikes before grilling holidays).