what cut of beef is stew meat

Most “stew meat” is not one single cut, but usually cubed pieces from tougher, cheaper parts of the cow—most often chuck (shoulder) and round (hind leg).

Quick Scoop

• In grocery stores, stew meat is typically a mix of small chunks from:
  • Chuck roast / chuck steak (from the shoulder).

* Round cuts like bottom or top round (from the rear leg).

• These muscles are worked hard, so they start out tough but have:
  • Plenty of connective tissue and collagen that melt into tenderness when cooked low and slow.

* Lean to medium fat and some marbling for good flavor in stews.

• Pre-packed stew meat is often a blend of trimmings from these cuts, which is why it’s just labeled “stew meat” instead of a specific steak name.

Other cuts that are great for stew

Besides chuck and round, butchers and recipes also like: short rib, shin/shank, blade, brisket, oxtail, and sometimes sirloin tip or similar slow- cooking cuts.

One-sentence takeaway

If you want to buy a whole piece and cut it yourself, grab a chuck roast or a bottom round roast—those are the classic “stew meat” cuts in their original form.

TL;DR: When you see “stew meat” on the package, think “cubed chuck or round (plus similar trimmings) meant to be cooked low and slow until tender.”

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.