Stew meat isn’t one specific cut of meat—it’s usually a mix of tougher, inexpensive cuts (most often beef chuck and round) that have been trimmed and cut into chunks for long, slow cooking.

Quick Scoop

When you see a package labeled “stew meat,” here’s what it typically means.

  • It’s usually beef , most often from chuck roast (shoulder area) and sometimes bottom or top round (rear leg).
  • The butcher cuts these tougher muscles into small cubes so they become tender when simmered slowly.
  • In some recipes or stores, “stew meat” can also be pork, lamb, or other tougher meats, but if the label just says “beef stew meat,” it’s nearly always mixed trimmings of chuck and round.
  • These cuts are chosen because they have connective tissue and some fat that melt down into rich, silky stew when cooked low and slow.

Simple way to think of it

If you bought “beef stew meat,” imagine a chuck roast or round roast that’s been cubed up for you—same animal parts, just pre-cut for braising and stewing rather than serving as steaks.