Meat Cuts I've Never Heard Of

Reading a newspaper today I came across an article on beef cuts, some of which were new to me. Picanha is apparently a popular cut in Brazil - see https://www.youtube.com/shorts/wyy6IUSa2Vc

It is well marbled like a wagyu steak. Is anyone familiar with them?

Picanha steak, also known as rump cap or sirloin cap, is a prized cut of beef, particularly popular in Brazil. It's a triangular piece of meat with a thick layer of fat on top and is known for its rich, beefy flavor and tenderness when cooked properly.

They also covered flat iron steaks, which I am familiar with:

Flat iron steak, also known as a butler's steak or oyster blade steak, is a cut of beef taken from the shoulder (chuck) of the animal. It's known for being well-marbled, flavorful, and relatively tender, especially after the tough connective tissue is removed. Flat iron steaks are a popular choice for grilling, pan-searing, or broiling.

Bavette and hanger were touched on as well.

Tri-tip is unheard of in New England, at least under that name.

-Paul W.

[Jenise]

The sirloin cap in the video is definitely wagyu. That kind of marbling is NOT even the slightest bit typical of what you'd find at the choice or prime level. The cut itself is not common in the U.S., or at least where I've lived, though the tail end of that piece was always part of large slabs of the top sirloin that was my favorite cut when I was a kid, something my grandmother would make often when we'd stay with her. Back then, a typical top sirloin would be a rectangle an inch thick and about 5" x 12". Grammy would cut that into 3 or 4 steaks depending on whether my grumpy Grandpa was joining us, and my piece was ALWAYS the sloped end with the cap and highest ratio of fat to lean meat--fairly similar in flavor to the deckle on prime rib.

Has Wagyu become popular in restaurants and cooking at home? I never hear any of my foodie friends mention it. I tried it once and it has more fat than I like. I prefer the learner cuts, and even then remove as much fat as I can.

I've never seen picanha in supermarket here, though I've had at restaurants and ordered once from Wild Fork.
Hanger is pretty common, and when we had a local butcher he always had bavette.
Tritip was never seen here, but I think now you can get at Trader Joe's.
I like Wagyu, but a little goes a long way (and considering pricing that's a good thing).

The only Wagyu I've seen around here is ground beef.

-Paul W.

The only Wagyu I've seen around here is ground beef..

Pretty common around here too. While I enjoy an occasional Wagyu steak, never quite understood the appeal of a Wagyu burger. The draw is the marbling, and once you grind....

I haven't looked closely enough, but perhaps Wagyu ground beef has a higher fat content than conventional ground beef? I don't use ground beef very much, but I agree with Joyce Chen when she said that most ground beef is too lean to make a proper hamburger.

-Paul W.

Sure, it has a higher fat content, but you can get that by using chuck and/or brisket- or just adding scraps. That's the beauty of grinding!

You can also add fat to lean beef by adding ground bacon! Chances are that people will like it even if they can't tell what the additive is.