Goggin: Make the most of beef's nine primal cuts

Well, friends, it's the day you've dreaded all summer. The day you knew would come, but didn't know exactly when it would arrive - the conclusion of the Mystery Meat Challenge.

These past several weeks, we've learned a thing or two about the unsung heroes in your grocer's meat department (and I'm not talking about your friendly butcher - although my friends at Publix have provided me with quite the carnivorous education). I'm referring to those perfectly packaged gems snuggled beautifully in the meat counter and offered for sale each week.

So far, we've taken a peek at the fearless flank steak, the hearty beef brisket, ladylike London broil, precocious pork ribs and country-style ribs. We appropriately rounded out our series last week with the radiant round steak.

If my summer research has uncovered anything, it is this - a meat's tenderness, texture and taste simply boil down to one word: location.

The parts of the animal that get more exercise, like shoulders and front legs, are tougher than areas that get less usage. The rib and loin area along the animal's back does no work at all. Therefore, it makes sense that we'd find the most tender cuts of all in this section (succulent steaks, pork chops and baby back ribs).

Beef is categorized by sections called primal cuts. There are nine in all, and understanding them helps us better understand the supermarket labeling and how best to prepare our selections.

As we conclude the Mystery Meat Challenge, let's take a quick look at the nine primal cuts and the percentage of beef that each cut contributes:

► Chuck (28 percent of total) - front of the animal, chest and shoulder; cooking method: cook in liquid; example: boneless shoulder roast, blade roast or steak, chuck eye roast.

► Rib (12 percent of total) - top/middle section; cooking method: broil, roast, pan-fry; example: rib roast, ribeye steak.

► Short loin (9 percent of total) - animal's back; cooking method: roast, broil or grill, pan-fry; example: t-bone, porterhouse steak, tenderloin steak or roast.

► Sirloin (7 percent of total) - area just behind back, leading to the rear end; cooking method: grill or broil, pan-fry; example: tri-tip roast or steak, top sirloin steak.

► Round (25 percent of total) - hind end, buttock area; cooking method: marinate and grill or broil, pot roast, cook in liquid; example: top round steak, bottom round steak or roast, eye round steak, round tip ro

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