Meat Cuts by the Numbers
Meat in Israel is a long-standing source of frustration for new olim, especially those from North America. It’s as if cows in America are somehow built with different parts, and trying to find the right piece of meat for your recipe becomes more confusing than it should be. Couple that with the now-permitted hindquarter meats, and you more than double the number of cuts available that people may never have seen or heard of before. And as if that wasn’t bad enough, they number the meat like you’re in kindergarten, making you feel that much more stupid.
Enough is enough. I present my definitive guide to buying meat in Israel.
Why the Confusion?
The US, the UK, France, the Dutch, the Koreans and the Australians all have different ways to cut meat. The difference in numbers of cuts alone is staggering. A typical American beef has about 30 different cuts of meat. Koreans have 125 different cuts from the same animal. You’ve heard the phrase “It all depends on how you slice it”? Well, it’s true.
Israel for the most part likes to follow French cuisine styles. I suppose it makes them feel more fancy. That’s why ribsteak is called “entrecôte” (lit. ‘between the rib’) more frequently than it’s called “steak ayin” or ribeye. But it’s the same cut of meat. For the most part, beef is butchered in the French style in Israel, so people familiar with US cuts won’t see things like a square cut chuck roast. That’s also changing, thanks to American style butchers and frozen beef products now coming on the market.
The Chart
| Israel Number | Hebrew Name | English Name | Primal | Cooking Method |
| #1 | Entrecote, Steak Ayin, Vered HaTzela | Rib, Ribeye | Rib | Grill, roast, stovetop |
| #2 | Tzlaot, Rifaan | Chuck Blade | Chuck | Braising, long cooking |
| #3 | Chazeh | Brisket | Brisket | Slow cooking, stewing, curing |
| #4 | Katef Mercazi | Shoulder Roast | Chuck | Pot roast, roast beef (US deli) |
| #5 | Tzli Katef | Minute Steak | Chuck | Quick roast, grill, stovetop |
| #6 | Fillet Medumeh | Petit Tender | Foreshank | Grilling, stovetop, quick roast |
| #7 | Michaseh HaTzlah | Chuck Cover | Chuck | Grilling, stovetop |
| #8 | Shrir Kidmi | Shin | Foreshank | Slow cooking, braising, stewing |
| #9 | Assado, Kashtit | Short Ribs | plate | Grilling, braising |
| #10 | Tzavar | Neck Clod | Chuck | Grinding, slow cooking, stewing |
| #11 | Sinta, Moten | Sirloin | Short loin | Grilling, stovetop, quick roast |
| #12 | Fillet | Tenderloin | Short loin | Grill, stovetop, roast |
| #13 | Shaitel, Kanaf Haoketz | Rump | Sirloin | Grill, stovetop |
| #14 | Katchkah, Ozit | Top Sirloin | Sirloin | Grill, stovetop |
| #15 | Yarcha | Thick Flank | Round | Roast |
| #16 | Kaf | Topside | Round | Roast |
| #17 | Pladah, Kislayim | Flank Steak | Flank | Grill, stovetop, braised |
| #18 | Shrir Achori | Shank | Round | Slow cooking, braising, stewing |
| #19 | Rosh HaYerech (Yarcha) | Silverside | Round | Grill, stovetop |
| Lashon | Tongue | Organ | Braising, long cooking | |
| Caved | Liver | Organ | flame broiled | |
| Kivah | Tripe | Organ | stew, soup | |
| Moch | Brains | Organ | Saute, fry, braise | |
| Shkeidim | Sweetbreads | Organ | Saute, fry | |
| Rayot | Lungs | Organ | Braising, long cooking | |
| Kalayot | Kidneys | Organ | Braising, long cooking | |
| Ma’ayim | Intestines | Organ | Stuffing, sausage making | |
| Lavlav | Pancreas | Organ | Saute, fry | |
| Ashchim | Testicles | Organ | Saute, fry | |
| Sarefet | Hanger Steak | Muscle | grill, stovetop | |
| Lechi Bakar | Beef Cheeks | Muscle | Curing, stovetop, braising | |
| Zanav Shor | Oxtail | Muscle | braising, soup |
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Meats Cuts by the Number –
#5 is a London Broil. It’s not chuck.
London Broil is actually a cooking method, not a cut of meat, and it typically is made from flank steak, which is not available kosher in the United States. A kosher London Broil might be made from a chuck cover, which is a #7, or a ribeye lip, which isn’t really practical in this country. A #5 tzli katef is known as a minute steak roast in the US. It is a large, round piece of shoulder (‘katef’=shoulder) with a thick piece of gristle in the middle. A London Broil cut is flat for quick broiling and usually has a grain.
Wow, this is really amazing. I’ve been here for 11 years and meat still frustrates me. I feel like you just have to braise everything.
The question that most bothers me is why it’s so hard to find a shoulder roast like America. I know you wrote above that the 4 is a US style shoulder, but I was always told to braise it.
The best “roast” I’ve been able to consistently make is entrecote. They look at me like I’m crazy when I ask for a whole “gush” of entrecote (why don’t I want steaks?)
Also, if I want to order a whole rack of ribs, what would I ask for?
Also, at the supermarket, why is everything cut up into little pieces and wrapped in plastic
A #4 is comprable to a Silver Rip roast in America, but they over-clean it here. They’re also smaller, but that has to do with the size of the beef more than the butchering.
This is the cut of meat you want if you’re looking to make a proper deli roast beef. We have mercazi for Shabbat and it comes out browned on the outside and pink on the inside.
I have to answer your last question before I answer your third question. There are two reasons why everything is vacuum-packed. The first is that the majority of meat that we get in Israel comes from South America, namely Uruguay, Argentina and Brazil. It’s slaughtered, soaked, salted, packaged, frozen and shipped. Since there is a limited amount of space in a freezer container, they have to maximize the space they have. Things like bones and fat are eliminated from shipping, because they take up too much space. The second reason is that Israel law allows meat to be sold with up to an additonal 10% injected water weight, so they package it to keep the water in the meat.
Assado is a cut from the beef rib plate that comes with beef spareribs. A rack of ribs isn’t a common product in Israel, but I have seen whole beef rib racks in Machane Yehuda. “Tzlaot” are ribs in Hebrew, so try asking for “Aztmei Tzlaot Bakar Shalem” or “Whole Beef Rib Bones.” Tzlaot Taleh (rack of lamb) is much more common here.
I identified #2 as “Tzlaot”, but that’s because of what they call it, not what I would call it. It’s meat that comes from the shoulder clod that is often cut into smaller pieces. This is braising meat, not roasting meat (though I admit I never tried), and would be good for Boneless Beef Spareribs.
Wow! This is awesome!
I am a novice griller and enjoy good meat (and a good challenge). I recently purchased a gas grill. Whenever I go to the butcher and ask for something for my “mangal” they just recommend the entrecote… I feel like I want to try something new… Any ideas of a good place to start? Happy to make a roast/steak… something tasty :-)
Thanks again!
You can use a #5 tzli katef cut down into minute steaks about a 1/2″ thick. But they’re called minute steaks for a reason, so keep your eye on them. Some people don’t like the thick fibrous piece of gristle in the middle.
A #6 fileh medumeh can be grilled whole, but it will be a little tricky because of it’s shape. The thin end will cook much faster than the wide end.
The non-rib pieces of a #9 assado will grill nicely.
A #7 michaseh hatzlah is supposed to be able to grill well also, but they’re a little hard to find, and I can’t say that I’ve tried it myself.
Mo, mazel tov on your new purchase! What I really love to grill is turkey schwarma pounded out into “steaks” marinated or slathered with sauce. Also pargiot are great to grill as well, also pounded out a little (pargiot are really just deboned chicken thighs, not baby chickens). I find I’ve had more success with grilling poultry than meat in this country.
Thanks for your answers Marc. I knew about the water injection and I avoid it like the plague. I’ve had more success finding “natural” waterless frozen beef lately. I also buy more from the fresh meat counter (which is actually what I was asking about- why is every thing behind the fresh meat counter always cut into tiny pieces and wrapped in plastic?). One thing to know about frozen meat is that you can usually take a large hunk and ask them to cut it in half with a buzz saw at the counter, if you’re leery of cooking huge chunks of meat.
Pargit are spring chickens.
Pargiyot are deboned thighs.
The meat behind the counter is portioned.. Most people don’t/can’t buy an entire piece of meat. Break a whole entrecote into three roasts, and you’re more likely to sell it to three customers. And you can charge more for further processing. I can take a #6 and cut and shape it into medallions and add 30% to the price.
Pargiot, as far as I know, ar deboned drumsticks, not breasts.
What about “tchol”?
You are absolutely right. It’s thighs and legs.. I have no idea what I was thinking while I was typing. I corrected it.
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