Beef Loin Cuts

Porterhouse Many believe these to be the best of all steaks. The FIRST cut from the short loin, this is a much smaller joint 4-5 inches thick. As is true of any meat cut or joint, a porterhouse does NOT have to be cut up into steaks.This cut, joint, or steak contains the largest portion of the flavourful top loin (due to their always contrary nature, known as New York or Kansas City strip, in the United States of the Americas), and the  largest part of the buttery, soft, and rather tasteless, tenderloin; which, alone, has become known as Chateaubriand. Hotels, restaurants usually cut their own.

T-Bone steak Coming after the First or Porterhouse cut; so named for its distinguishing T-shaped bone, this choice cut is almost identical to a Porterhouse steak, only it doesn't have quite as much of the tenderloin or fillet muscle in it.

Club Steak Think of this as a T-bone steak without any of the choice tenderloin muscle in it. True to their usual contrary nature, in the United States this steak is sometimes called a Delmonico, though they more often reserve this name for rib-eye (entrecote) steaks. Substitutes: Strip steak OR rib steak (not nearly as tender, with a lot of connective tissue and excess tallow).

Coulotte Steak= Culotte Steak= Culottes Steak= Top sirloin cap steak This is a small, boneless steak cut from the sirloin. It's got good flavour and nutrition, but of course, it's a bit tougher than other steaks so you might want to marinate before cooking it. Substitutes: sirloin steak.

Chateaubriand While traditionally, the meat used was the first cut from the thickest part (eye of the tenderloin Chateaubriand is really a meat recipe. Because not very many people are aware of this, as part of an on going quest for excessive profits "American" (USA) companies, and with the advent of "free trade" so called Chateaubriand is now often cut from the small end of the top sirloin, or even from the round. This is pure customer deception and fraud but because Chateaubriand is a recipe such designation is also technically legal; at least under the American" concept of fair play.

Fillet Mignon= Tenderloin Steak=Fillet Steak= Fillet de Boeuf= Tender Steak. Originallythe whole tender loin (from the short loin) was known as the fillet mignon. Pronunciation: fee-lay mee-NYOH Plural: Fillets mignons. These are cut from the tenderloin, and they're the tenderest steaks you can buy, though not the most flavourful or nutritious. Again, true to their contrary nature, in the United States butchers usually call all tenderloin steaks (only) fillets mignons, but the French (who invented and first named all the cuts and recipes that go with them) now reserve the name for just the middle portion of the tenderloin. As they move further down and away from the fillet mignon, the French and most other countries call the cuts medallions or bifteck, and tournedos.

Minute Steak In some parts of the world, a minute steak is a small, thinly sliced, boneless sirloin steak, originally used for steak sandwiches. Substitution: Thinly sliced strip loin.

Notes: The long loin (complete sir-loin) is now divided into two main parts: the short loin, which includes the choice tenderloin and top loin, and what is now called the sirloin, which lies closer to the rump. Since the muscles muscles in the short loin don't get much of a workout the meat there is very tender but lacking in flavour and nutrition. What is now called sirloin is near the rump, so the meat's a bit tougher than from the short loin but it is also more flavourful and nutritious. Sirloin is also a better roasting cut; and much more economical, than standing rib.

Sirloin Unless you consider the fillet as a separate roasting cut by far the second best roasting cut. Unfortunately for the average consumer; the only way to obtain a sirloin is to buy the long loin (wholesale cut) and then cut your own; which is exactly what hotels and large restaurants do. You can however buy the cuts listed below.

Top Sirloin Butt - Canadian Trim

Bottom Sirloin Butt

Bottom Sirloin Butt-Ball Tip

Tri Tip=Triangle

Sirloin Steak In the modern market place, there are several different sirloin steak cuts, named for shape of the hip bone that's left in them and to extract a higher price from the unwary consumer. Going from fore to aft, there's the tender but bony Pin bone sirloin, which is right next to the porterhouse and an excellent steak. Then there's the Flat bone sirloin, the round bone sirloin, and finally the wedge bone sirloin, which is closest to the rump and therefore least tender but most nutritious. A boneless sirloin steak is sometimes called a rump steak=butt steak. Sirloin steaks are usually grilled or broiled and are a much better buy than any rib steak. Like any good steak; sirloin should never be cooked well done and you will loose much of the flavour, if you insist on doing so.

Top Sirloin Steak Note: Some top sirloin steak cuts are wonderfully tender and juicy and flavourful but others are mediocre. Don't confuse this with an ordinary sirloin steak which includes a bone. True to the creed, their greedy ways; along with an inborn conviction that all others are completely stupid, "American" butchers and retailers often call a thick top sirloin steak a Chateaubriand. It is not. The cut used for the recipe Chateaubriand is a much tenderer cut that comes from the Tenderloin.

Prime Rib (Steak Cut) This is the only rib cut that rightly comes from the hind quarter.
 The hind quarter has one rib bone (13th); this one rib, if, cut from prime grade, well aged, grain fed, steer beef would constitute a prime rib steak (Prime Entrecote) but usually, because it does come from the hind quarter, this cut is not even considered to be a rib steak and will be sold as club steak if at all.

Standing Rib (Prime Rib)-Roasting Cut:

THE TRUTH ABOUT "PRIME RIB" 
pictured above is a "Standing Rib"cut--
IT IS NOT  PRIME RIB
A Prime Rib, (which originally consisted of only two ribs-and then only from prime beef-when marketers in the U. S. A. decided that they just "had to" change the name) is also a Standing Rib cut; but Standing Rib is still NOT necessarily Prime Rib. 
True Prime Rib must be cut from prime grade beef.
 AND, even that must be properly "DRY AGED".

Prime grade beef makes up only about 2% of all the beef produced in North America and typically ends up being exported.
What you will normally find on the shelves at the butcher shop or your favourite supermarket is choice select or most often commercial grade. 
In other words you are NOT going to be buying PRIME RIB, even though it is marked as such and you are paying the price.

HOW TO DRY AGE AT HOME

http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/ribroast3.html
Although because it is much quicker; an experienced cook or meat cutter would unboubtably use a butchers knot, rather than the one demonstrated, the author knows what he is talking about and also provides some excellent information on the handling and cooking of your meat. I highly recommend this site.

Prime Loin "Short Loin" (Roasting Cut)