Body Parts of a Steer

A steer is a male cow castrated before reaching sexual maturity. Steer are vital to beef production, as well as other products such as clothing, machine grease, cosmetics and china.

  1. The Head

    • The head of a steer includes the muzzle (where the mouth and nose can be found), jaw, eyes and ears. The poll sits at the topmost part of the head.

    The Neck

    • The neck is easily identified on the steer. The dewlap hangs at the bottom of the neck, and is a source of chuck meat.

    Front Body

    • The front of the body includes the crops, shoulder, chest, forearm and hooves. It contains the meat for brisket, shank and chuck meat.

    Mid Body

    • The middle of the steer's body begins just after the crops and includes the back, forerib, middle, loin and flank. You can find high-priced cuts such as loin and rib meat there.

    Rump

    • The rump begins at the hooks and includes the rump, pins, quarter, twist, hocks, and the pasterns. Rump roasts and round beef cuts come from this section of the steer.