Beef cuts in 4 languages: an English, French, Spanish and Arabic glossary for professional buyers
A sirloin is a faux-filet in Paris, a lomo bajo in Madrid and often a striploin in the Gulf. Between a Spanish supplier, a French customer and an Arabic-speaking buyer, the same cut has four names. Here is a glossary of beef cuts, from quarter to primal, and how to describe them in an order so you receive what you expect.
In this article
- Beef is traded at several levels: carcass, half-carcass, forequarter or hindquarter, then primal cuts; each level has its own vocabulary and customs heading.
- Cut names do not translate word for word: French, Spanish and British butchery do not always separate the muscles in the same place.
- In an order, always add a description to the cut name: bone-in or boneless, trim, packaging, chilled or frozen, weight per piece.
From carcass to primal: the levels of cutting
Before talking about sirloin or chuck, you need to know which level you are buying at. A slaughterhouse often sells carcasses or quarters; a cutting plant sells trimmed, packed primal cuts; a wholesaler sells cuts or portions. The same levels appear in the Harmonized System customs nomenclature, which separates fresh or chilled beef (heading 0201) from frozen beef (heading 0202).
| English | French | Spanish | Arabic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carcass | Carcasse | Canal | ذبيحة كاملة |
| Half-carcass (side) | Demi-carcasse | Media canal | نصف ذبيحة |
| Forequarter | Quartier avant | Cuarto delantero | الربع الأمامي |
| Hindquarter | Quartier arrière | Cuarto trasero | الربع الخلفي |
| Primal cut (boneless) | Pièce de gros (désossée) | Pieza (deshuesada) | قطعة رئيسية (منزوعة العظم) |
| Portion, steak | Portion | Ración, filete | شريحة |
The further the cutting goes, the higher the price per kilo and the more precise the description must be: a carcass is described by its weight and grade, a primal by its cutting lines, trim and packaging.
Hindquarter cuts
The hindquarter carries most of the grilling and roasting cuts, the most expensive per kilo. Spanish names follow the cut chart of the Spanish beef interprofession Provacuno; English names are those used in the United Kingdom; in Arabic, Gulf importers often use a transliteration of the English name.
| English (UK) | French | Spanish | Arabic (Gulf usage) | Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fillet (tenderloin) | Filet | Solomillo | تندرلوين (فيليه) | Grill, roast |
| Sirloin (striploin) | Faux-filet (contre-filet) | Lomo bajo | ستريبلوين | Grill, roast |
| Rump | Rumsteck | Cadera | رامب (لحم الردف) | Grill |
| Topside | Tende de tranche | Tapa | توب سايد | Grill, roast |
| Silverside | Gîte à la noix | Contra | سلفر سايد | Roast, braise |
| Thick flank (knuckle) | Tranche grasse | Babilla | نكل | Grill, roast |
| Flank | Bavette d’aloyau | Vacío | فلانك (الخاصرة) | Grill |
| Hind shin (shank) | Jarret arrière | Jarrete trasero (morcillo) | الموزة (الساق) | Stew |
Forequarter cuts
The forequarter mainly yields braising and stewing cuts, as well as most of the meat used for mince and processing. The rib-eye, taken from the ribs, is the big exception.
| English (UK) | French | Spanish | Arabic (Gulf usage) | Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rib-eye (fore rib) | Entrecôte (train de côtes) | Lomo alto | ريب آي | Grill, roast |
| Chuck (chuck roll) | Basses côtes | Aguja | تشك رول | Grill, braise |
| Blade, shoulder clod | Paleron, macreuse | Espaldilla, llana | لحم الكتف | Braise |
| Brisket | Poitrine | Pecho | بريسكت (الصدر) | Stew, smoke |
| Short ribs | Plat de côtes | Costillar | الأضلاع (شورت ريبس) | Stew, braise |
| Neck | Collier | Pescuezo | الرقبة | Stew |
| Fore shin (shank) | Jarret avant | Jarrete delantero | الموزة (الساق) | Stew |
These are equivalents in use, not exact matches: a British chuck and a Spanish aguja cover a similar area, but their cutting lines do not always coincide.
Translation traps to know
- Sirloin: in the UK it means the striploin; in the United States it refers to the rump area. With an American supplier, say “striploin”.
- Filet and filete: in French, “filet” is the tenderloin, like the English “fillet”; in Spanish, “filete” simply means a slice of any cut. The tenderloin is solomillo.
- Rib-eye: ask whether the cut comes bone-in (“côte de bœuf”, bone-in rib) or boneless (“entrecôte”, “lomo alto”).
- Arabic varies by country: Gulf importers readily use transliterated English names, while in Egypt the tenderloin is called “فلتو” and the Maghreb often uses French names. Check the term with your customer.
- Regional names: in Spain, Latin America or Belgium, the same cut may have another name (lomo bajo becomes “bife de chorizo” in Argentina). The technical description always settles it.
Send your supplier a photo or diagram of the expected cut with its cutting lines. An image prevents more mistakes than a translated name.
How to describe a cut in an order
A cut name alone will not get you comparable offers. For each cut, state:
- The name in two languages: the supplier’s and yours, for example “striploin / lomo bajo”.
- Bone-in or boneless, and the trim level: fat cover kept, reduced or removed, silverskin removed or not.
- The state: chilled or frozen, which also changes the customs heading (see below).
- The packaging: whole vacuum-packed piece, pieces per carton, net weight per carton.
- The size: weight range per piece, for example a whole striploin between 4 and 6 kg.
These points complete our halal meat specification sheet in 10 points, which also covers certification, volume and Incoterm. Our meat range page presents the product families for which we review requests.
Customs headings for beef
The Harmonized System, shared by the customs authorities of most countries, classifies beef by state and level of cutting. The first six digits are the same everywhere; countries then add their own subdivisions.
| Presentation | Fresh or chilled | Frozen |
|---|---|---|
| Carcasses and half-carcasses | 0201 10 | 0202 10 |
| Other cuts with bone in (compensated quarters, forequarters, hindquarters, other) | 0201 20 | 0202 20 |
| Boneless | 0201 30 | 0202 30 |
In the UK tariff, inherited from the EU Combined Nomenclature, “compensated quarters” are forequarters and hindquarters presented together, in equal numbers and with the same total weight (a 5% difference is allowed). The exact code, at eight digits or more, should be checked in the importing country’s tariff.
Frequently asked questions
What is sirloin called in French and Spanish?
In French, faux-filet or contre-filet; in Spanish, lomo bajo. Be careful with American suppliers, for whom “sirloin” means the rump area: say striploin instead. In the Gulf, the usual term is ستريبلوين.
What is the difference between forequarter and hindquarter?
The hindquarter carries the fillet, sirloin, rump and leg cuts, mostly for grilling and roasting. The forequarter carries the rib-eye, chuck, blade, brisket and neck, mostly for braising and stewing.
Are beef cut names the same in every country?
No. Each country cuts the carcass in its own way and has its own names, sometimes different from one region to another. In an international order, always add a description to the name: bone, trim, packaging and weight per piece.
Sources
Sources consulted on 2 November 2026.
- Interbev, French beef cut names (La-viande.fr, in French).
- Provacuno, Spanish beef interprofession, cortes de la ternera (in Spanish).
- UK Trade Tariff, headings 0201 (meat of bovine animals, fresh or chilled) and 0202 (frozen), with the chapter 2 notes.
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