Beef knuckle may sound like an odd cut of meat, but it’s actually a wonderfully versatile and budget-friendly option that every home cook should get to know. This primal cut comes from the round or hind leg of the cow, packing in lean protein and robust, beefy flavor. With the right techniques, beef knuckle can transform into tender roasts, succulent steaks, and hearty stews. Read on to unlock the secrets of this underappreciated gem.
Where Exactly Does Beef Knuckle Come From?
To truly understand beef knuckle, we first need to visualize where it comes from on the cow. The round or hind leg is the back portion of the cow above the hoof. It’s a very muscular region since it bears the weight of the animal. Within the round lie several subprimal cuts: the top round, bottom round, and our focus, beef knuckle.
Specifically, beef knuckle comes from the sirloin tip just above the knee joint It’s positioned right next to the top and bottom round cuts that run along the upper and lower portions of the leg While their positioning is similar, the characteristics of these cuts differ.
How Does Beef Knuckle Compare to Other Round Cuts?
Beef knuckle is leaner than top round but slightly more tender. Top round has more marbling or internal fat running through it This fat provides flavor and moisture when cooking Bottom round, situated beneath the knuckle, is affordable but very lean and tough. It requires lengthy cooking methods to break down its dense muscle fibers.
Beef knuckle provides a nice balance between tenderness and price point. It has less marbling than top round but more than bottom round. When handled properly, it can develop a wonderfully tender and juicy texture. The leanness of knuckle makes it a smart choice for fat-conscious diners.
Cooking Methods to Make the Most of Beef Knuckle
Slow, moist cooking transforms beef knuckle into fork-tender perfection. Braising, stewing, and pot roasting allow this cut’s collagen to break down into luscious gelatin. Try seasoning generously and cooking low and slow in broth until deliciously tender.
For faster cooking, slice knuckle thinly across the grain. This shorter muscle fiber length minimizes toughness. Use for quick-cooking stir-fries, fajitas, or minute steaks. Pound thin for chicken fried steak or schnitzel.
Thick beef knuckle steaks hold up great on the grill. Marinate first to impart flavor and moisture. Grill over high heat just until medium rare to prevent toughening.
Where to Buy Beef Knuckle
Ask your butcher for sirloin tip, one of beef knuckle’s many aliases. Well-stocked grocery stores may have it in the meat case. Specialty and online butchers offer quality beef knuckle. Check their selection and ordering options.
For custom cuts, nothing beats an old-school local butcher shop. Describe how you want to cook the knuckle and they can slice to order. They’re valuable sources of cooking advice too!
Health Benefits and Nutrition
Beef knuckle provides high-quality protein for building and repairing muscle. It’s rich in B vitamins for energy production and minerals like iron, zinc, and phosphorus. As a leaner cut, beef knuckle contains less saturated fat than fattier cuts like ribeye. Enjoy it as part of a balanced, nutrient-dense diet.
Creative Ways to Use Beef Knuckle
This tasty cut inspired endless delicious possibilities:
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Hearty Beef Stew – Tender beef knuckle cubes in a rich sauce
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Taco Bar Fixings – Grilled strips with veggie toppings
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Shepherd’s Pie – Ground knuckle in gravy topped with fluffy mashed potatoes
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Beef Stroganoff – Seared knuckle strips in creamy mushroom sauce
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Beef Bourguignon – Braised with red wine, bacon, and mushrooms
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Pastrami – Brined, smoked knuckle slices piled high on rye
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Mediterranean Kebabs – Knuckle chunks grilled with veggies and tzatziki
Don’t let the odd name scare you off. Beef knuckle is packed with flavor and versatility at a budget price point. Treat it right with the proper cooking techniques and you’ll be rewarded with succulence. Add this unsung hero to your rotation to expand your beef repertoire. Happy cooking!
What are the different parts of the beef knuckle?
The beef knuckle needs to be further trimmed and divided into its main muscle groups. First, the knuckle heart, or bullet, is separated from the rest of the knuckle — the femur and wedge muscles. There is quite a bit of connective tissue, silver skin, and gristle that needs to be removed, which you can certainly do yourself with a sharp knife and a little patience. Save the trimmings to make stock, broth, or consommé, or finely grind them to incorporate into beef mince or homemade sausage.
The femur muscle is best cut into cubes to use in dishes like beef bourguignon, stroganoff, or a Sunday red sauce — there are tons of ways to make braised beef. It also makes for great ground beef. The wedge muscle, because of its shape, can be cut into very thin steaks, like a sort of minute steak. As the name implies, these are meant to be cooked quickly. Any longer than a couple minutes and these steaks will get tough. Wrap them in prosciutto for a saltimbocca, cut into strips for a beef stir-fry, or pound out with a meat mallet for a milanesa.
The bullet muscle has a piece of silver skin through the middle. Once you remove it, you are left with two large muscles that can also be sliced into steaks, diced, or cut into strips. Make sure to always cut against the grain — this intersects muscle fibers making for a more tender bite.
Muscles in the beef knuckle
The femur muscle
This is the muscle that is attached to the femur and has a fair bit of fat and gristle that needs to be removed. It also has a layer of connective tissue from where it connected to the femur. When trimmed, this muscle is great for lean mince (ground beef).
The wedge muscle
This one is a solid lean piece of beef with a thin outer covering of connective tissue on the outside and a thick silverskin on the inside. When it is completely trimmed, there are many options for his cut. Diced for stews, casseroles, beef bourguignon. Sliced thinly for minute steaks, sandwich steaks, Philly cheesesteak or cut into strips for stir-frying or beef stroganoff, it is an excellent product. You could roast it, but you would need to add some fat to the outside because it is very lean.
The bullet muscle
This is the best muscle of the group. It could be roasted, with a layer of fat added for flavour and moisture, and it has really lean wide-ish slices, so very good for portion control. The inter-muscle connective tissue does not need to be removed as it will melt during roasting.
The bullet can be further subdivided by cutting along the thin silver skin to make two smaller cuts. If these cuts are matured for long enough, say 14 to 21 days, they are very tender and full of flavour. The thicker of the two, if tenderised, is as tender as some of the premium steaks and the thinner piece makes really good beef strips for stir-fry. Tenderising steaks using a Jaccard tenderiser is a useful method of breaking down the fibres of meat prior to cooking. The unit has 48 needle-pointed blades that cut into the muscle and leave the meat softer to the tooth and create a better eating experience. The Jaccard tenderisation also allows more marinade to penetrate the meat, giving a lot more flavour to the final product.
Beef Knuckle | How to cut and trim ☺︎
FAQ
What is another name for beef knuckle?
The knuckle goes by many names: The ball of the round, sirloin tip, round tip, tip center (centre in UK and Ireland) and sometimes thick flank, beef ball tip roast, sirloin tip roast and French roll roast (there are different names around the world).
Is beef knuckle good meat?
This cut is often overlooked, but it’s the best pick when it comes to flavour and tenderness. Despite being a lean cut, the beef knuckle boasts an impressive meat-to-fat ratio that makes it perfect for steaks, roasts, and even stir-fries.
How tender is beef knuckle?
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Butcher Magazinehttps://butchermagazine.comWhat Is Beef Knuckle & How To Prepare It – Butcher MagazineFeb 6, 2020 — The thicker of the two, if tenderised, is as tender as some of the premium steaks and the thinner piece makes really good beef strips for stir-fry. T…
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Spice Village Halal Meat & Foodshttps://spicevillagehalalmeat.co.ukBeef Knuckle: The Underrated Cut That Deserves a Spot in Your KitchenMar 11, 2025 — Beef knuckle meat comes from the hind leg of the cow, near the round (aka the back thigh). Because this part of the animal gets a lot of exercise, i…
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Angie’s Acreshttps://angiesacresmn.comWagyu Sirloin Tip / Beef Knuckle Roast – Angie’s AcresCooking Recommendations: Due to its leanness, the Sirloin Tip Roast benefits from slow, moist cooking methods to enhance tenderness. Popular preparation methods…
What part of the beef is the knuckle?
- The beef knuckle is located in the round, which is the hindquarter of the cow.
- It’s specifically found above the knee joint, between the top and bottom round.