Beef belly, also known as beef plate, is a fatty, flavorful cut taken from the belly of the cow. Like pork belly, beef belly is loaded with intramuscular fat, making it an ideal candidate for slow cooking methods like braising, stewing, and smoking. When properly prepared, beef belly yields incredibly tender, succulent meat that melts in your mouth.
If you’re looking to make smoked beef burnt ends, Texas-style barbacoa, or corned beef you’ll want to start with high quality beef belly. Here’s everything you need to know about finding and buying beef belly for your next recipe.
What Exactly is Beef Belly?
Beef belly comes from the cow’s underbelly area between the brisket and plate primal cuts. It consists of several abdominal muscles as well as thick layers of fat running throughout. The fat content makes the meat more flavorful and moist when cooked.
Beef belly is sometimes confused with beef plate ribs While both come from the underside of the cow, beef belly is the boneless section while beef plate ribs are the ribs still attached to the belly section
Where to Buy Beef Belly
Finding high quality beef belly requires seeking out high quality beef producers. Here are some of the best places to buy beef belly online or in stores:
Online Butcher Shops
Specialty online butchers source meat from small farms that use sustainable practices and avoid hormones and antibiotics. Buying beef belly online allows you to shop small farm products from around the country. Some popular online butchers for beef belly include:
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Porter Road: This Nashville-based company works with Kentucky cattle farmers to produce pasture-raised beef free of antibiotics and added hormones. They sell beef belly in 4-5 pound portions.
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Frankie’s Free Range Meat: Their grass-fed beef belly comes from small family farms practicing regenerative agriculture. They sell portions as small as 1 pound.
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Snake River Farms: This popular supplier of American Wagyu beef offers Wagyu beef belly from their herds of cattle bred for rich marbling.
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Crowd Cow: Works with independent ranches around the U.S. to provide antibiotic and hormone-free beef belly that can be delivered right to your door. They sell both conventional and Wagyu-cross beef belly.
Butcher Shops and Meat Markets
Visiting a local butcher shop allows you to see meat quality firsthand and get custom cuts. Reliable local butchers include:
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Whole Foods Market: Their meat department sources beef belly and other primal cuts from their 5-Step Animal Welfare Rating program.
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Specialty butcher shops: High-end local butchers pride themselves on sourcing ethically raised meats from small regional farms. They can custom-cut beef belly to your specifications.
Farmer’s Markets
Farmers markets are a great place to meet local ranchers and farmers selling their own meats. You can ask about their practices and sourcing. Some sellers may even have beef belly in stock.
Direct from the Farm
Purchasing beef belly and other cuts directly from a reputable ranch allows you to see first-hand how animals are raised. Belly is one of the more uncommon cuts, so call ahead to specialty ranches to check availability.
What to Look for When Buying Beef Belly
To get the best results from your beef belly, prioritize the following qualities:
Marbling
The generous streaks of fat running through the meat is what makes beef belly so flavorful and moist when cooked. Look for ample marbling throughout the cut. The beef should look mottled instead of lean.
Color
Fresh beef has a bright red color. Dull, brownish hues indicate older meat. The fat should be bright white rather than yellow.
Butcher Paper Wrapping
Beef belly should always be wrapped in butcher paper rather than sitting in its own blood. Proper wrapping protects freshness.
Size
Beef belly portions typically range from 4-6 pounds. Larger cuts may be tougher while smaller ones cook faster. Choose the size appropriate for your recipe and cooking method.
Origin & Diet
Opt for beef belly from cattle that are grass-fed, grass-finished, hormone-free, and antibiotic-free. Cattle raised exclusively on grass and forage have better-tasting meat and fat.
How to Store Beef Belly
Raw beef belly can be stored similarly to other raw cuts of beef:
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Keep refrigerated at 40°F or below and use within 4-5 days of purchase.
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For longer storage, freeze beef belly for 2-3 months in freezer bags with the air pressed out.
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Thaw frozen beef belly overnight in the refrigerator before cooking. Do not thaw at room temperature.
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Once cooked, store beef belly leftovers for 3-4 days refrigerated or 2-3 months frozen. Reheat thoroughly before eating.
Proper storage preserves freshness and prevents spoilage or foodborne illness. Always inspect beef before cooking.
How to Prepare Beef Belly
While beef belly is wonderfully versatile, low and slow cooking methods bring out its best qualities. Popular preparation methods include:
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Smoking: The lengthy smoking process at low heat tenderizes the meat and infuses incredible depth of flavor. It’s ideal for making burnt ends or pastrami.
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Braising: Slow braising breaks down connective tissue into tender gelatin. Try beef belly braised barbacoa-style with peppers, onions, and Mexican spices.
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Stewing: Allow beef belly to braise for hours in stews, chili, soups, or curries to make the meat fall-apart tender.
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Sous vide: Cooking belly sous vide helps render fat evenly. Finish with a sear for crispy edges.
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Grilling: For direct grilling, choose thinner belly slices and cook over medium heat, turning frequently.
No matter how you cook it, beef belly delivers succulent, richly flavored meat that stands out in any dish. Follow these tips to source high quality belly for your next culinary creation.
Getting it ready for the smoker
It has a bit more fat on it, so you should trim that down to about a centimetre. When putting it in a smoker, the hard, outside fat on a big piece of meat like this doesn’t render down, but it can offer some protection.
You can put the side with the centimetre of fat and the harder fat facing the heat source, for instance, to just give the meat a bit of protection while you’re cooking it slowly.
Then you’ve got the other side. It has less fat but gets what we call the silver skin. You should try to trim off as much of the silver skin as you can. It doesn’t melt either, so it can be quite chewy.
If you’re in a barbecue competition, for instance, you should remove 100% of this. It’s quite a tedious job but it will be worth it. It can act as a barrier to smoke, so getting rid of it means more chance of getting a nice smoke ring.
It’s also important that the whole thing’s quite even and flat. For home cooking you may not be too fastidious but it’s vital in competition cooking because you want every slice to look identical and you want a nice, even cook.
Now that we’ve trimmed, we want to apply a simple yet effective rub. You can use a binder such as American mustard or Worcestershire sauce but be careful not to use too much.
If you layer it on too thick your bark can get really thick and crusty, and not in a good way. You want a nice, strong bark on your beef, but you don’t want that sort of thick, almost pasty bark.
For beef it pays to keep it simple: just go salt, pepper and a little bit of garlic powder. That’s Texas-style and we all know the Texans know barbecue.
Apply it evenly and liberally but try not to make it too thick. And ensure you cover the entire piece of beef. You can then leave it for 15 minutes or so to tack up before putting it in the smoker.
How to Buy the Right Cut of Beef Brisket (Hint: There’s Two Types!)
FAQ
Is there another name for beef belly?
After all, the navel (beef belly) is the equivalent of pork belly.
Is beef belly expensive?
Beef Belly $6.00 per lb. Average weight 10 – 13 lb. Price is per pound. Meat prices are based on current market prices.
What is cow belly meat called?
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Wikipediahttps://en.wikipedia.orgTripe – WikipediaTripe – Wikipedia. Tripe. Article. For other uses, see Tripe (disambiguation). Tripe is a type of edible lining from the stomachs of various farm animals. Most …
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Jess Pryleshttps://jesspryles.comMake your own beef bacon (it’s delicious!) – Jess PrylesThe beef belly is better known by its industry term – navel. The navel cut is what the brisket joins into, just a little further down the body. Just like pork,
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The Best Stop Supermarkethttps://www.beststopinscott.comA Guide to Meat: The 8 Cuts of Beef – The Best Stop in ScottThe round primal region is an inexpensive, lean cut. … Often grouped with the brisket beef region, short plate cuts are found near the stomach of the cow. …
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The MeatStickhttps://themeatstick.comEverything You Need to Know about Primal Beef Cuts | The MeatStickFlank. Location: This primal meat cut is from the belly – underside part of the cow. Sub-primal cuts: Ground Beef, London Broil, and Flank Steak. Flank steak, f…
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Wikipediahttps://en.wikipedia.orgBeef plate – WikipediaBeef plate (also known as the short plate) is a forequarter cut from the abdomen of the cow, just below the rib cut. … In U.K. butchery, this cut is considere…
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ottogrills.comhttps://ottogrills.comMeatology – Cuts of Beef – Otto Wilde GrillMeatology – Cuts of Beef * An overview of the most important beef cuts. * Skirt Steak. The skirt steak is a cut from the diaphragm muscle of the beef and thus …
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Ask USDAhttps://ask.usda.govWhat is tripe? – Ask USDATripe is the lining of beef, hog or sheep stomach although most sold is from beef. This part of the animal is tough and requires long cooking for tenderness. Be…
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Allrecipeshttps://www.allrecipes.comThe Basic Cuts of Beef Every Cook Should Know – AllrecipesJan 12, 2023 — Plate. The plate, or cow belly, contains a lot of cartilage, especially near the ribs, making it ideal for braising. Moist heat at a low temperature…
What is beef belly good for?
This cut is versatile, making it suitable for various cooking methods, and it’s often used in both traditional and gourmet dishes. You can grill, smoke and braise beef belly to make anything from sliders, tacos, stew, skewers, even ramen! One of our customers favorite ways to use this cut it to make Beef Bacon!
Can you smoke beef belly whole?
You’ve had Pork Belly, now it’s time to introduce Beef Belly to your smoker. This fatty cut is perfect for beef burnt ends or smoking whole, and even better for homemade bacon. We dry age our pasture-raised beef sides whole, which means our Beef Belly has tons of flavor before you even start layering on seasonings and sauces.
Does Frankie’s Free Range Meats sell beef belly?
Beef belly is one of the products sold by Frankie’s Free Range Meats. The taste and texture are immaculate. All of our beef, including beef belly, is 100% Grass Fed and Grass finished, raised on Pasture year round. Why Free Range? The nutrition of our food depends on how it was grown, especially animal products.
Where can I buy pork belly?
Pork belly is mostly found at local or online butcher shops or can be ordered through local or out of state farms. You can buy pork belly at local butcher shops for no more than $2 to $6 per pound. How much does pork belly cost?
What can you make with beef belly?
Beef belly can be used to make several delicious dishes. You can smoke it, similar to brisket, or make pastrami by curing and spicing it, then smoking it. Alternatively, you can create homemade bacon by curing the beef belly with your choice of herbs and spices, then slicing it thinly.
How can I cook a beef belly?
The beef belly can be cooked using various methods. You can cure and spice it to create delicious pastrami by smoking it. Alternatively, you can cure it with your choice of herbs and spices, then slice it thinly to make your own bacon. Lastly, slow-cooking methods like braising or roasting can make the beef belly tender and flavorful.
What is a beef navel program?
This program is called beef navel, and it processes a small amount of steers every week (140-175). This allows the company to put care into every steer. We have compared this program to others from major chains and stores, and we find that it consistently tastes better and eats better.