The Best Way To Slice A Whole Beef Rump For Maximum Steak Cuts

Breaking down a beef rump takes patience and precision, but the result is worth it. It comes from the rear part of the cow called the round, starting from the lower back to the upper thigh, where you get several types of steak cuts like rump roast and bottom round. The rump is the top part of the round, and you'll notice it has a thick white or light pink shell of fat on the top — this part is called the rump cap. This cut of beef makes picanha, a popular cut for Brazilian barbecue.

To be able to efficiently cut steaks from a beef rump, you'll want to remove the excess fat by dividing the rump cap from the body. If you try slicing the rump as-is, you'll end up with some chunky, uneven steaks. There should be a divot between the top and bottom halves, and this is where the knife will move. Once you've liberated the cap from the body of the rump, you can slice the meat into cuts of around 1.5 inches of thickness by cutting against the grain. By breaking down a rump roast, you've got an affordable alternative to the ribeye for a leaner steak night.

The rump contains a lot of lean working muscles, making it harder to neatly cut through them. Cows have a lot of weight to support on their legs as they roam around the grassy fields all day. Cutting against the grain is necessary to achieve clean steaks without risking injury to yourself. All this means is identifying the direction of the muscle fibers and cutting perpendicular to them. The knife will weaken the strength here and allow you to hack away.

Breaking down a whole beef rump requires the right knife for the job, and in this case, it's one with a big, curved blade. There are some pricey knives on the market, but the carbon stainless steel 12-inch Mercer Culinary BPX is less than $50 on Amazon. The reason you need a solid knife is because it can handle tearing the meat into the desired 1.5-inch thickness (and if you're not confident eye-balling it, there are culinary rulers you can order). Uneven thickness makes for uneven cooks! With a sharpened, shiny knife, you can cut into the future steaks of your dreams without any problems.