Buying guide

Beef Cuts in Mexico: English Names, Mexican Names and How to Cook Each

Most beef cuts sold in Mexico have both an English name and a Mexican name, and the Mexican name can change from one region or butcher to the next. Rib-eye is often called ojo de costilla, brisket is pecho, skirt steak is arrachera and chuck usually means diezmillo or espaldilla. Use the table below to translate, then check the cooking method so each cut ends up tender.

Updated: 2026-11-08 · Organic Rancher MX

Why beef cut names are confusing in Mexico

Mexico uses two butchering traditions side by side. Supermarkets and steakhouses often follow US-style cuts and simply keep the English names: rib eye, New York, T-bone, short rib. Neighborhood carnicerías use traditional Mexican cuts, which divide the animal differently and are often sliced thin as bistec. On top of that, names change by region. Butchers in the north tend to cut steaks thicker and use some terms differently; for example, agujas in northern Mexico usually means a chuck or rib steak for the grill, while elsewhere it can refer to short plate or short ribs.

Because of this, treat the equivalences below as a starting point, not an official standard. Where sources disagree, we say so. When in doubt, describe what you want to cook or show the butcher a photo.

Beef cut equivalence table

Price tiers are relative to each other, not fixed prices: Premium, Mid or Budget.

English name	Common name in Mexico	Best cooking method	Price tier
Rib-eye	Rib eye, ojo de costilla; also ojo de bife or ribete	Grill or cast-iron, hot and fast	Premium
Tomahawk / cowboy	Tomahawk, cowboy (bone-in rib eye)	Grill, reverse sear	Premium
New York strip	New York (English name is standard); bife angosto in Argentine-style grills	Grill or pan-sear	Premium
Tenderloin	Filete, solomillo	Pan-sear, roast; do not overcook	Premium
Picanha (top sirloin cap)	Picaña; sometimes sold within aguayón. Names vary	Grill whole or in thick slices, fat side first	Premium to Mid
Top sirloin	Aguayón; chuleta de aguayón for steaks	Grill, bistec, roast	Mid
Skirt steak	Arrachera	Marinate, grill very hot, slice across the grain	Mid to Premium
Flank	Falda	Braise and shred, or grill and slice thin	Mid
Brisket	Pecho	Smoke, braise or slow-cook	Mid to Budget
Short ribs	Costilla corta, agujas cortas (agujas varies by region)	Braise, smoke; thin cross-cut on the grill	Mid
Chuck roast	Diezmillo, espaldilla or paleta (boundaries vary)	Pot roast, stew, braise, shred	Budget
Cross-cut shank / ossobuco	Chambarete (de mano front, de pata hind), ossobuco	Braise, caldo de res, cocido	Budget
Top round (inside round)	Pulpa negra, pulpa; bistec de pulpa when sliced	Thin bistec, milanesa, quick sauté	Budget
Knuckle (sirloin tip)	Pulpa bola, bola	Milanesa, tampiqueña, kebabs	Budget
Eye of round	Cuete (sometimes also used for bottom round)	Cuete mechado, slow braise	Budget
Tongue	Lengua	Simmer, peel, then sear or stew	Mid

Steaks for the grill

Rib-eye, New York, tenderloin and tomahawk are tender, well-used muscles that need only high heat and a short cook. Rib-eye has the most marbling and a central fat pocket, so it stays juicy; New York is a bit firmer and beefier; tenderloin is the most tender and the leanest.

Picanha, the cap of the top sirloin with its thick fat layer, is a Brazilian favorite that has become popular in Mexican parrillas under the name picaña. In Mexico it is sometimes sold as part of aguayón, and other Latin American countries use different names for it, so ask for the triangular cut with a fat cap. Arrachera, the skirt steak, is the classic carne asada cut: thin, well-marbled and coarse-grained. Marinate it, cook it over very high heat and always slice across the grain.

Cuts for slow cooking

Brisket (pecho), short ribs (costilla corta), chuck (diezmillo or espaldilla) and shank (chambarete) come from muscles that work hard, so they contain lots of connective tissue. Cooked fast they are chewy; cooked slowly with moisture, that collagen turns into gelatin and the meat becomes tender and rich.

Diezmillo and espaldilla both come from the shoulder, but butchers do not agree on exactly where one ends and the other begins, so either can work for a pot roast or a guisado. Chambarete cut crosswise is what Italians call ossobuco, and the marrow in the center adds body to sauces and caldo de res. Tongue (lengua) is also a slow cut: simmer it for several hours, peel off the skin and then chop it for tacos or finish it in a salsa.

Brisket: smoke at low temperature, or braise for barbacoa-style shredded beef.
Short ribs: braise in red wine or chile adobo until the meat pulls from the bone.
Chuck roast: pot roast, ropa vieja, picadillo or deshebrada.
Ossobuco: brown, then braise covered with tomato, vegetables and broth.

Lean everyday cuts

The round (pierna) gives Mexico its everyday bistec. Pulpa negra, the inside or top round, is lean and fine-grained, ideal sliced thin for bistec a la mexicana or breaded milanesa. Pulpa bola, also called bola, is the knuckle and is used for milanesa, tampiqueña and brochetas. Cuete is usually the eye of round, the long cylindrical muscle used for cuete mechado, although some butchers use the name for bottom round as well.

These cuts have little fat, so they dry out if overcooked. Keep slices thin, cook them quickly over high heat, or use them in a sauce. Aguayón (top sirloin) sits between the lean round and the premium loin and works for both bistec and grilling.

Tips for ordering at the butcher

A few habits make it much easier to get exactly the cut you want, whatever it is called locally.

Say how you will cook it: para asar, para guisar, para milanesa. A good butcher will choose the right cut.
Specify thickness. Bistec is usually thin; for steaks ask for 2.5 to 4 cm.
If a name is unfamiliar in your area, show a photo of the cut.
Ask whether arrachera is real skirt; flank (falda) is sometimes sold under the same name.
Request the bone and trim for broth: marrow bones and trimmings make excellent caldo.

Putting it together

If you remember only one rule, make it this: tender cuts from the loin and rib go on the grill, hard-working cuts from the shoulder, chest and legs go in the pot, and lean cuts from the round get sliced thin. Names will keep changing from Mérida to Monterrey, but the cooking logic stays the same.

Organic Rancher sells several of these cuts, including rib-eye, New York, picanha, marinated arrachera, brisket, short ribs, chuck roast and ossobuco, delivered frozen and vacuum-sealed in Quintana Roo and Yucatán.

Frequently asked questions

What is rib-eye called in Mexico?

Many butchers and restaurants simply say rib eye. You will also see ojo de costilla, and sometimes ojo de bife or ribete. The bone-in version with a long bone is sold as tomahawk.

Is arrachera the same as flank steak?

No. Arrachera is skirt steak, from the diaphragm area. Flank is falda. Both are used for grilling and fajitas, and some shops sell flank as arrachera, so ask if it matters to you.

What is diezmillo in English?

Diezmillo is generally a chuck or shoulder cut. Sources disagree on its exact boundaries with espaldilla and paleta, but all of them are best for braising, stewing or pot roast.

What is picaña called in Mexico?

Most Mexican steakhouses and shops now use picaña or picanha. Traditional butchers may include it within aguayón (sirloin). Argentina and other countries use different names, so describe it as the triangular sirloin cap with a fat layer.

Which cuts are best for carne asada?

Arrachera is the classic choice. Rib-eye, New York, picaña and thin aguayón steaks also work well. Leaner bistec from pulpa negra can be grilled too, but keep it thin and cook it fast.