Why is filet mignon not kosher?

Filet mignon comes from the tenderloin in the hindquarter. In the US the hindquarter is usually not koshered, because removing the forbidden sciatic nerve and fats from it is very labor-intensive. The tenderloin itself is not forbidden.

Which steaks can I buy kosher?

Rib steak and ribeye from the rib, skirt steak from the plate, and flat iron, chuck eye and shoulder London broil from the chuck.

Is all halal beef from the whole cow?

Yes, every part of the animal can be halal when it is slaughtered by the zabiha method, so loin and round steaks are available halal.

What is the difference between kosher and halal beef?

Both require religious slaughter and draining of blood. Kosher law also forbids the sciatic nerve and certain fats, which is why kosher beef in the US usually comes only from the forequarter, and requires salting and keeping meat separate from dairy.

Kosher and Halal Beef Cuts: Which Parts of the Cow You Can Buy

Kosher and halal beef both come from animals slaughtered under religious law, but they differ in one way that matters at the meat counter: which parts of the cow you can buy. In the United States, kosher beef usually comes only from the front half of the animal, while halal beef can come from the whole animal. This page shows the kosher cuts on our beef diagram and explains what to buy instead of the cuts that are not available.

Kosher beef: the forequarter

Kosher beef must come from a kosher animal slaughtered by a trained shochet, inspected for defects, and then soaked and salted to draw out the blood. Jewish law also forbids eating the sciatic nerve (gid hanasheh) and certain fats called chelev. These are concentrated in the hindquarter, the back half of the animal.

Removing them, a skilled job called nikkur or porging, takes a great deal of time. In the United States most kosher processors do not do it, so they sell only the forequarter as kosher and send the hindquarter to the regular market. The dividing line falls between the 12th and 13th ribs. In Israel and in some communities, butchers do porge the hindquarter, so loin and round cuts may be available there.

Kosher cuts and how to cook them

Primal cut	Kosher steaks and roasts	Best cooking
Chuck (shoulder)	Chuck roast, French roast, shoulder London broil, minute steak, silver tip roast, top of the rib (deckel), flat iron steak, chuck eye steak, stew meat and ground beef	Braise, pot roast, stew; grill flat iron and chuck eye steaks
Rib	Rib steak, ribeye (often sold as Delmonico), standing rib roast, back ribs	Grill, pan-sear, roast
Brisket	First cut (flat) and second cut (point or deckel), corned beef	Braise or smoke low and slow
Plate	Skirt steak, short ribs, flanken (cross-cut short ribs)	Grill skirt hot and fast; braise short ribs and flanken
Shank	Shank, marrow bones, soup meat	Simmer in soups and stocks; braise

Cuts usually not sold kosher in the US, and what to buy instead

Hindquarter cut	Steaks and roasts	Kosher alternative
Tenderloin	Filet mignon, chateaubriand, whole tenderloin	A thick rib steak, or a well-trimmed chuck eye or flat iron steak
Short loin	New York strip, T-bone, porterhouse	Rib steak or ribeye
Sirloin	Top sirloin, tri-tip, sirloin tips	Chuck eye, flat iron or skirt steak
Round	Top round London broil, eye of round, bottom round	Shoulder London broil from the chuck
Flank	Flank steak	Skirt steak

Cooking kosher beef

Kosher meat has already been salted during koshering, so use less salt than a recipe calls for, especially in dry rubs and brines.
Kosher dietary law does not allow meat and dairy together. For recipes that finish steak with butter, cream or cheese, use olive oil or a non-dairy margarine and skip the cheese.
Glatt kosher means the animal's lungs were found smooth and free of adhesions, a stricter standard that many kosher consumers look for.

Recipes on this site that use forequarter cuts include Brisket (Yummy and Easy), Texas Smoked Brisket, Prime Rib Roast (Standing Rib Roast), Cast-Iron Ribeye with Garlic Thyme Butter, Tomahawk Ribeye, Slow Cooker Pot Roast, Instant Pot Braised Short Ribs, Beef Bulgogi (Marinated Ribeye), Carne Asada, Steak Fajitas. Our Jewish recipes section has more.

Halal beef: the whole cow

Halal beef comes from an animal slaughtered by the zabiha method: a Muslim slaughterer invokes the name of God and makes a swift cut so the blood drains fully. Islamic dietary law has no rule against the sciatic nerve or the hindquarter fats, so every part of the animal can be halal.

That means all of the cuts on our standard beef cuts chart, including filet mignon, strip, T-bone, porterhouse, sirloin, round and flank, can be bought halal. Halal butchers sometimes cut and name meat differently, for example bone-in pieces for curries and stews, so ask for the cut you need by describing the part of the animal.

When cooking halal, replace wine, beer, brandy, sake or mirin in a recipe with broth, grape juice, vinegar or a little sugar, as appropriate.

For every halal cut, use our standard beef cuts chart, which shows all of the primal cuts and the steaks and roasts from each.

We are not a religious authority, and practices differ between communities. Always buy from a butcher or brand with kosher or halal certification you trust, and ask your rabbi or imam if you have a question about a particular cut.

Frequently asked questions

Why is filet mignon not kosher?: Filet mignon comes from the tenderloin in the hindquarter. In the US the hindquarter is usually not koshered, because removing the forbidden sciatic nerve and fats from it is very labor-intensive. The tenderloin itself is not forbidden.
Which steaks can I buy kosher?: Rib steak and ribeye from the rib, skirt steak from the plate, and flat iron, chuck eye and shoulder London broil from the chuck.
Is all halal beef from the whole cow?: Yes, every part of the animal can be halal when it is slaughtered by the zabiha method, so loin and round steaks are available halal.
What is the difference between kosher and halal beef?: Both require religious slaughter and draining of blood. Kosher law also forbids the sciatic nerve and certain fats, which is why kosher beef in the US usually comes only from the forequarter, and requires salting and keeping meat separate from dairy.