Steak Cuts FAQ’s

Proper storage of fresh steak is critical for food safety and quality in any professional kitchen. Vacuum-packed fresh steaks should be stored at 0–3°C and used within the use-by date on the pack — typically three to seven days from cutting, depending on the cut and packaging method. Once opened, steaks should be used within 24–48 hours. 

Dry-aged cuts may have a longer shelf life due to the ageing process. For operations with fluctuating demand, freezing steaks at -18°C is an effective way to manage stock; most cuts freeze and defrost well with minimal quality loss when vacuum-packed. IMS delivers fresh product in temperature-controlled vehicles to ensure the cold chain is maintained from our cutting facility to your kitchen.

The distinction between grass-fed and grain-fed beef is increasingly important to chefs and their customers. Grass-fed cattle are raised on pasture and produce beef with a leaner texture, slightly firmer bite, and a more distinctly ‘beefy’, sometimes mineral or grassy flavour. It tends to be higher in certain beneficial fatty acids and is associated with more traditional, extensive farming. 

Grain-fed cattle — which are finished on grain, often in feedlots — produce beef with higher fat content and marbling, a milder, sweeter flavour, and a more consistently tender texture. American and Australian beef that appears on many premium restaurant menus is typically grain-finished. The ‘right’ choice depends on your menu profile and customer base; IMS can advise and supply both.

Yes. IMS of Smithfield has extensive experience as a halal beef supplier and can provide the full range of steak cuts — including fillet, sirloin, ribeye, rump, and secondary cuts — as certified halal product. This is particularly important for caterers serving diverse communities, hotels with international guests, or operations holding events for clients who require halal certification. 

Our halal beef is sourced from approved suppliers and handled in accordance with halal requirements throughout the supply chain. If you are setting up a new account with specific halal requirements, please contact our trade team directly to discuss your needs and ensure the right product is consistently available for your kitchen.

When ordering from IMS of Smithfield, you can specify your portions by weight (in grams), thickness (in millimetres), and trim level. Standard restaurant portions for fillet are typically 170–200g; sirloin and ribeye are commonly ordered at 225–280g for a generous à la carte portion. For events or set-menu dining, consistent 180g or 200g portions help with plating, timing, and cost control. 

You can also specify the level of fat trim — some operators prefer a clean trim for presentation, while others retain more fat for flavour during cooking. Our experienced butchery team will produce portions to your exact specification, with minimum order quantities suited to trade accounts.

Secondary or ‘alternative’ steak cuts are those less well-known than the classic trio of fillet, sirloin, and ribeye, but which offer exceptional flavour and value for caterers willing to explore them. The bavette (flank steak) is one of the most sought-after in French brasserie cooking — deeply flavourful, quick to cook, and dramatically cheaper than prime cuts. 

The hanger steak (onglet) has an intense, mineral beefiness that many chefs consider unrivalled. The flat iron, skirt, and picanha (rump cap) are other excellent options increasingly found on London restaurant menus. With food costs under continuous pressure, introducing secondary cuts to your menu allows you to deliver exceptional quality at lower cost — and guests who discover a well-prepared bavette often prefer it to a standard sirloin.

Dry-aged beef is produced by storing the carcass or primal cut in a controlled environment — precise temperature, humidity, and airflow — for a period of typically 21 to 60 days or more. During this time, natural enzymes break down the muscle fibres, tenderising the meat significantly, while moisture evaporates to concentrate the flavour. 

The result is a steak with a deeper, more complex, almost nutty or umami-rich flavour profile that is noticeably different from wet-aged beef. Chefs who put premium steaks at the centre of their menus — particularly ribeye and sirloin — often specify dry-aged for precisely this reason. IMS of Smithfield can source dry-aged beef to order for professional clients requiring top-tier product for high-end restaurant menus. 

For high-volume catering — banqueting, hotel dining, event catering — cost efficiency and consistency are as important as quality. The rump steak is a popular choice: it offers strong, full beef flavour, good tenderness, and is significantly more cost-effective than fillet or ribeye. The flat iron steak, cut from the shoulder, has become increasingly popular in professional kitchens due to its excellent flavour, consistent texture, and competitive price point. 

For buffets or carved meat stations, striploin roasts and topside joints offer superb yield and portion control. At IMS, we work directly with caterers to agree on the right cuts for their operation, ensuring consistent portion weights and trim specifications across every order.

The fillet, also known as the tenderloin, commands a premium price because it is the smallest and most tender muscle on the animal. It runs beneath the spine and does virtually no work at all during the animal’s life, which means it has almost no connective tissue and very little fat — producing an exceptionally tender, fine-textured steak. 

Because there is so little of it per animal, supply is limited compared to other cuts. For caterers serving à la carte menus or fine dining events, fillet steak is the default premium offering. IMS of Smithfield supplies whole beef fillets and portioned fillet steaks to professional kitchens, cut to weight specifications and prepared to the standard expected at the finest London restaurants.

The ribeye and sirloin are two of the most popular steak cuts in professional catering, but they have distinct characteristics. The ribeye is cut from the rib section and is known for its generous marbling — the fat running through the muscle — which delivers rich, intense flavour and a juicy, tender texture when cooked. 

It suits high-heat cooking and is forgiving even if slightly overcooked due to its fat content. The sirloin, cut from the short loin section, is leaner with less marbling but still tender and flavourful. It has a firmer bite than the ribeye and a clean, classic beef flavour that makes it a favourite in steakhouse menus and for customers who prefer a leaner cut. Both are available from IMS as whole primal cuts or portioned steaks.

Steak cuts are generally categorised by the part of the animal from which they originate, and this determines everything from tenderness and flavour to the best cooking method. The most prized cuts — fillet, sirloin, and ribeye — come from muscles along the back that do relatively little work, making them tender and well-suited to fast, high-heat cooking. 

Working cuts from the shoulder (chuck), flank, and rump are less tender but far more flavourful, better suited to longer cooking or marinading. At IMS of Smithfield, we supply the full range of beef cuts to caterers, restaurants, and hospitality businesses across London, offering both primal and portion-cut steaks prepared to your specification.