5 Best Beef Cuts For Indian Curry: What Is The Best Cut Of Beef For Traditional Indian Curry?

Beef has been a staple in many curry recipes across the world.

In Indian cuisine, although beef is not a common kind of meat due to their religious diet restriction, it can still elevate the curry dish for those who can still eat beef.

Let’s explore what cut of beef works best for Indian curries in this article.

How to choose beef for Indian curry?

When you are making an Indian curry, it is important to choose the right meat.

Chicken is a classic option for Indian curries, but beef can be a great choice too.

Beef is higher in protein, iron, and other essential nutrients.

It also comes with a stronger and more flavorful taste that will satisfy your taste buds.

Here we provide some tips to choose beef for Indian curries: 

1.     A tough cut will be more economical and suitable for Indian curries

Beef is not common in Indian cuisine because cows are considered sacred animals according to the Hindu religion, so consuming beef is abandoned in many parts of the country.

Therefore, it is not surprising that beef is quite rare in this South Asian country.

Due to the low demand for beef in India, this kind of meat is quite expensive.

So it is best to opt for a tough cut of beef so that you can save some money while still having a good dish because the stewing method will help tenderize even a tough cut of meat.

2.     Choose a fresh cut of beef or a frozen package without any ice crystal

Fresh beef that is sold on the market right after the cow is slaughtered is always better than beef that has been stored.

Therefore, always buy a fresh cut of beef for your Indian curry recipe if possible.

However, due to the low demand for this kind of meat in this country, it is not always that you can find fresh beef in India.

If frozen beef is your choice in this case, look for a package without any ice crystals or signs of damage. 

3.     Buy a whole cut of beef and slice it into desired-thick cubes

Meat for curries tends to be cut into cubes instead of thinly sliced or left the whole cut cooked in the pot.

Therefore, instead of buying pre-sliced or pre-ground beef, just opt for a whole cut of meat and slice it yourself at home.

3 best beef for Indian curry

Below are three of the best beef cuts that are delicious and affordable for you to make the best Indian curry without breaking the bank:

1.     Chuck steak

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Chuck steak is a staple cut of beef that is popular in any cuisine.

It is versatile and can be used for different slow-cooking recipes.

Chuck steak is cut from the upper portion of the shoulder, above the beef brisket.

It is prized for its marbling fat which will make the meat juicier and more flavorful.

2.     Rump steak

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Rump steak is another cut you can try for your Indian curry.

This cut is economical, versatile, and very flavorful.

Rump steak is defined by its marbling.

Normally, it is best to serve this cut medium-rare, but you can slow-cook rump steak until it is fork-tender.

3.     Skirt steak

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Skirt steak is an affordable cut for different cooking recipes.

Although it is not commonly used for curries, you can find that this cut also works great in your Indian curry recipe.

Skirt steak is pretty lean and has a moderately tough texture.

Thanks to the long cooking time, skirt steak cubes will be tenderized and become much more tender.

The bottom line

If you are living in India, you won’t find many cuts of beef on the market like in America because this kind of meat is abandoned in many parts of the country due to religious reasons.

However, when it comes to Indian curries, beef can still be a delicious optional ingredient if you don’t follow any religion and have no problem with eating this kind of meat.

You can choose between a chuck steak, skirt steak, or rump steak for your Indian curry.

And don’t forget to marinate and season these cubes of meat with various Indian spices to replicate the authentic Indian flavor.