Beef Plate

In U.S. butchery, the plate of beef (also known as the short plate) is a forequarter cut from the belly of the cow, just below the rib cut. It is typically a cheap, tough, and fatty meat. In U.K. butchery, this cut is considered part of the brisket. It is used for two kinds of steak: skirt steak, used for fajitas, and hanger steak. It may also be cured, smoked, and thinly sliced to make beef bacon. The beef navel is the ventral part of the plate, and it is commonly used to make pastrami.