Beef Shoulder Clod

The shoulder clod is a sizable cut from the Chuck, consisting of several muscles. Since the Chuck muscles are well-exercised during the steer’s life, the shoulder clod tends to be tough and filled with connective tissue, though it boasts excellent flavor. This makes it ideal for grinding into ground beef. It can also be cut into stew meat and braised or further processed to remove select muscles.
Within the shoulder clod, two muscles stand out: the flat iron and the teres major. Despite being part of the Chuck, these muscles are notably tender. The flat iron can be butterflied for a roast or sliced into steaks. The teres major, a small yet very tender muscle roughly the size of a pork tenderloin, can be cooked similarly to pork tenderloin or cut into medallions.