Sirloin primal · Beef cut guide
Sirloin
Sirloin is a beef steak cut from the sirloin primal, located behind the short loin and ahead of the round. The "top sirloin", the US cut sold as sirloin steak, is firmer, less marbled, and more affordable than ribeye or strip, with good beef flavor at modest grades. Confusingly, "sirloin" in the UK refers to what Americans call strip steak, while UK "rump steak" is the equivalent of US sirloin.
Anatomy and naming
The sirloin primal sits between the short loin (which produces strip and T-bone) and the round (which produces leaner cuts). The top sirloin steak is cut from the gluteus medius and surrounding muscles, all of which do moderate work, more than the loin muscles but less than the round. The result is a firm-textured, leanly-marbled cut that is more flavorful than tenderloin and more affordable than ribeye, occupying a sweet spot for everyday cooking.
Naming between countries is a perpetual source of confusion. In the US, "sirloin" is what UK and Australian butchers call "rump"; conversely, what UK butchers call "sirloin" is what US butchers call "strip" or "New York strip". This guide uses the US convention. When buying internationally, check the underlying anatomy (gluteus medius for US sirloin / UK rump; longissimus dorsi for US strip / UK sirloin) rather than relying on the label.
Also known as
Top sirloin (US) · Rump steak (UK/Australia) · Solomo / lomo (LatAm, confusion with tenderloin) · Contra-filé (Brazil)
USDA beef carcass diagram - Sirloin sits in the Sirloin primal
How to spot a good one
Visual markers
A large, oval cross-section, sirloin steaks are typically wider and flatter than strip
Light to moderate marbling, heavy marbling like ribeye is rare even at premium grades
A bright cherry-red lean color
A modest external fat strip on one side, usually trimmed to under 1 cm by the butcher
Visible muscle separation lines between the gluteus medius and the surrounding muscles, this is normal anatomy, not a defect
Cooking, on Pro
Cook sirloin like its grade
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A USDA Prime sirloin gets a different guide than a Choice sirloin, and an A5 BMS 9 wagyu cut gets something else again. Generic recipes do not know which one you have. Pro does.
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How it grades
Grading sirloin
Sirloin is graded at the carcass level under all major systems, but the cut itself rarely reaches the upper marbling tiers. A USDA Prime carcass produces a Prime ribeye and a Choice-tier sirloin at best. For sirloin, grade variation is less meaningful than the cooking method, even Select sirloin eats well when cooked hot and fast.
FAQ
Common questions about sirloin
What people ask most about picking, cooking, and grading this cut.
Score any sirloin from a photo
Photograph your sirloin and see how it grades against the regional system you select.