Summer BBQ Meat-Picking Guide — Which Beef Cuts Grill Best, and How Thick
Summer BBQ Meat-Picking Guide Which Beef Cuts Grill Best
Ribeye, striploin, short rib, skirt, picanha. How to pick the right cut, the right thickness, and cook it to the doneness you actually want.
Summer in Hong Kong means the grill comes out, whether it's a rooftop, a country park, or just the balcony. The single biggest thing that decides how the night goes isn't the marinade or the fire. It's which cut you put on it, and how thick you cut it.
Different cuts want different things from a grill. Some self-baste and forgive you; some cook in ninety seconds and punish you if you walk away. So this is a straight, cut-by-cut guide to picking beef for a BBQ, across Japanese, Australian and US origins, because a good cut is a good cut wherever it's from.
As Hong Kong's premium-food curator, our job is to help you choose well, then cut it exactly the way you'll cook it. Let's get into it.
Premium food, properly chosen.
From wagyu to abalone, rigorously selected for your table.
The Five Cuts Worth Grilling
Pick by what you want the night to be: a showpiece centrepiece, fast-and-furious charring, or low-and-slow comfort.
Ribeye
THE PREMIUM CENTREPIECE
The most marbled of the steak cuts. As it cooks, that intramuscular fat melts and self-bastes the meat over the fire, which makes ribeye rich, forgiving, and the cut most likely to deliver a crowd-pleasing crust even if your fire isn't perfect. This is the steak you put down when you want a "wow".
Striploin
THE CROWD-PLEASING ALL-ROUNDER
Balanced marbling with a firm, properly "beefy" bite and an even fat cap. Striploin cooks evenly and takes a clean sear, so it's the most reliable steak for a mixed table: rich enough to satisfy, structured enough that everyone gets a good piece. If you only buy one cut, this is the safe, smart pick.
Short Rib / LA-galbi
DEEP BEEFY FLAVOUR, TWO WAYS
Collagen plus intermuscular fat give short rib its deep, almost addictive beefy flavour. There are two ways to grill it: thin LA-galbi cut (cross-cut through the bone) cooks fast over high heat and caramelises beautifully, the Korean-BBQ favourite; or thick bone-in for low-and-slow. For a fast, social grill, go thin.
Skirt
FAST, BOLD, HIGH-HEAT CHAR
A loose grain and pronounced marbling give skirt a bold, beefy flavour that punches above its price. It's a thin cut that cooks very fast over high heat, perfect for charring, but don't wander off. One golden rule: slice it against the grain after cooking, or it turns chewy. Get that right and it's one of the most flavour-packed things on the grill.
Picanha
STEAKHOUSE VIBES, CHURRASCO-STYLE
The top-sirloin cap with its signature fat cap. As it grills, that fat cap renders down and bastes the meat, locking in moisture: steakhouse vibes without the ribeye price. Grill it whole or skewer it churrasco-style. Generally, around a 1 to 1.5 inch thickness is the sweet spot most home grillers land on (butcher and community consensus rather than a hard rule).
Want a low-and-slow option instead? Tri-tip is marbled, cooks faster than brisket, and slices like a steak. Reverse-sear it and cut across the grain.
Thickness & Doneness: The Part People Get Wrong
Thickness sets the rhythm of the cook; a thermometer takes the guesswork out of doneness. Use both.
The most reliable way to hit the doneness you want is a meat thermometer, not a clock, not a finger-poke. Pull the steak a touch before your target (it climbs a few degrees while resting). Here are the standard internal-temperature ranges:
| Doneness | °F | °C |
|---|---|---|
| Rare | 120–130°F | ≈49–54°C |
| Medium-Rare | 130–140°F | ≈54–60°C |
| Medium | 140–150°F | ≈60–66°C |
| Well Done | 160–170°F | ≈71–77°C |
From cooler-and-redder to fully cooked. Pull a few degrees early and let it rest.
≈49–54°C
≈54–60°C
≈60–66°C
≈71–77°C
Thickness → time (medium-rare): 1" steak ≈ 5 min + 4–5 min · 1.5" steak ≈ 7 min + 5–6 min · thicker than 1.25" → sear, then finish over indirect heat.
Timing, for a medium-rare finish (gas grill preheated to ~450°F then medium; charcoal: sear over hot coals):
- 1" steak: about 5 min on side one, then 4–5 min on side two.
- 1.5" steak: about 7 min on side one, then 5–6 min on side two.
- Thicker than 1.25": sear both sides first, then finish over indirect heat so the centre cooks without burning the crust.
And the easiest win of all: let the meat rest a few minutes after it comes off the fire before you cut. The juices settle back through the meat instead of running out onto the board.
Japan, Australia or US? Match Origin to the Mood
A great cut is a great cut wherever it comes from. Origin is about how rich you want it, not which is "better".
We carry premium beef across origins, which means we can be honest about what each one is for, rather than pushing one flag. The same cut behaves differently depending on how it was raised:
The richest marbling: buttery, melt-in-mouth. Best in smaller portions; a little goes a long way on the grill.
A whole spectrum: lower marble scores eat balanced and beefy for everyday-premium; higher scores get rich and tender. The flexible BBQ choice.
Clean, classic steakhouse flavour with moderate-to-generous marbling: the dependable backbone of a big grill.
Want the full decode of A5 vs M9 vs Prime? That's its own guide, coming soon to the iBuddies how-to-choose hub.
Our Off-Menu Chilled Beef: Restaurant-Grade, Built for the Fire
This is where a curator earns its keep. The best beef we carry never goes near the website, and it's made for a grill.
Here's the part most shops can't do for you. Our off-menu chilled premium line is restaurant-grade beef kept chilled, never frozen, and sold by the kilogram by marble grade. Chilled is exactly what you want for a summer BBQ: the cut goes straight on the fire, sears clean, and keeps its juices, with no waiting for it to thaw on a hot afternoon. Every order comes with free custom cutting to your chosen thickness, then vacuum-packed to hold its quality until grill day. Going for 1.5-inch ribeyes? Thin LA-galbi short-rib slices? Just tell us.
ON THE OFF-MENU CHILLED LINE · ORDER VIA WHATSAPP
- AUS Wagyu Ribeye & AUS Wagyu Striploin (M4–5 or M6–7), cut to your desired thickness for steaks.
- AUS Wagyu Short Rib (M2+ or M5–6), sliced for hotpot, or thin for LA-galbi-style BBQ.
- AUS Grass-fed Tenderloin, leaner and tender, cut to thickness, a lighter steak for the table.
These chilled cuts aren't listed on the website. They're restocked to order (roughly once or twice a month, by season and demand), so stock changes week to week and we handle every order personally over WhatsApp. Message us to ask what's chilled and ready right now, and we'll cut it to suit your BBQ.
Prefer to shop frozen and online? Our everyday wagyu and beef ranges are ready to go, and we'll still tell you straight which cut suits your night.
July is our birthday month, and a celebration is on the way. It's a good excuse to fire up the grill and put something special on it. Keep an eye out.
References & Resources
Last reviewed: 4 June 2026. Cut characteristics and grilling guidance are drawn from the sources below; doneness temperatures align with USDA guidance. Use a thermometer and your own judgement.
- Omaha Steaks — Steak Cooking Chart (doneness internal temps & grill times): omahasteaks.com/blog/steak-cooking-chart
- 44 Steaks — Popular BBQ Cuts Explained (short rib, picanha, tri-tip and more): 44steaks.com/blogs/grill-skills
- Churrascos — Picking the perfect steak cut for the grill (skirt, slicing against the grain): churrascos.com
- Serious Eats — How to grill steak / cuts of steak (cut tenderness general): seriouseats.com
Pick Your Cut for the Grill
The off-menu chilled cuts change week to week, so the fastest way to grab them is a quick WhatsApp. Tell us your BBQ and we'll say what's chilled and ready now, cut to your thickness and vacuum-packed for grill day. Or browse our everyday frozen beef range online.
Premium food, properly chosen. Service you can lean on.
