Teres Major

Alt Names: PETITE TENDER, SHOULDER TENDER
French: Teres major  |  Spanish: Teres mayor

THE BASICS & BEYOND

The teres major muscle comes from the scapula/blade of the shoulder (chuck primal). It is produced when making the heart clod. The muscle fibers on this small, cone-shaped cut run parallel to the long axis of this muscle. Almost as tender as filet mignon, with slightly more fat, and thus more flavor.

Schedule A Cutting
Sterling Silver Teres Major Beef Cut

Barry Miles, Sterling Silver Chef

“I’ve been experimenting with spice blends, adding them to pickled items and roasted/grilled meats to give them a different, unique flavor profile. A couple examples are Berbere, Ras El Hanout and Togarashi.”

History of the Cut

This is a quality cut that many butchers and chefs are more familiar with. Possibly because it’s about half the cost of tenderloin. Recently, it’s been a favorite within the chef-turned-butcher movement. Taking more time and skill to create this cut (versus a whole shoulder clod) it can be harder to find.

Classic Preparation

Grill / Broil / Skillet / Smoke / Roast / Sous Vide

In The Kitchen