Polish is a difficult language to learn. Between the spelling, grammar & exceptions, it’s not only foreigners who have difficulty with the Polish language, but even native speakers.
Starting this business in 2016, I knew nothing about Polish beef. Barely knowing all the cuts of beef in English, the Polish translations completely did not match (eg. “Rozbef” for example is NY Strip or Striploin).
Many mistakes & corrections later, we thus present to you!
Every Cut of Beef from English to Polish
Print off this list and you will get to know your cuts of beef better than 99% of native speakers.
One great example is hanger steak (one of our favorites when it comes to tacos), also known as “Świeca” in Polish. This literally means “candle“, and most people undoubtedly give you a few confused looks.
Even your butcher may not know some of these.
This list was created with first-hand experience and years of being made fun of.
That was until we learned every beef cut there is in Polish.
Again, we know Polish is a tough language, but with this list of every beef cut from English to Polish, you should be in good hands at your local butcher.
This is a continuously evolving list.
If something is missing or you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below or get in contact with us.
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Super useful! What’s a sirloin in Polish? Thanks!
Krzyżowa, just got access to an abattoir, more definitions coming up soon
Dear Adam,
First, thank you for organizing this site. Very helpful.
As an ex-pat American omnivore , I am confronted with the double problem of language (Google is helpful), but also different butchering norms and traditions. Although many cuts are more or less the same (e.g., chuck), there numerous differences between US cut and many European cuts.
Anyway, I was wondering what you thought of the following translations/equivalences on my part.
WOŁOWINA z kością na rosół — English cut short ribs, i.e., ribs separated along the bone, perhaps the same as szponder?
WOŁOWINA NA ROSÓŁ bez kości – the description suggests the boneless version of the above, although there is some discussion about boneless short ribs really being chuck
Bavette wołowe –clearly some type of steak, but what type?
I am curious to know your thoughts.
Thank you for reading this message.
pozdr,
John
Hi John! Thank you for the kind words. I’ve learned Polish many times now 🙂 basic, marketing, beef cuts and now farming.
To answer your questions, let’s start with the easier one first:
– Bavette wołowe -> Derived from French meaning bib.
You will see in the list:
Mała baweta = Flank Steak and
Baweta = Skirt Steak –> I’ve updated the above list with this variation
As for WOŁOWINA NA ROSÓŁ, this would simply mean beef for broth.
No broth is complete without a bone in it. You could thus choose:
–> Short Ribs = Szponder
–> Bone Marrow = Szpik kostny
For Wołowina na rosół bez kości I would try:
–> Chuck = Rozbratel
There is also Bone in Chuck, which I will add sometime in the next month.
I’ve finally gotten to the point where we’re finally working directly with an abattoir, meaning we will begin to offer nose to tail of the cow. This includes offal and other cuts not commonly found.
Now to start a proper keto diet.
If you need anything else let me know!
– ADJ
H Adam,
Thanks for the prompt and very helpful reply. I appreciate it.
By the way, I am very impressed by your attention to detail.
As the English expression goes “The Devil is in the details.”
Anything similar in Polish?
I may be in touch later. I will certainly check the site on a regular basis.
John
Adam,
By the way, for your American readers, I offer the following:
In the US, Polędwica is usually called tenderloin, sometimes (and not really accurately) filet mignon, which is technically only a part of the tenderloin.
Sirloin is a type of steak, which is sold as top (better) and bottom (not as tender, but still good).
These are located near the Porterhouse and T-bone.
The term filet is often used to refer to tenderloin (filet mignon), but is also frequently used to refer simply to a piece of meat without bones.
This appears to be at odds with British terminology, and I am not certain to what extent any inconsistencies are merely terminological or to what extent they reflect differences in how animals are butchered.
Other than enjoying a good steak (regardless of what is is called), I am no expert.
Cheers,
John
Thank you for the correction. I had tenderloin and sirloin flipped around.
I started to learn cuts in Poland, thus the excuse for the mistakes. Either way, thank you for the corrections.
It’s nice to see this post is helping people.
Czy lopatka to shoulder blade?
Correct, Łopatka is shoulder blade.
Adam, ligawa is “eye of round” , not bottom round.
Thank you for the correction. The list has been edited 🙂
Do you know what cube steak is in Polish?
Cube steak can be any tough meat, which is typically either top round or top sirloin. Best for stews, cooking low and slow until it falls apart.
Hey Adan, what about beef brain? i see it’s impossible to find it in Poland.. will you have it at some point?
Beef brain is illegal to sell because of mad cow disease. This is something I wanted to add to the offal category…but alas, it will have to be served only at events on our farm.
also, sheep and lamb are hard to find.
Indeed, sheep & lamb have been on our list of meats to add…as these are ruminants, eat 100% grass, and healthy for people.
As a specialist in Regenerative Agriculture, I would love to start raising sheep….though we would need to increase volumes.
At the moment, I am concentrating on getting the company out of debt…setting up the Western European store…and at the end of the year, getting land in Eastern Germany to raise our first herd on.