The Circle 7 Journal

Practical writing on beef, lamb, and pork from a working ranch.

Cooking guides that beat the steakhouse. Cut comparisons that settle the argument. Breed education that explains why your last steak tasted different. And buying guides that show the math nobody else will show you.

Cooking Guides

How to cook every cut, every way.

How to Cook a Ribeye Steak

Cast iron, reverse-sear, grill, and sous-vide methods.

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How to Cook a Tomahawk Steak

The reverse-sear method that gets it right every time.

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How to Cook a New York Strip Steak

The steakhouse method, adapted for home.

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How to Cook Filet Mignon

Pan-sear, oven-finish, and sous-vide methods.

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How to Cook Prime Rib

Reverse-sear, slow-roast, and smoke methods.

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How to Smoke Prime Rib

225°F low-and-slow with the best bark on a roast.

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How to Cook a Picanha Steak

Brazilian churrasco plus three home methods.

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How to Cook Flank Steak

Grill, pan-sear, and marinade methods.

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How to Cook Beef Tenderloin

Whole-roast and chateaubriand methods.

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How to Cook Beef Short Ribs

Braised, smoked, and sous-vide methods.

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How to Cook Wagyu Brisket

The Texas method adapted for premium marbling.

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How to Cook Wagyu Steak

The cooking rules change with the marbling.

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How to Cook Pork Chops

Why 145°F is the real target on heritage pork.

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How to Cook a Ham

City, country, and smoked methods plus 3 glazes.

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How to Cook Lamb Chops

Pan-sear, grill, and sous-vide methods.

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How to Reverse-Sear a Steak

The foolproof method for any thick cut.

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Cut Comparisons

The arguments, settled.

Wagyu vs Angus Beef

Marbling, taste, price, and a recommendation.

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Wagyu vs Kobe Beef

All Kobe is Wagyu, not all Wagyu is Kobe.

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A5 Wagyu vs American Wagyu vs USDA Prime

The three-tier reality of premium beef.

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Porterhouse vs Ribeye

Flavor, marbling, price, and which wins when.

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Cowboy Steak vs Tomahawk

Bone length, price, and what's worth it.

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Hanger Steak vs Skirt Steak

Two butcher's cuts, two different methods.

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Baby Back Ribs vs Spare Ribs

Anatomy, cook time, flavor, and which to buy.

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Pork Collar vs Pork Shoulder

Two different cuts, two different best methods.

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Dry-Aged vs Wet-Aged Beef

What really changes in 28 days.

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Heritage Pork vs Grocery Store Pork

Color, flavor, marbling, completely different.

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Cut & Breed Encyclopedia

What is that cut, anyway?

What Is Wagyu Beef?

Genetics, grading, BMS explained.

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Beef Marbling Score Guide

BMS, USDA grades, and how to read them.

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Dorper Lamb

Why this South African breed tastes milder.

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Kurobuta Pork

The Wagyu of pork, explained.

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What Is Picanha?

The Brazilian sirloin cap American butchers used to discard.

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What Is Zabuton Steak?

The wagyu cushion cut most Americans never try.

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What Is Teres Major Steak?

The shoulder tender at half the filet price.

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What Is Bavette Steak?

The French sirloin flap that beats skirt.

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What Is Delmonico Steak?

The American steakhouse classic with five definitions.

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What Is Beef Deckle?

The spinalis dorsi: the best bite on a ribeye.

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Buying & Technique Guides

The math, the methods, the marinades.

Buying a Whole or Half Cow

Hanging weight, freezer space, cut sheets, math.

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Quarter Cow Guide

Cost, weight, cuts, and whether it's worth it.

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Best Cuts of Steak for Grilling

10 cuts ranked by flavor, tenderness, value.

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Steak Internal Temperature Chart

Rare to well-done plus pull temps.

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Cutting Against the Grain

The single slicing rule that makes cheap steak expensive.

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Easy Steak Marinades

7 recipes plus the formula behind them.

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Au Jus Recipe

The classic pan-drippings sauce, three ways.

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How to Use Beef Tallow

The steakhouse fat that outperforms butter and oil.

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Leftover Prime Rib French Dip

The 10-minute sandwich worth cooking prime rib for.

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What to Do with Leftover Prime Rib

8 recipes that don't ruin the meat.

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Wagyu Pot Roast Recipe

Premium beef in a slow-cooked classic.

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Practical writing on beef, lamb, and pork from a working ranch.

How to cook every cut, every way.

How to Cook a Ribeye Steak

How to Cook a Tomahawk Steak

How to Cook a New York Strip Steak

How to Cook Filet Mignon

How to Cook Prime Rib

How to Smoke Prime Rib

How to Cook a Picanha Steak

How to Cook Flank Steak

How to Cook Beef Tenderloin

How to Cook Beef Short Ribs

How to Cook Wagyu Brisket

How to Cook Wagyu Steak

How to Cook Pork Chops

How to Cook a Ham

How to Cook Lamb Chops

How to Reverse-Sear a Steak

The arguments, settled.

Wagyu vs Angus Beef

Wagyu vs Kobe Beef

A5 Wagyu vs American Wagyu vs USDA Prime

Porterhouse vs Ribeye

Cowboy Steak vs Tomahawk

Hanger Steak vs Skirt Steak

Baby Back Ribs vs Spare Ribs

Pork Collar vs Pork Shoulder

Dry-Aged vs Wet-Aged Beef

Heritage Pork vs Grocery Store Pork

What is that cut, anyway?

What Is Wagyu Beef?

Beef Marbling Score Guide

Dorper Lamb

Kurobuta Pork

What Is Picanha?

What Is Zabuton Steak?

What Is Teres Major Steak?

What Is Bavette Steak?

What Is Delmonico Steak?

What Is Beef Deckle?

The math, the methods, the marinades.

Buying a Whole or Half Cow

Quarter Cow Guide

Best Cuts of Steak for Grilling

Steak Internal Temperature Chart

Cutting Against the Grain

Easy Steak Marinades

Au Jus Recipe

How to Use Beef Tallow

Leftover Prime Rib French Dip

What to Do with Leftover Prime Rib

Wagyu Pot Roast Recipe

Buy the meat the guides are written about.