New Year’s Eve is the time to say good-bye to the old and hello to the new. If you’ve always wanted to create a wonderful beef dinner, but didn’t know how, now’s the time to do it. This guide will help you choose the right cut of beef and explain the best ways to cook it. The dinner you make will be a delicious start to 2008.

The seven cuts of beef are:

• Ribs
• Loin
• Sirloin
• Round (also called rump)
• Chuck
• Brisket (includes the shank)
• Flank (includes the plate)

Meat’s tenderness is determined by where it’s cut from the cow, and how much “marbling” it has. If it’s cut from an area with lots of muscle, it will taste tougher than if it’s from a section with fewer muscles. Check if your cookbook has a diagram of a cow marked with the individual cuts. It will help you understand the differences. Here are some guidelines:

• Most tender cuts: Ribs, loin and sirloin
• Less tender cuts: Round and chuck, brisket and flank

The dish you’re making determines the cut you need. If the recipe doesn’t suggest one, use the list below. Remember: You can make even the least-expensive meat taste great if you cook it the right way.

• Ribs: Roast or grill rib roasts, back ribs and ribeye steaks
• Loin: T-bone steaks and tenderloin roasts come from this cut. You can roast, grill, broil, pan fry or sauté them.
• Sirloin: Use a dry-heat method like roasting, pan frying, sautéing, grilling or broiling for top sirloin steak
• Round: Several roasts and steaks come from round. You can stew or braise them, or cut the meat into thin strips and use it in stir-fry dishes.
• Chuck: A variety of pot roasts and steaks come from chuck. Use a slow, moist method like stewing or braising.
• Brisket: Stew or braise this meat
• Flank: Skirt and flank steaks can be cooked by both dry-heat methods like roasting and grilling and moist-heat methods like stewing and braising

• Choose your favorite beef recipe
• Buy the cut and grade of beef you need
• Plan the side dishes and a special dessert
• Do as much as possible the day before
• Take a bubble bath, listen to some music, get dressed
• Have a wonderful time!