Compare beef cuts on cost per edible pound.
Shelf price per pound is not what beef costs you, because you do not eat the whole pound. Two losses compound: trim and bone removed before cooking, then cooking shrink as fat renders and water evaporates — typically 20 to 30 percent for a roast or steak. Applying both to the purchase weight gives the edible cooked weight, and dividing your total spend by that gives the figure worth comparing between cuts. This is why a cheap bone-in cut at half the shelf price can end up costing more per plate than a trimmed cut, and why comparing cuts on shelf price alone is misleading.
Edible cooked weight
Cooked lb = purchase lb x (1 - trim loss%) x (1 - cooking shrink%)
True cost
Cost per edible lb = total spend / cooked lb; servings = cooked oz / serving oz
Roughly 5 to 10 percent for a pre-trimmed steak, 15 to 25 percent for an untrimmed roast or a packer brisket, and 25 to 40 percent for bone-in cuts such as short ribs. If you are comparing two specific cuts, weigh the trim once and you will have a figure you can reuse.
It tracks fat content and final temperature. Lean beef cooked rare loses around 15 percent; a well-marbled cut taken to well-done can lose 35 percent or more. Ground beef browned and drained is usually 25 to 30 percent. Higher heat and longer cooking both increase it.