WITH the National Rugby League’s 2025 season kicking off this weekend in Las Vegas, footy fans across Australia are trundling out their barbies to entertain family and friends while watching a round-one game or two.

But rather than serving up the same old predictable sirloin, beef pattie or sausage, why not consider something a little more novel?

There’s some high quality, if lesser-known beef cuts and sub-primals out there, just waiting to be discovered by meat lovers. Many have exceptional eating qualities, and perform well over a flat grill, hot coals or in the smoker.

What if every NRL team was a piece of red meat? See references to our collaboration with popular Rugby League website Zero Tackle further below in this article  

Here’s Beef Central’s pick of five little known beef items to throw on the BBQ this weekend, to mark the start of the 2025 NRL season:

Petit Tender steak:

The petite tender steak is a small, flavourful and tender cut harvested from the blade muscle. It’s similar in appearance to a filet mignon but more affordable and with a deeper, beefy taste.

Best cooking methods: Pan or flat plate-seared (best for maximum crust)

Prep: Pat dry, season with salt, pepper, and a touch of oil.

Sear: Heat a cast-iron pan or BBQ plate to high heat, add oil, and sear for 3-4 minutes per side until a deep brown crust forms.

Baste (Optional): Add butter, garlic, and herbs (like thyme or rosemary) at the last minute, basting the steak.

Rest: Let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing against the grain.

Beef intercostals (rib meat)

Beef intercostals are the muscles located between the ribs – essentially the meat that runs along the rib bones. They have a rich, beefy flavour but can carry a good amount of connective tissue. Extremely flavourful when cooked properly. The key item featured in Korean BBQ.

Best Cooking Methods:

1. Grilling (Hot & fast or indirect heat)

Marinate First: Since intercostals have some connective tissue, an acidic marinade (with vinegar, citrus, ginger or pineapple) helps break them down.

Reverse sear: Cook slowly over indirect heat until almost tender, then finish over direct high heat for a charred crust.

Quick Grilling: If sliced thin, intercostals can be cooked quickly over high heat, like Korean-style marinated short ribs.

2. Low and Slow (Smoking or Braising) Simmer in a flavourful liquid (broth, wine, or beer) for 2–3 hours at low heat until the meat becomes fork-tender.

Best uses:

• Stir-fry/grill: If cut into small strips, they can be stir-fried or grilled quickly over coals after marination.
• Tacos or fajitas: Slice thinly after grilling and serve with fresh tortillas, salsa, and onions.
• BBQ-style: Glaze with a sticky sauce and slow-cook like ribs.

Oyster Blade/ Flat Iron

The oyster blade is a muscle just below the shoulder blade bisected by a long line of connective tissue. The flat iron is produced by seaming-out the silver-skin tissue running between the two oyster blade muscles. Your friendly butcher should be able to perform this task for you.

Flat iron steaks are lean, juicy, tender and full of flavour, and represent great value. It can be roasted whole, cut into steaks, thinly sliced or diced.

Best cooking method: Grill (flat iron); roast, slow braise (oyster blade).

Rump Cap & Tri-tip

Everyone is familiar with whole rump as a good value, flavourful steak cut. But rumps are actually made up of five separate muscles, all of which perform differently. Whole rumps are now often seamed-out into different muscle groups with varying textures and tenderness. Some are as tender as eye fillet.

Rump cap (Picanya) One of these, now becoming very popular on the BBQ, is the rump cap, much-prized as the ‘Picanya’ in Brazil. Rump cap (pictured above) is tender, with a layer of fat that flavours and moistens the meat as it cooks. It produces delicious petite steaks when sliced against the grain, and makes a tender roast or slow smoker item when left whole. Even supermarkets now separate rump cap and sell it separately.

Tri-tip: Tri tip (pictured right) is a small boneless seamed cut from the rump that gets its name from its triangular shape – tender and full of flavour, it can be cooked whole or sliced across the grain into great burger-sized steaks.

• Thanks to Sam Burke, executive chef at MLA, for assistance with the compilation of this list.

If every NRL team was a piece of meat, what would they be?

As part of the NRL 2025 season launch, Beef Central has worked on a collaboration this week with popular digital sports website publishers Zero Tackle.

The question we’ve asked is: What if every NRL team was a piece of meat?

Just as each team has its own unique defining characteristics, so too, does every piece of Aussie grain and grassfed beef.

So in recognition of today’s start to the 2025 NRL season, we’ve worked with Zero Tackle, to try to ‘Mix and Match’ all 17 teams competing for the 2025 flag with an item of beef.

Here’s a couple of examples we came up with, to whet readers appetites:

• North Queensland Cowboys: Crumbed steak. No right to be as good as it is.
• Redcliffe Dolphins: Smoked brisket – New and trendy.
• Manly Warringah Sea Eagles: Eye fillet – A little bit posh, a touch soft, but well-liked by the ladies.

Click here to view Zero Tackle’s full feature, published today, sponsored by JBS Australia.

Click here to access Zero Tackle’s comprehensive 120-page 2025 NRL Season Guide