The ball-shaped muscle at the front of the round (the knuckle), sitting just below the cuadril on the Argentine hindquarter. Lean and fine-grained with almost no intramuscular fat, it's one of the most versatile everyday cuts at the carnicería: sliced thin across the grain for milanesas and bifes a la plancha, cubed for guiso and puchero, or roasted whole as a lean rosbif. Because it's so lean it dries out past medium, so parrilleros treat it gently or braise it low and slow. Anatomically the same knuckle/sirloin-tip muscle group sold as bola in Mexico, patinho in Brazil, and thick flank or top rump in Britain.
Names by country
| Country | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 🇦🇷Argentina | Bola de lomoprimary | Argentine butcher term for the knuckle at the front of the round. Distinct from nalga (top round) and cuadril (rump). |
Find Bola de lomo near you
Ask your butcher for Bola de lomo. It's most likely to be stocked by an Argentine or Latin American butcher.
Find an Argentine or Latin American butcher near youOpens Google Maps at your location. Availability varies by shop — call ahead for specialty cuts.
