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Also called
Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons — Knuckle.jpg
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The knuckle muscle group at the front of the rear leg, between the sirloin and the round — anatomically the *quadriceps* (rectus femoris and surrounding muscles). Leaner than the rump but tenderer than the silverside, with a fine even grain that makes it a workhorse for roasts, breaded cutlets, and quick steaks. Almost every butchery tradition isolates it under a different name: *sirloin tip* or *knuckle* in the US, *top rump* or *thick flank* in the UK, *bola de lomo* in Argentina (the milanesa cut), *babilla* in Spain, *patinho* in Brazil, *noix* in France, *noce* in Italy. Cooks well as a small whole roast (cooked rare and sliced thin), as cubes for stews, or pounded thin for milanesas/schnitzel.
Names by country
| Country | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸United States | Sirloin tipprimary | USDA-graded knuckle subprimal; sometimes "knuckle" on professional cut sheets, "sirloin tip" on retail. |
| 🇬🇧United Kingdom | Top rump | Also sometimes "thick flank." The front of the round near the rump; ideal for slow roasting whole or braising in pieces. |
| 🇲🇽Mexico | Pulpa bola | Peeled knuckle. Pulpa blanca is the bottom round. SAGARPA 2013 buyer's guide, via Calderón Alonso et al. 2021 (Nacameh 15:1). |
| 🇫🇷France | Tranche grasse | Rond de tranche, plat de tranche and mouvant. Noix is not a beef cut (only gîte à la noix). |
| 🇪🇸Spain | Babilla | The front round muscle in Spanish butchery; staple cut for *escalopes*, *milanesas*, and slow stews. |
| 🇧🇷Brazil | Patinho | The Brazilian knuckle cut; classic for *bife à milanesa* (Brazilian breaded cutlets) and ground beef. |
| 🇮🇹Italy | Noce | The Italian-butchery name for the knuckle muscle on the round. |
| 🇩🇪Germany | Kugel | Sometimes "Nuss" or "Blume"; the knuckle muscle in German butchery. |
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