Beef roasting joint yield: how much is usable after prep (AP to EP %)
Beef roasting joint: about 78% usable going raw roasting joint to cooked, with a published range of 58–91%. That is a cost factor of 1.28: for every kilo you need ready to use, buy 1.28 kg as purchased.
Yield by preparation stage
| Stage | Average | Range | What is lost | USDA item |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raw joint → roasted, all doneness levels | 78% | 58–91% | Cooking loss (water and fat) | 289 |
| Raw joint → roasted rare | 83% | 70–91% | Cooking loss | 290 |
| Raw joint → roasted medium | 77% | 58–88% | Cooking loss | 291 |
| Raw joint → roasted well done | 72% | 59–84% | Cooking loss | 292 |
| Bone-in joint → braised | 68% | 50–77% | Cooking loss | 272 |
| Boneless joint → braised | 65% | 37–84% | Cooking loss | 273 |
Doneness moves the number: a rare joint keeps about 11 points more of its weight than a well-done one. Cost Sunday beef on the cooked weight you carve, not the raw weight you buy.
What the yield does to the cost
| Usable beef roasting joint needed | Buy (as purchased) at 78% |
|---|---|
| 1 kg | 1.28 kg |
| 5 kg | 6.41 kg |
| 10 kg | 12.82 kg |
Use 78% in the yield calculator →
Yield source: USDA Agriculture Handbook No. 102, Food Yields Summarized by Different Stages of Preparation (Matthews and Garrison, USDA Agricultural Research Service, 1975), Table 1, items 289, 290, 291, 292, 272, 273 (US samples of beef roasting joints). Your own case is the real number: weigh it in the yield calculator.
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