This study explores a tactile perception approach for guiding a robotic cutting tool in beef processing. A 6-axis manipulator with a static knife and a 6-axis force sensor performed fifteen cutting paths on five striploin steak pieces. Unique force transients from the knife tip and sides were used to determine the knife's position relative to tissue features. Cross-correlation analysis between the orthogonal force components revealed a high coefficient above 0.95 for paths away from the interface, dropping below 0.88 near air gaps or fat-lean interfaces due to disturbances and tissue breakdown. Force transients were also identified when the knife exited the fat layer using a programmatic method, achieving less than a 1-s deviation from manual measurements. The lateral force component showed sensitivity to the natural cutting path and surrounding tissue behaviour. These tactile perception techniques could be integrated into real-time control for a robotic cutting knife in beef processing.