Beef Quality Grades
 | Author:
Allison Kosto, MSU Broadwater County Extension Agent
MSU Broadwater County Extension Agent |
Beef Quality Grades Allison Kosto, MSU Broadwater County Extension Agent Beef Quality Grades
Want a ribeye steak for dinner? A trip to the grocery store reveals a wealth of choices at the meat counter. You zero in on the ribeye and are faced with a decision. Prime or choice? Prime is a little more expensive, so you grab the choice steak and head to the checkout line. Did you make the right choice?
Beef quality is an important selection factor for consumers. Makes sense because who wants a steak that is tough and unappealing?! Quality grade (i.e. Prime or Choice) is one indicator of eating desirability. It is directly related to tenderness, moisture (juiciness) and flavor. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has eight quality grades: Prime, Choice, Select, Standard, Commercial, Utility, Cutter and Canner. However, typically, only the top three tiers (Prime, Choice and Select) make their way to the meat counter as steak or other retail cuts. Other quality grades are used for ground beef or processed meats.
The purpose behind quality grades is related to marketing, to be able to separate cattle, which are naturally very diverse, into more uniform groups for quality and composition. Quality grading is a service provided by the USDA. It is optional and packers are not required to quality-grade beef and must pay a fee for the service. However, more than 95% of beef cattle in the U.S. are inspected for quality grades.
The two main factors determining quality grade are maturity and marbling. The age of the animal has a direct effect on the tenderness of the meat. As cattle mature, their meat naturally becomes tougher. To account for this, cattle are placed in one of five maturity groups which are designated as A through E. Their maturity group factors into the final quality grade. For example, only young cattle (A or B maturity) are eligible for a Prime quality grade.
The next factor is marbling. Marbling is defined as the amount and distribution of intramuscular fat in the meat. When you look at a beef steak, you see marbling as the little white fat flecks inside the muscle. Beef cuts with more marbling tend to be more tender, juicy and flavorful. To determine the amount of marbling, inspectors look at a cross-section of the ribeye (same location on every animal) and give the animal a marbling score.
After maturity and marbling is determined, the two factors are combined to determine the USDA Quality Grade. In general, here is what each quality grade means: • Prime – Young, well-fed beef cattle. Has abundant marbling. Highest quality grade. Typically sold in higher-end restaurants, hotels or meat markets. • Choice – Also high quality, but less marbling than Prime. • Select – Uniform in quality, but often leaner than higher grades. Usually fairly tender, but may lack some juiciness and flavor of higher grades due to less marbling. • Standard and Commercial – Typically sold as ungraded meat. Lacks tenderness, moisture and flavor of higher graded animals. • Utility, Cutter and Canner – Typically not sold as retail cuts. Used for ground beef and processed products.
Beef is a high source of protein (meaning it contains 20% or more daily value), selenium, vitamin B12, phosphorus and zinc. It is also a good source (contains 10-19% daily value) of niacin, riboflavin, iron and vitamin B6. The iron found in meat is in the form of heme iron which is better absorbed than the non-heme iron found in plant foods. A three-ounce serving of beef provides 51% of the recommended daily protein. Animal protein contains all nine essential amino acids. Vitamin B12 is an essential nutrient that is only available through animal foods.
Did you make the right choice between Prime and Choice? There really is no right or wrong at this point and it comes down to personal preference and willingness to pay for higher-quality grades. Purchasing local beef is a wonderful way to support the local agriculture industry. Check out my article from last week on my blog for more information about buying local beef. For more information about beef, contact MSU Extension in Broadwater County at 406-266-9242 or allison.kosto@montana.edu.
