Understanding the different grades of beef is important for understanding the best grade of beef for your meal. The USDA grades are determined using a number of factors including marbling, age of the animal, and color, texture and firmness of the muscle.
The quality grades are important for having a consistent rating system that can be transferred from producer to grocery store to consumer. They are also important for consumers. Home cooks can evaluate price and grade to determine what will be best for their recipe.
Table of Contents
Marbling, or intramuscular fat, is the main criteria in the grading system. For consistency across the beef industry a USDA inspector will look at the ribeye muscle between the 12th and 13th ribs on the carcass. The amount of marbling is a good indication of tenderness, flavor, and juiciness.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) implemented these standards in 1916. Not surprising since in 1906 Upton Sinclair's classic "The Jungle" was published, exposing the atrocities of the meat-packing industry.
The Different USDA Beef Grades
Prime Beef
USDA Prime grade is the highest grade of beef available in terms of tenderness, juiciness, and flavor. It comes from young cattle that have abundant marbling. This marbling enhances the taste and texture. While often used in steak houses, prime is also a great choice for picanha steaks.
Choice Beef
USDA Choice Grade beef is known for its excellent marbling, resulting in rich flavor and tenderness. This grade is perfect for a beef chuck steak where the tenderness and juiceness are prized qualities. I find the amount of marbling in this grade is ideal for my oven baked chuck roast.
Select Beef
USDA Select Grade beef is known for its moderate marbling, which adds juiciness to the meat. Whether you're looking to make a top round roast for Sunday dinner or a slow roasted brisket for a holiday gathering, Select Grade beef benefits from the slow cooking methods in these recipes.
Standard Beef
Standard grade beef and commercial cuts are most commonly sold as store brand meats or ungraded. These beef grades are less marbled and not as tender as the higher graded beef.
While they might not have the same tenderness as higher grades, Standard Grade cuts can still provide delicious and satisfying meals when prepared with the right cooking techniques and flavors.
Utility Grade Beef
Utility, Cutter and Canner grades are the lowest grade of beef available in the U.S. Beef that carries these grades are used for processed meat products, such as ground beef or sausage.
USDA Beef Grades Chart
This beef chart shows you the USDA grade shields that you can expect to see on a cut of beef for each grade of beef. The pictures of the carved ribeyes are great visuals of the degree of marbling for each grade.
Download your PDF copy of the USDA Beef Grades Chart courtesy of the USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service.
Leave a Reply