USDA Beef Grading

The USDA has a system for grading beef.    This system measures the quality of the beef.    There are 8 different grades that are given to beef.    Here they are listed best to worst:

1. Prime  
2. Choice  
3. Select  
4. Standard  
5. Commercial    
6. Utility  
7. Cutter  
8. Canner  

The grades are based marbling (the internal fat content), firmness, color, texture and age.

Marbling is important because it gives the beef its tenderness and flavor.    Have you ever taken a bite of steak and said that it melted in your mouth?    If so, it had great marbling.

Firmness and texture are important for obvious reasons.    You can tell a lot about a piece of meat by how it feels.    If the meat is mushy, when you cook it, it will still be mushy.    Does it feel really firm and tough?    It will be tough to chew.

Age and color plays a role also.    Every once in a while we run into a “dark cutter”.    The meat is actually dark, almost purplish in color.     This changes the texture of the meat.

Generally darker muscles symbolize an older animal.    An older the animal can lead to darker and tougher the meat.    Older animals have more developed muscles.    The more a muscle is used, the stronger it gets, the tougher it is.    This is why younger animals are preferred and will get higher grades.

This concept is the same for different cuts of the same animal.    The round is tougher than the tenderloin.    The tenderloin is a rarely used muscle.    The round is part of the leg and gets used all the time, which leads to a tougher cut of meat.

For a VERY specific description of grading, visit the link below: