Different Varieties of Beef and Their Meaning
People “know” that meat comes from animals, but sometimes it’s easy to forget how complex these animals are. A cow’s diet, living conditions, and life expectancy can all influence how steaks, roast, or any other meat respond to heat, and one way to predict outcome is to understand the different varieties of USDA beef .
If you are a meat-eater, you are likely to see little shield stickers US Department of Agriculture, which, besides the fact that tell us that the US Department of Agriculture has examined the meat, let us know with what sort of meat we’re dealing with. There are actually eight ( 8! ) Different varieties of beef, although supermarket shoppers are unlikely to come across the bottom five – standard, commercial, general purpose, butcher, and canning. A rating is a service provided by the USDA paid by the manufacturer or processor and is awarded after an inspector examines the hanging carcass cut between the 12th and 13th ribs, making it easy for them to see the ribeye. The age of the animal and the color of the meat are also taken into account. According to Meatscience.org , “any cattle classified as Prime, Choice or Select will be young, under-maturity.”
basic
This is the trendiest meat for boys with the most marbled and most aromatic taste. These cows are young and well-fed, and their meat is tender and marbled. However, these cows are not the most common. They make up only “4 ½ to 5 percent of all sorted cattle,” Weber said, which is actually a fairly large increase “just a few years ago, when it was only about 2 percent.” Most of this meat goes to restaurants and hotels, but from time to time you can find it in meat shops or expensive grocery stores. Intramuscular fat (marbling) means top-rated steaks remain juicy and flavorful even when exposed to dry heat, so grab them if you see them (especially if they are discounted at all).
Choice
This is the most common beef variety. Choice cows make up about 65% of all sorted beef cattle. Their meat is decently marbled (although not as marbled as Prime’s), which is what you are most likely to find in the grocery store. Selected steaks can be really great, but it’s worth noting that “Selective” is the range and that some steaks of this variety may be more marbled than others. Meatscience.org has good visuals for each of the varieties, but it’s always good to look at the meat you buy and choose the one with the most intramuscular fat going through the meat. The more marbling a piece of meat is, the more likely it is to thrive on dry heat. (If you think your steak is at a low “pick” level, you can always use a wet cooking method such as braising or making a souvideo .)
To choose
This is most likely the lowest USDA beef you’ll find at a grocery store. Some chains use this beef as their own brand. Selected meat is very dense and lean, with very little marble. Selected steaks are not as tender and flavorful as their best and select counterparts, so add marinade if you are using the dry method and try not to cook them for too long. If you are cooking a stew, stew, or any other dish that uses a high liquid cooking method, separate cuts are fine.
Bottom five
In addition, there are standard, commercial, versatile, butchery and canned varieties that lack the qualities that make a steak desirable. “Standard” meat is “practically devoid” of marbling, but it is possible that you will find it in a grocery store, positioned as a “specialty of the manager”, or in a cheap buffet.
After that, the meat of the “old” cows remains – according to The Takeout , these are cows over 42 months old. Age influences marbling, tenderness and color, so the meat of these varieties is poorly suited for steaks. (The USDA has a handy table showing how age affects grading.) The meat of these old cows can still be marbled to varying degrees – marbling moderate to lightly abundant marbling is rated ‘commercial’, fine to moderate marbling – ‘ useful ”, insignificant marbling is a“ cutter ”, and meat of old cows, devoid of marbling, is assessed as“ canned ”. These inferior cuts are usually not sold as whole cuts of meat, but are either minced (obviously for ground beef) or processed into foods that do not really require intramuscular fat to be edible (e.g. jerky, hot dogs, sausages, etc. and Bologna).
What about Wagyu?
Wagyu beef comes from four very specific breeds of Japanese cows, and its classification is completely separate from the USDA system. The wagyu classification is conducted by the Japan Meat Appraisal Association (JMGA) and is rated on a scale of 1 to 12, with 12 being the absolute best and 1 being the worst. According to the University of Chicago Steak Company, “JMGA rates wagyu beef based on its oily color, meat color, rib eye shape, rib eye size, and IMF% that refers to its marbling.” Most wagyu beef falls into the USDA “top” category due to the usually impressive amount of marbling.
Updated at 4:00 pm EST on 4/13/21 to include information on lower meats.