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BEEF GRADING

Quality & Yield are the tow grade type used by U.S.D.A.

Beef carcasses may carry a quality grade, a yield grade or both.

Quality grades indicate expected eating satisfaction, yield grades are estimates of the percentage of boneless retail cuts from the round, loin, rib and chuck.

Federal meat grading is a voluntary service packers request and pay for .

Meat grading and meat inspection are different, inspection,which is mandatory, ensures the safety and wholesomeness of our meat.

Quality Grading

USDA quality grades are Prime, Choice, Select, Standard, Commercial, Utility, Cutter and Canner.
Quality grading is voluntary, not all carcasses are quality graded. Packers may apply their own generic name, i.e. "Ranchers Pride", to merchandise their beef.

Ungraded beef, usually do not grade Choice or Prime, are termed "No Roll" beef by the industry, because a grade stamp has not been rolled on the carcass.

• Prime: High degree of marbling, cooks with little preparation. Not as popular today because of fat content and health concerns.
• Choice: High quality, not as much marbling. Cooks with a little preparation in the loin and rib cuts, chuck and round cuts may require more preparation
• Select: Less marbling means this is a leaner cut of beef, somewhat tender, requires more preparation because of less marbling.
• Standard & Commercial
  Sold ungraded.

Supermarket Beef
 What you would find in the supermarket or butcher shop. Most U.S. cattle are fed grain or corn, and produced for higher fat content. There are no specific restrictions on the use of either genetically-enhanced feed or antibiotics to treat the cattle.
Organic beef
Cattle feed must be produced from organic sources.
Hormones and antibiotics are prohibited. Cattle must be slaughtered at an organic plant.
"Organic" has a national set of standards.

Natural Beef: Must not contain any artificial ingredients, natural hormones or drugs are not barred, usually beef fed on pastureland, little medication give,

Freerange Beef
Cattle are allowed to range for food over open grasslands.

Grassfed Beef
Grass or silage is given to eat, not grain or corn.
Drugs or hormones are not barred, may be grass fed on feedlots.


Age and marbling are the major considerations in beef quality grading.

Yield grade are calculated by the:

External fat, at the ribeye at the 12th rib, external fat the most important yield grade issue,  the more external fat the less meat yield to retailer.

Fat at the udder, rump, top round, plate, brisket and flank.

Fat around the kidneys, in the pelvis and heart.
 

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