You’ve heard the terms Prime Cut, Choice Cut, and even Select Cut, but you may not really know what it all means. Here is an overview of the main grades of beef to help you pick out a better quality cut.
image courtesy of phototram/flickr
Beef is graded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) based on the age of the animal and how the fat is distributed throughout the meat (marbling). The USDA has trained graders who inspect and grade whole carcasses for the meat processors. The USDA grade can appear in a variety of locations when you are choosing a cut of beef. Some of the designations appear as the USDA Shield, package label, and many times the cut of meat will be stamped itself with the grading.
So what is difference between the grading? The three main gradings you will see are: U.S. Prime Cut, U.S. Choice Cut, and U.S. Select Cut. There are several others, but most cuts of meat that you will find will be in these three gradings. As said before the grading is based upon marbling and the age of the meat prior to slaughtering.
U.S. Prime Cut – This cut of meat is the highest quality and has the most intramuscular fat. U.S. Prime Cut is in limited supply. You will mostly find this cut of beef in upscale restaurants and hotels.
U.S. Choice Cut – This cut of meat is high in quality and highly available. You will find this grade of beef in your supermarkets.
U.S. Select Cut – This cut of meat is lean and lower in quality. It is less tender than the prime cut and choice cut. You will also find select cut really available at your supermarket.
It is important to be aware of the grades of meat to insure you are grilling and barbecuing the highest quality cut of meat you can find and afford. With this bit of information you can be more confident in the quality of beef you are purchasing.
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