Download - and you are gonna like it!
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... and you are gonna like it!
By James BerryBy James Berry
Introduction to Beef Introduction to Beef Quality GradingQuality Grading
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Grading vs. Tasting Why?
• Of all BBQs you have, you could not possibly taste every animal!
• What if the product is not consumable?
• Tasting is too time consuming and subjective
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What is the purpose beef carcass grading?
• To allow beef producers, packers, and retailers to be paid for the level of quality product they distribute.
• The USDA implemented meat grading to ensure that the product is of the right quality that consumers want.
• To create a basis for comparison and data in the beef industry.
• It is NOT mandatory for beef producers to use– But many markets such as Safeway and Kroger
require it.
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How do beef grades affect me?
• They guarantee a grade of meat that we can trust at the quality level of the product you are buying.
• They increase the chance that we will be satisfied with our product.
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What are the two types of grades?
• Quality Grade – Qualitative
• Yield Grade - Quantitative
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What are the 8 types of quality grades?
• Three for purchase at the store:Prime (very rare)
Choice – Starting to be the standard at stores
Select – used to be the standard
• Others consumed by people in different waysStandard, Commercial, Utility, Cutter, and
Canner
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What is the purpose of Quality Grades?
• Reflects the differences in the eating quality of meat based on:Marbling scores - the amount of fat interspersed
in the muscle.
Maturity scores - reflects the age of the animal at slaughter.
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Factors influencing Quality Grade
1. Direct• Marbling• Maturity
2. Indirect• Texture• Firmness• Color
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Prime 1 in 26
Upper 2/3 of Choice 1 in 19
Lower 1/3 of Choice 1 in 7
Select 1 in 5
Standard 1 in 2
Prime 1 in 26
Upper 2/3 of Choice 1 in 19
Lower 1/3 of Choice 1 in 7
Select 1 in 5
Standard 1 in 2
No fat is good right? ...Not always.
Quality GradeOdds of
poor steak
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Prime
• This carcass has superior marbling, proper carcass conformation, and adequate maturity. – Found in fine restaurants and gourmet stores.
• Not economical for meat packers – The cattle are required to get very fat to
obtain enough marbling – A small percentage of cattle meet the
conformation standards.
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Choice
• This is the most economical and most desirable carcass grade. – Adequate marbling and carcass conformation
are required.
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Select
• (Used to be called "Good") This beef may be referred to as "no-roll" since it isn't stamped with the USDA grade.
– Must have slight marbling.– This meat is inspected but not marked with a
stamp as Prime and Choice.
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Standard
• Usually older animals and thin animals. – Minimum marbling or below average carcass
conformation fits into this category.
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Commercial
• Includes the designations of: Cutter
Canner
Utility.
– This meat is usually processed into lunch meats, soup, and canned meat products.
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Cull
• Not acceptable for human consumption.– Often times put into animal consumption or
used to make other products.
– No longer used as animal consumption products
• BSE
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Tenderness
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Quality of Taste
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Notice the visual difference in marbling (intramuscular fat) at each quality Grade
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Moderately Abundant
Primeo
ModestChoiceo
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ModestChoiceo
Slightly AbundantPrime-
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ModestChoiceo
ModerateChoice+
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ModestChoiceo
SmallChoice-
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ModestChoiceo
SlightSelect
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Relationship between Marbling, Maturity, and Carcass Quality Grade1
Maturity2
Degrees of Marbling A3 B C D E
Abundant Prime +
Moderately Abundant Prime Prime
Slightly Abundant Prime -
Moderate Choice + Choice
Modest Choice
Small Choice - Standard
Slight Select Standard
Traces Standard + Standard
Practically Devoid StandardAge < 30 months 30-42 months 42-72 months 72-96 months >96 months1Assumes that firmness of lean is comparably developed with the degree of marbling andthat the carcass is not a “dark cutter”.2Maturity increases from left to right (A through E).3The A maturity portion of the figure is the only portion applicable to bullock carcasses.
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Based on marbling, what would you grade the cut on the left?
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Based on marbling, what would you grade the cut on the left?
Prime
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So what do we take from this?
• Why do we need to know this information?
• Do we go and buy the highest quality?
• How does beef grading affect how we eat?
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Let’s get Grilling!Let’s get Grilling!
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Sources
• Most information, slides and pictures provided by
Dr. Jon Beckett, Cal Poly, SLO
• USDA
• National Cattlemen’s Beef Association
• Slides 25 & 26 - www.ag.auburn.edu/ ~sschmidt/meats/sld011.htm