Beef Cuts | Subprimal
GRADES OF BEEF
All beef is inspected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for wholesomeness and graded for quality and consistency. You may be familiar with Prime, Choice, and Select grades, with Prime topping the grading scale.
Marbling, the little white flecks in beef, is the key to flavor and greatly influence quality grades. The Certified Angus Beef® brand stands out for its exceptional flavor, tenderness and juiciness due to its marbling in every cut.
A: Independent USDA graders inspect cattle and label them according to the grading scale: Prime, Choice, Select and several low-quality grades.
A: The same independent USDA graders inspect black-hided cattle (typical of the Angus breed) and give it a grade. All beef considered for the brand must be the best Choice, or Prime, beef – truly the top of the scale. This top-quality Angus beef is then evaluated again, using the brand's set of 10 quality standards for marbling, size and uniformity. If it makes the cut, then it earns the distinctive Certified Angus Beef® brand label.
A: Quality, plain and simple. Only truly elite beef surpasses the USDA's stringent Prime standards, AND meets all 10 of the brand's quality specifications. Only 3% of beef achieves the high standards of Certified Angus Beef® Prime. And marbling is key to its incredible flavor and tenderness.