There are 8 USDA Grades of Beef:

1st.USDA Prime [The BEST]
*Less than 2% of all the beef in the U.S. is graded Prime*

We were lucky enough to receive a USDA Prime Hind Quarter this January, 2009.
Below are some pictures of this Prime Beef to give you an idea of what Prime looks like!

2nd.USDA Choice

Most higher quality grocery stores sell this grade.

3rd.USDA Select

This grade is not as tender as USDA Choice.  USDA Select is the usual grad that Wal-Mart sells.

4th. USDA Standard

5th. USDA Commercial

6th.  USDA Utility

7th.  USDA Cutter

8th.  USDA Canner [The WORST]

Percentage Intramuscular Fat

USDA Quality Grade

Degree of Marbling

11% and Above

Prime⁺

Abundant ^00-100

9.5% - 11%

Prime°

Moderately Abundant ^00-100

8% - 9.5%

Prime^-

Slightly Abundant ^00-100

7% - 8%

Choice⁺

Moderate ^00-100

5% - 6%

Choice°

Modest ^00-100

4% - 5%

Choice^-

Small ^00-100

3.5% - 4%

Select⁺

Slight ^50-100

3% - 3.5%

Select-

Slight ^00-50

2.5% - 3%

Standard⁺

Traces

2.5% and Below

Standard-

Practically Devoid

Click on any jar below to go to that seasonings web page where
you can read more about that seasoning and place your order.
Prime Steak and Beefburger Seasoning (Formerly Meyers Roast Beef Rub) is our most popular shake-on seasoning.

We have a FREE PDF article on Beef Grades.  To view it, just click here.

If you would rather download the FREE PDF Beef Grades article and save it to your computer, just right click here., and choose "Save Target As"

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If don't have it already on your computer,
you can download from the Adobe website by clicking here.

The Extension Services of Illinois, Kansas, Nebraska, Wisconsin and
North Dakota have an EXCELLENT article on
Quality and Yield Grades
for Beef Carcasses! 
Click here to read it.

Quality grades reflect the flavor and tenderness of meat and are primarily determined from carcass maturity and the amount of fat within the meat (i.e. marbling or intramuscular fat).

Beef quality refers to the expected eating characteristics (tenderness, juiciness and flavor) of the cooked product.  USDA Quality Grades are used to reflect differences in expected eating quality among slaughter cattle and their carcasses. 

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"How To Process Beef" DVD!!

1 Hour & 14 Minutes of Learning How To:

Make The Primal Beef Cuts

Make Sub-Primal Beef Cuts

Make Retail Beef Cuts

Freezer Wrap Beef Correctly

Sharpen Your Knife Correctly

Use A Steel Correctly

Prime grade - is produced from young, well-fed beef cattle. Only 2% of the beef in the U.S. is graded Prime. It has abundant marbling and is generally sold in restaurants and hotels. Prime roasts and steaks are excellent for dry-heat cooking (i.e., roasting, broiling, and grilling).

· Choice grade - is high quality, but has less marbling than Prime. Choice roasts and steaks from the loin and rib will be very tender, juicy, and flavorful and are, like Prime, suited to dry-heat cooking. Many of the less tender cuts, such as those from the rump, round, and blade chuck, can also be cooked with dry heat, but be careful not to overcook them. Using a meat thermometer takes the guesswork out of cooking and assures a safe internal temperature: 145 ° F is medium rare; 160 ° F, medium; and 170 ° F, well done.

Choice Grade is also subdivided further by Yield Grades.
Yield Grade 1 is the best.
Yield Grade 5 is the "Least" best.

· Select grade - is very uniform in quality and normally leaner than the higher grades. It is fairly tender, but, because it has less marbling, it may lack some of the juiciness and flavor of the higher grades. Only the tender cuts (loin, rib, sirloin) should be cooked with dry heat. Other cuts should be marinated before cooking or cooked with moisture to obtain maximum tenderness and flavor.

· Standard and Commercial grades – frequently are sold as ungraded or as "store brand" meat.

· Utility, Cutter, and Canner grades - are seldom, if ever, sold at retail but are used instead to make ground beef and processed products.

More Detailed Information on Beef Grades - Including Photographs!

Notebook Size Meat Charts

Be prepared and knowledgeable the next time you're at    
the Grocery Store Meat Department!

A Handy Tool for Deciding How to Cook the Different Beef  Cuts!

These Charts Are A Handy Beef  Cutting Reference Chart.

    A Great Visual Aid to Cutting Beef!   

Purchase A Set of 5 Notebook Size Meat Charts For ONLY $7.00 by Clicking the "Add To Cart" Button Below!
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