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Message
Dispelling Beef Misconceptions on the F&D board
Posted on 12/31/18 at 3:51 pm
Posted on 12/31/18 at 3:51 pm
So, my prime rib thread, as I figured it would, brought out all the usual suspects and their “expert” opinions on beef. As someone who has worked in the industry for over 2 decades, much of which was spent selling beef for the world’s largest producer, and since I’m bored today, thought I would spread a little truth and help a few folks stop saying really dumb shite.
First, let’s talk about beef grades. There are really four general designations that you’re typically dealing with in restaurants and grocery stores/ meat markets
USDA Prime (slightly abundant to abundant marbling)
USDA Choice (small to moderately marbled)
USDA Select (slightly marbled)
And “No Roll” which means the beef is inspected, but the producer didn’t pay to have it graded.
There are other grades like standard, utility and canner, but those aren’t really sold in meat cases or restaurants in most cases
Now, it’s important to note, within each grade, there are technically hundreds of marbling scores. For example, a Prime grade of beef can be scored as Moderately Abundant 50. Or a Choice Carcass might be scored as small 20.
These grades are determined by a human USDA inspector by looking at only 1 cut in the ribeye for a few seconds as a carcass zooms by on a hanging conveyor. This is important to note for a few reasons:
Just because that carcass was highly marbled in that one cut, doesn’t mean the whole cow is highly marbled. While a Prime Grade on a price of steak makes it more likely you’ll get a good peice of meat, it doesn’t gaurantee it.
Also, it means that choice beef is a huge range of quality. A Choice steak that is scored at small 10 is technically Choice, but it’s bascially just upper select. Where as a moderate 90 is basically indistinguishable from a Prime Cut
Beef Packers and Marketing Companies have also registered other beef programs with the USDA that specify marbling scores and genetics. The one you’re likely most familiar with is “Certified Angus Beef”. CAB programs specify a cow have a certain percentage of black hide (to gaurantee its Angus genetics), it has to be of a younger age (31 months or less I think), which should make it more tender, and also have a marbling score in the upper 2/3 of the Choice Scoring (Modest 0 or higher)
The reason I’m saying all this is because I often see people claim things like “Prime is great and everything else is shite”. The truth is that Prime grade is an indicator of quality, but visually inspecting a ribeye and looking at its marbling, color, etc, are equally as important, if not more important to how it’s going to eat.
The second myth I see on here is people saying “XYZ supermarket has great beef, but ABC supermarket only sells shite”
The truth is 70-80 percent of all beef sold in supermarkets and butcher shops comes from four beef packers (Cargill [Excel], Tyson, National and JBS Swift). It may be branded as CAB, or Sterling Silver or Nolan Ryan Angus or something of that nature, but it’s being produced by one of these four companies, in one of about 12 or 13 beef plants who all buy cattle from the same exact feedlots. The butcher at Clanandro’s, Rouses, Dorignacs, etc...) tells his manager he needs x amount of y cut of beef. His manager calls ABC distributor and places the order. It’s bought from one of the aforementioned packers.
Now I’m not saying you didn’t get a great steak from your supermarket and a bad one from the other. I’m just saying there isn’t any magic that your supermarket has that the other one doesn’t. They all get beef from that originates in just a few places and NONE of them have any idea what’s in that box until they start slicing primals on the band saw.
TL:DR: Visual inspection is nearly as important as Grade and your supermarket/butcher is getting the same beef that you think is shite at the other supermarket. There are no magic cows that your butcher knows about that the other guy doesn’t.
Flame away
First, let’s talk about beef grades. There are really four general designations that you’re typically dealing with in restaurants and grocery stores/ meat markets
USDA Prime (slightly abundant to abundant marbling)
USDA Choice (small to moderately marbled)
USDA Select (slightly marbled)
And “No Roll” which means the beef is inspected, but the producer didn’t pay to have it graded.
There are other grades like standard, utility and canner, but those aren’t really sold in meat cases or restaurants in most cases
Now, it’s important to note, within each grade, there are technically hundreds of marbling scores. For example, a Prime grade of beef can be scored as Moderately Abundant 50. Or a Choice Carcass might be scored as small 20.
These grades are determined by a human USDA inspector by looking at only 1 cut in the ribeye for a few seconds as a carcass zooms by on a hanging conveyor. This is important to note for a few reasons:
Just because that carcass was highly marbled in that one cut, doesn’t mean the whole cow is highly marbled. While a Prime Grade on a price of steak makes it more likely you’ll get a good peice of meat, it doesn’t gaurantee it.
Also, it means that choice beef is a huge range of quality. A Choice steak that is scored at small 10 is technically Choice, but it’s bascially just upper select. Where as a moderate 90 is basically indistinguishable from a Prime Cut
Beef Packers and Marketing Companies have also registered other beef programs with the USDA that specify marbling scores and genetics. The one you’re likely most familiar with is “Certified Angus Beef”. CAB programs specify a cow have a certain percentage of black hide (to gaurantee its Angus genetics), it has to be of a younger age (31 months or less I think), which should make it more tender, and also have a marbling score in the upper 2/3 of the Choice Scoring (Modest 0 or higher)
The reason I’m saying all this is because I often see people claim things like “Prime is great and everything else is shite”. The truth is that Prime grade is an indicator of quality, but visually inspecting a ribeye and looking at its marbling, color, etc, are equally as important, if not more important to how it’s going to eat.
The second myth I see on here is people saying “XYZ supermarket has great beef, but ABC supermarket only sells shite”
The truth is 70-80 percent of all beef sold in supermarkets and butcher shops comes from four beef packers (Cargill [Excel], Tyson, National and JBS Swift). It may be branded as CAB, or Sterling Silver or Nolan Ryan Angus or something of that nature, but it’s being produced by one of these four companies, in one of about 12 or 13 beef plants who all buy cattle from the same exact feedlots. The butcher at Clanandro’s, Rouses, Dorignacs, etc...) tells his manager he needs x amount of y cut of beef. His manager calls ABC distributor and places the order. It’s bought from one of the aforementioned packers.
Now I’m not saying you didn’t get a great steak from your supermarket and a bad one from the other. I’m just saying there isn’t any magic that your supermarket has that the other one doesn’t. They all get beef from that originates in just a few places and NONE of them have any idea what’s in that box until they start slicing primals on the band saw.
TL:DR: Visual inspection is nearly as important as Grade and your supermarket/butcher is getting the same beef that you think is shite at the other supermarket. There are no magic cows that your butcher knows about that the other guy doesn’t.
Flame away
This post was edited on 12/31/18 at 3:53 pm
Posted on 12/31/18 at 3:53 pm to dpd901
quote:
Flame away
If I had a good piece of beef and a grill nearby, I’d do just that.
But I’m not reading that wall of text.
Posted on 12/31/18 at 4:01 pm to AbitaFan08
quote:
But I’m not reading that wall of text.
Oh, you know you read it.
Posted on 12/31/18 at 4:15 pm to dpd901
Sorry I called your roast shite. I didn’t mean to upset you. I was just ribbing (select).
Posted on 12/31/18 at 4:20 pm to dpd901
Solid information. Thanks for the effort and insight.
Posted on 12/31/18 at 5:06 pm to dpd901
quote:
There are no magic cows that your butcher knows about that the other guy doesn’t.
What if my butcher is the same person that raised the cows? Are those magic cows?
Posted on 12/31/18 at 5:24 pm to dpd901
Appreciate the effort and time it took to write this. A close friend of mine is a very large cattle rancher and produces a huge amount of beef master cattle. He says Walmart’s beef is handled, treated, and processed differently than the way most wholesale beef is. Is there any truth to that or is he just mad that they have more bargaining power and set their own prices?
Btw I always get crucified for saying buying prime brisket is pointless because you’re cooking it long enough to break down all of the fat and marbling. Am I a dumb arse? I’ve always had a lot of luck with my brisket and never buy anything other than what is on sale.
Btw I always get crucified for saying buying prime brisket is pointless because you’re cooking it long enough to break down all of the fat and marbling. Am I a dumb arse? I’ve always had a lot of luck with my brisket and never buy anything other than what is on sale.
Posted on 12/31/18 at 5:24 pm to dpd901
So CBA is kind of between a higher-end Choice and lower-end Prime?
The scoring info is interesting but, without consumers knowing what the beef they're buying scored, it's not very helpful to us. I wish this were public info.
The scoring info is interesting but, without consumers knowing what the beef they're buying scored, it's not very helpful to us. I wish this were public info.
Posted on 12/31/18 at 5:50 pm to Stexas
quote:
. He says Walmart’s beef is handled, treated, and processed differently than the way most wholesale beef is. Is there any truth to that
Wal-Mart’s Buying power has a lot to do with their pricing. I can’t speak specifically to their processing. I wasn’t familiar with their business. They might be injecting saline into their meat in some cases. The label will tell you a lot if you read it carefully. What does save them money is they buy “case ready” so it’s butchered into cuts at a big facility with mechanization instead of paying butchers in the stores.
As far as Prime Brisket, my personal opinion is the grade is MORE important on cuts like that. I’ve cooked select and no roll briskets and they don’t come out near as good... especially on the flat.
Posted on 12/31/18 at 5:57 pm to mmmmmbeeer
quote:
So CBA is kind of between a higher-end Choice and lower-end Prime?
No. CBA indicates the breed of the cattle. That breed typically has more marbling than others, but it can still frequently grade out at select or choice.
Posted on 12/31/18 at 6:03 pm to tigercross
quote:
No. CBA indicates the breed of the cattle. That breed typically has more marbling than others, but it can still frequently grade out at select or choic
That is incorrect, to be CAB (certified angus beef) one of the requirements is that it has to be Choice or better
Posted on 12/31/18 at 6:03 pm to tigercross
quote:
No. CBA indicates the breed of the cattle. That breed typically has more marbling than others, but it can still frequently grade out at select or choice.
Actually, you’re both right... CBA requires that the cows hide is over 50% black, which guarantees it has Angus genetics, but it has to grade in the upper 2/3rd of Choice marbling scores.
An Agus cow can be select grade, but to be “Certified Angus Beef” it has to be on the upper end of the choice grading scale.
If it’s branded as CAB, it’s usually a pretty good peoce of beef. But again, what it looks like visually is important as well
Posted on 12/31/18 at 6:07 pm to dpd901
This is great information. Thank you for taking the time to provide this information.
Posted on 12/31/18 at 6:35 pm to dpd901
Top 10 FDB post ever. I've been saying this.
Posted on 12/31/18 at 6:38 pm to CHEDBALLZ
I don't think Wal Mart injects its beef. They do however fill there packages with some gas that keeps it red.
Posted on 12/31/18 at 6:49 pm to dpd901
Great post - very informative. I appreciate your sharing your knowledge. Of course you know there are folks here who already know all there is to know about any food subject.
Wish I could give more than one upvote. At least I cancelled out your one downvote (why I don't know). Did you spend much time in Abilene, Texas during your beef career? I forget who is there.
Wish I could give more than one upvote. At least I cancelled out your one downvote (why I don't know). Did you spend much time in Abilene, Texas during your beef career? I forget who is there.
Posted on 12/31/18 at 7:02 pm to MeridianDog
My pleasure. The only one that really drives me nuts is the “this supermarket’s beef is superior to this supermarket’s beef” one.
Posted on 12/31/18 at 7:06 pm to MeridianDog
quote:
Did you spend much time in Abilene, Texas during your beef career? I forget who is there.
No. My company had a facility in the panhandle. Honestly, Texas Beef isn’t as good as the Midwest and even Canadian Beef. The long horn strain in the genetics just isn’t as tender as other regions where it’s less prevelant. Most of my customers specified beef from our Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado and Canadian plants
Posted on 12/31/18 at 7:22 pm to dpd901
Is this an appropriate place to mention that I still mourn the loss of Ready Portion on Choctaw?
Posted on 12/31/18 at 7:26 pm to dpd901
Duh. I meant Amarillo. Not sure why I wrote Abilene, or why I can't hold a train of thought for that matter. I spent time in Amarillo - more than in Abilene.
This post was edited on 12/31/18 at 7:27 pm
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