USDA inspectors grade beef into 8 quality grades, but only the top three are available to consumers: Prime, Choice and Select. Beef is graded based on fat content, appearance, texture and age of animal.
Prime cuts are very best. They’re tender, juicy, and full of flavor, partly due to their high degree of marbling. Prime cuts make up less than 2 percent of all graded beef and are the most expensive. More marbling generally means that the meat is more moist and tender than cuts with less marbling.
Most Prime cuts go to high end restaurants, specialty meat markets and some finer butchers.
Choice cuts of beef are the next best. Choice is less tasty than prime. These cuts are readily available from butchers and supermarkets, but quality tends to vary. The best Choice beef cut is the most marbling. Meat of this grade is the biggest seller.
Select cuts of beef are the least expensive and have the least marbling. This is the leanest cut. Very little fat makes Select cuts the healthiest choice but they are also the least tender and are the best prepared with moisture heat cooking methods such as braising.
Good meat is well trimmed with no more than an eighth of an inch of visible fat trim. Trim refers to the fat layer surrounding the cut of meat.
Beef meat grades
