Select cuts of beef meat

Prime, Choice and Select grades of beef are descriptions of a cut’s leanness and palatability and the age of the animal. Select cuts have only a few flakes of white intramuscular fat.

Select cuts are learner than choice cuts. It look less marbled and aren’t as tender or juicy as Choice or Prime cuts. Because Select meat is so lean, it can be easily dried out when overcooked by dry-heat methods.

It has less flavor and juiciness overall than the higher grades. Tender cuts such as steak and roast are best when not cooked beyond medium.

Select cuts have approximately 5% to 20% less fat than Choice and approximately 40% less than Prime. 

Select and Choice grades can be found in supermarket and in less expensive restaurants.

Standards or Commercial grades of beef follow behind Select, Finally, Utility, Cutter, and Canner grades of beef are the lowest grades given by the AMS (USDA Agriculture Marketing Service).
Select cuts of beef meat

Choice cuts grade of beef meat

Prime, choice and select grades of beef are descriptions of a cut’s leanness and palatability and the age of the animal.

The majority of graded beef is graded choice. It’s moderately marbled and is still tender, but the flavor isn’t as great as prime. Grading, which is determined by the US Department of Agriculture, is based on fat content appearance texture, and the age of the animal.

Choice beef, luxury product graded AA or A, comes from cattle that spend from two to seven months in feeder lots eating corn or silage.

Grass feeding produces lean, less choice meat. Corn feeding produces fat which makes juicy tender meat. Choice cuts of beef can contain about one-third less fat than prime cuts.

Choice cuts are considered very good quality but more affordable than prime cuts. This cut is usually from loin, rib or rump.

In term of nutrition, nutrients in meat – protein, thiamin, niacin iron and zinc, among others are the same, regardless of grade.
Choice cuts grade of beef meat

Beef meat grades

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