Beef is one of the most popular meats around the world. From juicy burgers to tender steaks, beef offers great flavor and nutrition. But with so many different types of beef available, it can be confusing trying to figure out what is truly the “best” beef.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll examine all the factors that make beef great including cattle breeds, beef cuts, USDA grading, aging, and more. Read on to learn how to identify and choose the highest quality beef.
Most Popular Cattle Breeds for Beef
The breed of cattle plays a big role in the overall quality and eating experience of the beef Here are some of the most common cattle breeds raised for beef
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Angus – Angus beef comes from Black Angus or Red Angus cattle It is extremely popular and known for its generous marbling that makes the meat flavorful, tender, and juicy It typically grades USDA Prime or Choice.
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Hereford – Hereford cattle are hardy animals that produce beef with less marbling than Angus. The meat is often cheaper in price and grades USDA Select or lower
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Wagyu – Originating in Japan, Wagyu cattle produce remarkably tender and well-marbled beef. In the U.S., American Wagyu beef is more common, which is a Wagyu-Angus cross.
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Piedmontese – This breed from Italy produces lean, protein-packed beef. However, the leanness can also cause the meat to be tough if not cooked properly.
Best Beef Cuts for Steaks and Roasts
The cut of beef also greatly impacts the eating experience. Here are some of the most coveted cuts:
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Ribeye – This juicy, well-marbled steak comes from the rib section and is cherished for its rich, beefy flavor.
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Tenderloin – Taken from the loin, the tenderloin is the most tender cut of beef. Filet mignon comes from the tenderloin.
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Strip Steak – Also from the loin, the strip steak offers a nice balance of tenderness and rich flavor from marbling.
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T-bone – This cut contains both the strip steak and tenderloin separated by the iconic T-shaped bone.
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Tri-tip – From the bottom sirloin, tri-tip is lean yet flavorful. It’s great for grilling or roasting.
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Brisket – Brisket needs to be cooked low and slow but can be incredibly tender and juicy. It’s a great budget cut.
USDA Beef Grading System
The USDA grades beef primarily on marbling and maturity. The main grades are:
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Prime – About 2% of beef is Prime grade, the highest given by the USDA. It has excellent marbling for tenderness and flavor.
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Choice – Choice beef has less marbling than Prime but is still high quality. Most beef found in stores is Choice.
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Select – Select has minor marbling and is fairly tender but less juicy than Prime or Choice.
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Lower Grades – Grades like Standard and Commercial are very lean with moderate tenderness. They are best suited for cooking methods like braising.
Generally, beef with more marbling will be more tender and flavorful. Prime and Choice are considered the most desirable grades for steaks and roasts.
Wagyu Beef Grading
True Japanese Wagyu like Kobe beef adheres to a different grading scale, with A5 being the top grade:
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A5 Wagyu – The highest grade, with extensive marbling. Extremely tender, juicy, and richly flavored.
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A1-A4 Wagyu – Successively less marbling than A5 but still highly marbled compared to conventional beef.
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Below A Wagyu – Lower quality Wagyu grades with little marbling that are not exported.
Authentic Japanese Wagyu will display its Wagyu grade. American Wagyu is not graded this way.
Dry-Aged vs Wet-Aged Beef
The aging process also impacts the flavor and tenderness:
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Dry-aged – Beef is aged 30-60 days in climate controlled conditions, concentrating the flavors. The beef has an intense, complex flavor.
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Wet-aged – Beef is vacuum sealed and aged for days to weeks. This helps tenderize the meat but doesn’t concentrate flavors like dry-aging. Most store-bought beef is wet-aged.
Dry-aged steak has a funkier, more pronounced flavor profile and costs more than wet-aged.
Other Factors Affecting Quality
A few other things impact the eating quality of beef:
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Diet – Grass-fed beef tends to be leaner and healthier. Grain-finished beef has more marbling.
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Age – Younger cattle generally produce more tender beef than older cattle.
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Gender – Beef from steers and heifers is similar. Cows are only used after their breeding years.
Best Beef for Grilling vs. Roasting
Certain cuts and grades work better for different cooking methods:
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For grilling, ribeyes, strip steaks, and tri-tip excel at withstanding high heat while staying tender. Well-marbled Prime or Choice beef is best.
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For roasting, brisket and other tougher cuts shine when cooked low and slow to break down connective tissues. Select grades are great budget roasting cuts.
Finding the Best Beef for You
With all these factors to consider, the “best” beef comes down to your budget, cooking method, and personal tastes. Seek well-marbled Prime or Choice grades for grilling steaks or other quick cooking. Understand how to maximize flavor and tenderness in lower cost Select roasts through slow roasting or braising. With the right knowledge, you can find high quality beef tailored to your needs.
The key is looking for beef breeds known for flavor and tenderness like Angus. Choose coveted cuts like ribeye and tenderloin for steaks, or brisket and chuck roast for roasting. Check for marbling and fat content. And know how aging and USDA grading impact the eating experience. Use this guide to identify great beef for an amazing meal.
What Color Should Beef Be?
There are three colors you’ll encounter when shopping for beef—
- Purplish/Burgundy
- Bright Cherry Red
- Brown
The color of beef you see on the shelf gives you some information about its freshness. Meat that hasn’t been exposed to oxygen retains its original color—a purplish/burgundy color. This color is due to the pigment myoglobin.
When cattle is butchered and its meat exposed to the open air, the myoglobin present in the meat reacts with oxygen and forms oxymyoglobin. This turns the meat a bright cherry red color. This is the color that most people associate with fresh meat.
Over a few days, the oxymyoglobin in the beef reacts to the light and turns into metmyoglobin, which appears brownish-red in color. Though a brownish color indicates that the beef was not prepared yesterday, it doesn’t indicate that the meat has spoiled.
Vacuum-sealed beef packaged directly after slaughter will appear purplish/burgundy. Butchers and grocery stores might use special packaging that allows some oxygen exposure, so the meat turns a bright red, which consumers find desirable.
Beef that’s exposed to oxygen will begin to shift from cherry-red to brown. Remember—this doesn’t mean the beef has gone bad. The processes for producing dry and wet-aged beef cause the meat to turn brown. Colour is not an indicator of spoiled meat.The smell is a much better indicator.
What Does Bad Beef Smell Like?
You should always smell meat before cooking it and only keep raw beef in a fridge for three to five days. You’ll want to be sure it’s good to cook before slapping it on the grill. Bad beef starts to smell sour and acrid when it’s no longer good to use. Spoiled beef also contains aromas of ammonia.
If you smell foul meat at the grocery store or butcher shop, it might be time to find a new place to buy your meat products. However, there are other ways to tell if your beef is rotten.
Check the texture of your beef—it shouldn’t be slimy or sticky. It also shouldn’t appear too dry or juiceless. While dry beef doesnt necessarily mean that it’s spoiled, it will affect the flavor and texture when cooked.
However, if your beef has a slimy surface and is sticky to the touch, the bacteria have already won. This meat is not safe to eat.
Beef Grades Explained – Select vs Choice vs Prime Steaks
FAQ
What is the highest quality beef?
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What is the tastiest breed of beef?
The best tasting beef will always come from a first cross (F1) between a Bos Taurus breed( as pictured ) and a Bos Indicus breed like Brahman, Beefmaster, Bonsmara etc. My personal favourite is Brahman x Hereford.
What beef is best to eat?
“What people consider the quote-on-quote best steaks are the middle meats,” says Flannery. “Those are steaks from the midsection of the animal, between the rib and the rump.” These cuts—ribeye, New York strip loin, and filet mignon—can certainly be dubbed the best, and few will disagree.
Which is the best tasting beef?
- Wagyu/Kobe Beef is the best tasting beef.
- The taste in this beef is due to marbling effect and the presence of high levels of linoleic acid which is about 30% than other breed brands, in fact it is highest in any food item known to man.
- Thanks