Beef is a nutritious and delicious meat that forms a regular part of many people’s diets. When purchasing beef at the grocery store or butcher shop, you may notice labels indicating the beef is “Choice” grade. But what exactly does Choice grade mean and how does it compare to other common beef grades like Prime or Select?
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll take a close look at Choice beef, how it’s graded by the USDA, what its characteristics are, when to choose it, how to cook it best, and how it compares to Prime or Select grades
How Beef Is Graded by the USDA
In the United States, most beef is graded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) into quality grades and yield grades. This voluntary grading system aims to provide a consistent language for buying, selling, and trading beef based on certain standards and indicators of quality.
The main USDA quality grades for beef are Prime, Choice, Select, Standard, Commercial, Utility, Cutter, and Canner Of these, Prime, Choice, and Select are the top grades most commonly found at retail The USDA grades beef quality based on the amount of intramuscular fat or “marbling” present between the muscle fibers. More marbling means a higher rating.
Yield grade estimates the amount of lean boneless meat from a carcass The USDA assigns yield grades from 1 to 5, with 1 being the highest percentage of usable meat
What Makes Beef “Choice” Grade?
To earn the Choice designation, beef must exhibit a modest to moderate amount of marbling. Choice roasts and steaks also come from younger beef cattle, typically slaughtered between 12-24 months old. The moderate marbling means Choice beef contains less fat than Prime, but more than Select. Compared to Prime, Choice beef may have slightly less tenderness and flavor due to lower fat content. However, it still makes an excellent everyday eating beef widely available at an affordable price.
Approximately 50-60% of graded beef falls under the Choice grade, making it the most common quality grade. Its reasonable price point and satisfying flavor and texture has made it a popular retail and foodservice standard.
Characteristics of Choice Beef
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Modest to moderate marbling – veins of fat interspersed between the muscle fibers
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Typically from younger cattle aged 12-24 months
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Less marbled than Prime, more than Select
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Very uniform in quality and tenderness
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Tender, juicy, and flavorful
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Well-suited for dry heat cooking like grilling or broiling
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An excellent everyday eating beef
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More affordable than Prime, pricier than Select
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Comprises over 50% of all graded US beef
When to Choose Choice Beef
The Choice grade hits the sweet spot for many shoppers, bringing satisfying flavor and texture at a fair price point. It’s my personal go-to beef for dishes like these:
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Weeknight dinners – steaks, meatloaf, meatballs
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Heartier braised dishes and stews – pot roast, beef bourguignon
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Everyday roasts – eye of round, chuck, rump roast
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Ground beef for burgers, tacos, chili and so on
If steak is not the star of the dish, like in a stew, I’m very comfortable choosing Choice over a pricier Prime cut. For special occasions like grilling steaks for a dinner party, I may splurge for Prime. But for everyday cooking, Choice brings premium quality beef well within budget.
Tips for Cooking Choice Beef
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Grill, broil, pan sear or roast Choice steaks and roasts using high heat to brown the outside and keep the inside moist and tender. Cook to medium rare or medium.
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Braise tougher Choice cuts like chuck roast or brisket with some liquid until fall-apart tender.
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Marinate Choice steaks and kabobs in a flavorful marinade for boosted moisture and flavor.
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Slow cook Choice roasts and stew meat in moist heat for hours until super tender.
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Season Choice beef simply with salt, pepper and fresh herbs to let the natural flavor shine through.
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Add moisture when cooking with dry methods by basting Choice cuts with butter or oil.
How Choice Beef Compares to Other Grades
Prime – The highest USDA grade, assigned to approximately 3-5% of graded beef. Abundant marbling makes it exceptionally tender, juicy and flavorful. Ideal for occasions when you want to impress.
Choice – The everyday premium grade with moderate marbling. Retains excellent tenderness and flavor at a fair price. My go-to quality grade for all-purpose cooking.
Select – Leaner grade with less marbling than Choice. Still fairly tender but may lack some juice and flavor. Cook with moist heat or marinades. Good budget option.
Ungraded – Quality beef that bypasses USDA grading. Can rival Choice or Prime with proper breeding, feeding and care. Get to know your supplier.
Is Choice Beef Right for You?
For top everyday quality beef at a reasonable price, Choice truly lives up to its name. With moderate marbling, tender texture, and classic beefy flavor, the Choice grade consistently delivers delicious and satisfying meals. Its availability and affordability also makes it easy to incorporate into all kinds of everyday cooking. If you’re looking for a premium grade beef that won’t break the bank, Choice is likely just the right fit for your kitchen.
How the USDA Grades Beef Today
Presently, grading by the USDA is voluntary at the packinghouse level, but almost all major producers are grading their cattle using a subjective characteristic assessment process. While only the USDA can use the terms above, graded cattle need not be marketed under the designation given by the USDA. Many of the larger (and smaller) supermarket chains will introduce a trademark name to avoid the “Select” designation. As a rule of thumb, any beef rated high enough to be either USDA Prime or USDA Choice will, in fact, be marketed as such.
At the heart of it, what gives a particular piece of meat the grade is how much marbling it contains. Other factors are involved, such as maturity, firmness, texture, but the main player is the distribution of marbling. The grading process takes place at the slaughterhouse and is overseen by the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Services branch.
Before the carcasses are broken down into primals, a cut is made between the 11th and 12th ribs, which will give the grader the ability to visually inspect the marbling levels. As the grader goes down the line, they use their judgment with or without template aids to stamp the beef carcasses with the corresponding grade using food-grade vegetable dye, which gradually fades. The grading process also involves determining the yield grade, which assesses the amount of usable lean meat on the carcass.
If a particular carcass is graded Prime, every part will be Prime from the most tender to the least tender cut. For commercial reasons, the meatpackers will only segregate certain cuts as Prime (about 30% of the whole) and will combine the rest into lots marked “Choice or higher,” so even though the whole beef is Prime, many cuts don’t travel with the designation.
History of the USDA Beef Grading System
The concept of grading beef quality began in the US in 1916 when the Department of Agriculture was tasked with implementing a system to categorize whole carcass beef quality. The reason for this was to aid large institutions, such as the military, hospitals, railroads, etc. to have uniform standards for purchasing. After a thorough review process that considered feedback from stakeholders, including beef producers, slaughterers, and retailers, the USDA revised standards and started stamping beef carcasses in May 1927.
Initially, grading was free and voluntary, and 12 months later moved to a fee basis. It quickly caught on since grading allowed smaller beef processing plants to compete with the much larger centralized plants.
In WWII, grading became mandatory as a facet of wartime price controls. The original grades of beef were: Prime, Choice, Good, Medium, Common, Cutter, and Canner.
In 1949, the Department of Agriculture formally altered the grade levels; Select became Choice, and Choice became Prime, and Prime kind of floated above the others. Over the years, there has been a bit of blurring of the lines between Choice and Prime and the list of beef grades has been shortened to Prime, Choice, Select, and Standard and Commercial.
Standard and Commercial grades of beef are often sold as store-brand meat. Lower-quality grades, such as Utility, Cutter, and Canner, are mainly used in processed foods and for ground beef.
An interesting sidebar to this is that the term Select replaced Good fairly recently, in 1987, in an attempt to improve the public’s perception of this beef grade. I personally think that was about the time grading standards began to soften.
Beef Grades Explained – Select vs Choice vs Prime Steaks
FAQ
Is Choice beef better than select beef?
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Dorfler’s Meatshttps://dorflersmeats.comGrades of Meat – Dorfler’s MeatsChoice (better) – The next grade after prime is Choice. Much of today’s supermarket meat is USDA Choice. It is the most popular grade overall and often bears a …
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WebstaurantStorehttps://www.webstaurantstore.comBeef Grades Explained – Webstaurant StoreApr 5, 2023 — Choice vs Select Beef The difference between choice and select beef is that choice grade beef has 4-10% fat while select has 2-4% fat, making choice …
Which is better, Choice or angus beef?
As with any beef, the quality varies from animal to animal, but Angus beef is typically the equivalent of USDA choice, or higher. There is beef from Angus cattle that falls below that level, but it doesn’t get marketed as Angus. So, yes, it is a marketing tool, not really a “gimmick”, because there is validity to it.
What level is Choice beef?
Choice beef 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 suited for dry-heat cooking. Many of the less tender cuts can also be cooked with dry heat if not overcooked.
Is Choice as good as Prime?
There is some overlap between good quality choice and prime, but prime will usually have a more consistent outcome.
What is USDA Choice beef?
USDA Choice is the most commonly found grade of beef in grocery stores across America. It is typically a very high quality cut, but may not be as tender or juicy as prime grade beef. Prime grade beef is a step above Choice and has a higher proportion of marbling (intramuscular fat) which makes it more flavorful and tender than Choice.
Is Choice Beef a good quality beef?
Choice is the most common USDA grade of beef in the food industry, making up 50-60% of all beef sold in the United States. It’s high in quality without being ridiculously expensive. However, it doesn’t have as much marbling as prime-grade beef. But honestly, even with less marbling, choice-grade beef is still very tender, juicy, and flavorful.
What is the difference between USDA Choice & Prime BEEF?
Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. USDA Choice and Prime are the two highest grades of beef available in the United States. USDA Choice is the most commonly found grade of beef in grocery stores across America. It is typically a very high quality cut, but may not be as tender or juicy as prime grade beef.
Is Choice beef better than prime?
In terms of nutritional value, Choice actually has an advantage over Prime. Choice beef is leaner, with 10-15% less fat overall compared to Prime. A 6 ounce serving of Choice sirloin has 145 calories and 4 grams of fat, versus 180 calories and 6 grams of fat for Prime. Choice is a healthier option for those watching their fat and calorie intake.
What is the difference between Choice beef and select beef?
Just remember not to overcook them. The primary difference between choice and select beef is that choice has way more marbling. Choice beef has marbling at 4-10% fat, while select beef has marbling only at 2-4% fat. As a result, choice-grade beef is more tender, juicy, flavorful, and, of course, expensive than select-grade beef.
What are choice and Prime BEEF grades?
Here’s what you should know about Choice and Prime beef grades. Prime and Choice are USDA beef grades based on quality, flavor, tenderness and yield, with marbling being a key factor. Both grades constitute high quality beef, but your choice will be determined by the cooking method and your preferred dish.