As a beef lover, you’ve probably seen terms like “USDA Prime” and “USDA Choice” while perusing the meat section at your local grocery store or looking at a restaurant menu. But what do these grades actually mean when it comes to taste, quality, and price?
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll demystify USDA Prime beef so you can better understand when and why you may want to splurge on this top-tier steak.
A Quick Primer on USDA Beef Grading
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides voluntary quality grading of beef as a service to producers and consumers. These quality grades evaluate characteristics like marbling maturity, firmness, texture and color to predict palatability and eating satisfaction.
The USDA assigns eight different quality grades for beef
- Prime
- Choice
- Select
- Standard
- Commercial
- Utility
- Cutter
- Canner
The top three grades—Prime, Choice, and Select—are typically what you’ll see at retail locations. Prime is the cream of the crop, awarded to approximately 2% of all graded beef.
These grades provide a common language for the industry and give consumers confidence that they’re buying a quality product. When you see the USDA grade shield, you can trust you’re getting beef held to strict standards for taste and tenderness.
What Makes Beef USDA Prime?
So what sets Prime apart and earns its elite status? Two words: abundant marbling.
Marbling refers to the white specks and streaks of intramuscular fat distributed throughout the lean meat. It’s what gives Prime beef its renowned depth of flavor and juicy texture. This extensive marbling means Prime beef is well-suited for dry heat cooking methods like grilling, broiling, and roasting.
To qualify for the Prime distinction, beef must:
- Have a maturity classification of A (9 to 30 months of age)
- Exhibit generous marbling that is fine in texture and bright white in color
- Show a slightly reddish pink lean color
- Be moderately firm and velvety smooth to the touch
In other words, Prime beef comes from younger cattle and has the highest fat content you can get. This exceptional marbling melts during cooking, basting the beef in its own juices and creating a tender, exceptionally flavorful steak.
When to Splurge on USDA Prime
With its steep price tag, USDA Prime is considered a special occasion splurge for most. Opt for Prime when you want to indulge in the absolute best—celebrating an anniversary or birthday, hosting a dinner party, or impressing a hot date. Prime is the grade that will literally melt in your mouth.
You’ll most often find Prime served at upscale steakhouses, finer restaurants, and luxury hotels. If you see Prime on the menu, you can expect to pay a premium price for the quality.
Order Prime cuts like ribeye, porterhouse, T-bone, and filet mignon to experience superior tenderness and intensely beefy, savory flavor. A little bit goes a long way when cooking Prime beef.
Handling and Cooking Your Prime Cuts
When you invest in USDA Prime beef, you want to be sure to handle it with care and cook it correctly to get the most out of every morsel. Follow these tips:
- Store Prime beef loosely wrapped in the coldest part of your fridge at 35-39°F.
- Let Prime steak rest at room temp for 30-60 minutes before cooking. The marrow needs time to soften for ultimate tenderness.
- Season Prime simply with just salt and pepper to let the robust flavors shine. A compound butter on top is also divine.
- Cook Prime cuts like ribeye and strip steak via quick, high heat methods – grilling or pan searing.
- Allow Prime steaks to rest after cooking for at least 5 minutes before slicing to retain juices.
- Cook Prime roasts, short ribs and other cuts low and slow – braising, stewing or sous vide. The marbling keeps it tender.
- Take care not to overcook Prime beef! Cook to no more than medium rare to medium to prevent drying out.
By paying attention to storage, preparation and cooking, you’ll be rewarded with steakhouse caliber results at home.
USDA Choice – Solid Quality and Value
Not ready to drop major cash on Prime? USDA Choice offers excellent quality and value at a more wallet-friendly price point. It’s labeled on beef from cattle under 42 months of age that displays good marbling.
Choice makes up the majority of graded beef in the U.S. – around 70%. It’s widely available at supermarkets and restaurants. You’ll get great taste and satisfaction at a lower cost.
Choice works well for everyday meals like burgers, meatloaf, pot roast, and steaks. The moderate marbling provides great flavor and moisture when cooked properly. Go for Choice when steak is not the star of the plate.
The Takeaway – Understand Your Options
Hopefully this breakdown has helped illuminate the difference between USDA Prime and Choice beef. Prime represents the gold standard – perfect for special occasions when you want to indulge in the utmost quality. Choice offers fantastic value for everyday cooking.
Understanding these grades allows you to be an informed shopper. You can better calibrate when to splurge on Prime vs when Choice fits the bill. Use this intel to get the best tasting steaks and roasts for your budget.
The USDA grading system takes the guesswork out of buying beef. When you see the Prime or Choice shield, you can trust that what you’re getting aligns with your expectations for flavor, juiciness and tenderness. Happy meat shopping!
The Highest Quality Meat
Less than 2% of all beef produced in the United States will earn the top prime designation. Depending on where you shop, your grocery may not carry the top prime designation. Rather, it tends to be purchased by high-end restaurants and hotels. Increasingly higher-end stores are selling prime meats, at a price to go with the designation.
Due to their superior quality, prime cuts of beef are best prepared using dry-heat cooking methods such as roasting and grilling.
What is the Best Grade of Meat?
The best grade of meat defined by the USDA is prime. Only 2% of all meat graded by the USDA makes it to this superior category. Prime has the highest amount of marbling. Marbling is a positive attribute that shows a higher level of flavor will be present in the cut of meat. It refers to the white flecks of intramuscular fat.
Beef Grades Explained – Select vs Choice vs Prime Steaks
FAQ
What does USDA Prime beef mean?
Read Time: 2.5 minutes. Mar 16, 2020. USDA prime steak is the highest grade that a meat can be ranked by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). This superior grade of steak is known for being juicy, flavorful, and tender. It has the highest level of marbling and generally is only from younger cattle.
Which is better, USDA Prime or Angus?
While USDA Prime is excellent, it lacks Certified Angus Beef’s additional specifications. Certified Angus Beef’s higher marbling and fine texture set it apart, even from Prime.
Is USDA Prime beef worth it?
One of the biggest advantages of USDA Prime meat is that it simply tastes better than other grades of beef. The marbling in Prime beef helps to enhance the flavor, making each bite juicy and delicious. Marbling refers to the streaks of fat in the beef.
Is USDA Prime better than Wagyu?
Prime Grade is the highest beef grading given to beef in the U.S. by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). USDA Prime beef doesn’t offer the same level of marbling that both Japanese A5 and American Wagyu do. That marbling is what separates Wagyu and USDA Prime beef and what makes Wagyu so delicious.
How can I tell if a piece of beef is USDA Prime?
You’ll notice that the common element for grading beef is the degree to which it’s marbled (marbling or intra-muscular fat is the dispersion of fat through lean muscle – or the little white speckles you can see in raw steak). The USDA values marbling so highly because they believe it makes the steak ‘juicier’ and ‘tastier’.
What are the benefits of eating USDA Prime beef?
Prime roasts and steaks are excellent for dry-heat cooking such as broiling, roasting or grilling. 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.
What is the difference between USDA Choice and Prime beef?
Prime beef is produced from young, well-fed beef cattle. It has abundant marbling (the amount of fat interspersed with lean meat), and is generally sold in restaurants and hotels. Prime roasts and steaks are excellent for dry-heat cooking such as broiling, roasting or grilling. Choice beef is high quality, but has less marbling than Prime.
Where can I find USDA Prime beef?
USDA prime beef is the USDA’s certification of a premium (and pricey) piece of beef. There are a number of other grades, but in restaurants and butcher you’re likely to come across the following three key grades: Prime Grade: This is the beef you’re mostly likely to come across in your restaurants.