USDA Prime beef is considered the highest quality of beef available. It is renowned for its abundant marbling, tenderness, juiciness and flavor that make it a cut above the rest. As the top tier of beef graded by the USDA, real prime beef can be difficult to find outside of high-end steakhouses and specialty butchers. This guide will explain what exactly USDA Prime beef is, where to buy it, what cuts to look for, and tips for cooking the perfect prime steak at home.
What is USDA Prime Beef?
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) grades beef based on quality and marbling. There are eight total USDA grades, but most beef sold falls under the top three tiers
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USDA Prime – The highest grade representing the top 2-3% of all beef. Abundant marbling provides exceptional tenderness, juiciness and flavor.
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USDA Choice – High quality with slightly less marbling than Prime. Makes up the majority of restaurant steaks.
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USDA Select – Uniform in quality but has less marbling Works well for roasts and braising
Prime beef truly stands in a class of its own due to its extensive marbling – the white webbing of fat within the red meat. As prime beef cooks, this marbling melts to ensure maximum tenderness and moisture. No enhancement or aging can replicate the naturally superior flavor and texture of real prime beef.
Where to Buy USDA Prime Beef
True prime steak is a rare find in most local grocery stores. Here are some of the best places to buy authentic, high quality USDA Prime beef:
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Online specialty butchers – Companies like Allen Brothers, 44 Farms, and others provide premium cuts of prime beef shipped direct to your door. This offers the widest selection of prime steaks and roasts.
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High-end steakhouses – Some upscale steakhouses sell USDA Prime steaks to cook at home. Call ahead to specialty restaurants in your area.
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Local butcher shops – The best local butchers often carry a small selection of prime cuts along with other high-end meats. Check gourmet grocery stores too.
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Membership warehouses – Occasionally warehouse clubs like Costco and Sam’s Club get special shipments of Prime grade beef. Snap it up quick when you see it!
Online mail-order offers the simplest way to get USDA Prime beef reliably. Reputable vendors quickly ship your order packed in dry ice to arrive fresh.
Best Cuts of USDA Prime Beef
Certain prime cuts stand out for their signature flavors and textures. Here are some of the most popular USDA Prime steaks and roasts:
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Ribeye – The prime rib roast cut into steaks. Renowned for tenderness and rich flavor from heavy marbling.
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Filet mignon – The tenderloin cut into petite steaks. Extremely tender with a milder flavor.
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New York strip – A leaner steak with a thick band of fat on one edge. Also called Kansas City or strip steak.
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Tenderloin roast – A Whole tenderloin cooked as a roast makes an elegant main course for holidays.
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Porterhouse/T-bone – This large steak has both filet and New York strip separated by a T-shaped bone.
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Top sirloin – A flavorful and affordable prime cut from the hip. Works well for kabobs or roasting.
For the ultimate steak night, a thick prime ribeye is hard to top. The perfect balance of tenderness, juiciness and rich flavor at the peak of beef quality.
Cooking the Perfect USDA Prime Steak
Preparing prime steak at home can seem intimidating. Follow these tips for cooking the perfect restaurant-quality prime steak:
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Let steaks sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking.
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Pat steaks completely dry with paper towels right before seasoning.
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Generously season with just salt and pepper or a simple steak rub.
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Preheat your oven or grill as hot as possible, at least 400°F.
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Quickly sear both sides over high heat until a nice crust forms.
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Finish in the oven or indirect grill heat until it reaches your desired doneness.
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Allow to rest 5 minutes before slicing across the grain to serve.
The extremely high quality of prime beef means simple preparations really let the natural flavor shine through. Avoid complicated marinades or toppings that will distract from the amazing tenderness and juiciness only found in real USDA Prime steaks.
Is USDA Prime Worth the Price?
There’s no denying that prime beef commands a higher price. Choice graded steaks cost 25-50% less for an excellent, though not equal, eating experience. However, for the beef connoisseur or special occasion, USDA Prime is worth splurging on. The unmatched texture and taste creates a steakhouse meal at home. When buying prime, stick with the high-demand cuts like ribeye where the extra marbling really transforms the end result. For everyday meals, choice beef makes an affordable yet still delicious option.
Finding authentic USDA Prime beef may take an extra effort, but your first succulent bite will reinforce why it remains the pinnacle of all beef grades. With this guide to shopping for prime steaks and cooking them to perfection at home, you’ll be enjoying this top-tier dining experience in no time. Let us know if you have any other questions about purchasing or preparing amazing prime cuts for your next special meal!
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Our perishable beef products are shipped vacuum sealed and frozen over dry ice inside an insulated cooler. We utilize FedEx 1-2 day shipping to ensure our goods arrive in a timely manner. Orders consisting of only nonperishables are shipped via USPS priority mail.
If the meat is frozen, partially frozen, or it arrives thawed and cool to the touch, it remains safe to eat. If the meat is thawed and you are unsure if it is safe or cool to the touch, please give us a call at (254) 605-6444 to discuss further. We will always make sure that you receive product that is safe to eat and enjoyable.
If your product is thawed but still cool to the touch, the product is safe to eat within 7 days or may be refrozen. If your product is not cool to the touch, please give us a call at (254) 605-6444.
Our delivery date feature will open a calendar and allow you to pick your delivery date. Our standard shipping days are Monday through Friday. Due to shipping circumstances beyond our control, packages may occasionally arrive one day prior or one day after the selected delivery date. Please call for more detailed information about any specific timelines you would like us to work with.
Orders can be expedited with a surcharge for certain scenarios; please call (254) 605-6444 for more information.
Certain dates highlighted in red on our delivery date selection feature will incur a fee due to the expedited shipping service required to successfully deliver an order on that selected date. For example, if you want to have an order delivered on a Tuesday, it will have to ship with One Day expedited service on Monday in order to arrive the following day. If you wish to avoid this fee but need your order by a certain date, we suggest ordering a week ahead to receive your product before the date required.
Yes. For information about corporate gifts or custom gift packages, please see Corporate Gifts or call (254) 605-6444.
In Texas, grocery items like beef are exempt from collecting sales tax. However, 44 Farms Steaks collects applicable sales tax on taxable items like apparel, coolers, notebooks, etc.
Accuracy is very important to us. We guarantee you will receive the product you ordered. If a product is out of stock, we will notify you in a timely manner and give you an opportunity to make a substitution.
Given the perishable nature of 44 Farms beef, we employ the highest standards to ensure your product arrives in wholesome condition. By utilizing an insulated cooler and dry ice, 44 Farms guarantees your product will arrive in wholesome condition. Unfortunately, we cannot accept returns because of the perishable nature of our product. However, if you are ever unsatisfied, please notify us and we will replace your order or issue you a 44 Farms gift card, provided you inform us within 24 hours after receipt of your order. If you are not pleased with your purchase or feel we have failed to live up to our guarantee, give us a call at (254) 605-6444. We will be happy to assist you. 44 Farms reserves the right to investigate all claims that we believe may be fraudulent or unfounded. Under no circumstance will a refund or product replacement represent an admission of any kind by 44 Farms.
It is ideal to thaw beef in the refrigerator where it remains at a safe temperature (40°F or below). Most steaks will thaw in one day while larger items such as brisket or prime rib may take an additional day or more. After thawing, beef can be refrigerated safely for 3 to 5 additional days before cooking. During this time, if you decide not to use the beef, you can safely refreeze it without cooking. Avoid thawing on the counter or in other locations. While quick thawing can be achieved under cold running water, it is ideal to slowly thaw beef in the refrigerator. Do not use warm or hot water to accelerate thaw time.
For best quality, plan to cook our beef within 4 to 12 months. Beef will remain safe when stored constantly at 0°F or below; however, quality degrades with lengthy freezer storage. For ideal quality, the freezer should be set at 0°F or below and beef should remain packaged tightly to keep air from getting in. If beef is frozen without being sealed tightly, freezer burn may occur. The product remains safe to eat, but the areas with freezer burn will be dried out and tasteless and should be trimmed away.
Along with being delicious, beef contains important nutrients that your body needs. The recommended serving size is 4 ounces for raw beef (about the size of a deck of cards), which translates to about 3 ounces of cooked beef. Beef delivers 10 essential nutrients; on average, a 3-ounce serving of cooked beef provides 175 calories and protein (51% DV), B12 (41% DV), zinc (39% DV), selenium (38% DV), niacin (25% DV), B6 (24% DV), phosphorous (20% DV), riboflavin (14% DV), iron (14% DV) and choline (13% DV). DV refers to Daily Value, the amount of nutrient needed for a healthy adult on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Marbling is the white flecks of fat embedded within the beef muscle; it describes the fat content inside the muscle. The greater the amount of marbling in beef, the higher the quality grade, because marbling makes beef more tender, flavorful and juicy. The term “quality grade” is used to describe the level or amount of marbling, along with other factors such as fat thickness, age of the cattle and coloration of the beef. The higher the amount of marbling, the higher the quality grade, the better the eating experience, defined through attributes like juiciness, tenderness, flavor and texture. The three main quality grades that USDA can assign to beef are Prime, Choice and Select. Prime beef is the highest grade and contains an abundant amount of marbling. Choice beef follows closely – it is a very high-quality beef with a moderate amount of marbling. Rounding out the top three main quality grades is Select beef, which is uniform in quality and much leaner, with only a slight amount of marbling. 44 Farms only provides Black Angus Beef that is labeled either Prime or Choice. Each individual package of 44 Farms beef contains either the USDA grade shield for Prime or the USDA grade shield for Choice.
Our franks are made entirely of 44 Farms Angus beef, from the same cattle that we source our well-marbled steaks from. Our franks do not have a casing, nitrates or nitrites.
The smoked prime rib is a fully cooked product, weighing between 4-5 lbs. Each person can generally eat about 1/2 lb each; therefore, the prime rib serves around 8-10 people.
All our steaks are wet aged for a minimum of 28 days.
When comparing wet aging vs. dry aging, contrast how the meat is dehydrated. For dry aging, whole sides of beef or primal cuts are hung in open air at a temperature just above freezing and left to age for several weeks. Enzymes work on the muscle fiber during this process while the meat is slowly dehydrating. This concentrates the meat and changes the texture and flavor. The wet-aging process involves vacuum sealing cuts of beef and shipping directly to the market. The aging takes place between slaughter and sale while the meat is in transit and the enzymes have time to tenderize the meat. The biggest plus is that there is no weight loss in the meat due to dehydration. It is a relatively recent technique that developed along with advances in vacuum seal technology and refrigeration.
Please check our recipes page for easy-to-make meals utilizing 44 Farms beef. With dozens of recipes to choose from, we have an easy option for every palate.
Please call (254) 605-6444 for more information.
With Bob McClaren’s heavy business background, it is no surprise that Black Angus cattle caught his eye since they are bred for optimum quality and marketability. He studied the Angus breed for many years and their superiority was clear to Bob from the beginning. Black Angus cattle are known as the business breed. They are resistant to harsh weather, undemanding, adaptable, behave well by nature, mature extremely early and have a high carcass yield with nicely marbled meat. This carcass yield and marbling has proven true in our steaks business. “There’s a level of quality that’s unlike any other breed.” – Bob
Essentially, “Registered Black Angus” cattle operators are breeders of “Pure Bred Black Angus” as monitored by the American Angus Association. 44 Farms is the largest Registered Angus operation in the state of Texas. We market our Registered Black Angus bulls around the entire U.S., and embryos across the world, in order to help commercial cattle operators improve their cattle herd to efficiently produce more marbling and a better eating experience.
NE3 stands for Never Ever, meaning growth hormones, antibiotics and animal byproducts are NEVER EVER administered or fed.
All 44 Farms’ cattle are harvested at Caviness Beef Packers in Hereford, Texas. At Caviness, the carcass is broken down into primal and sub-primal cuts. From Caviness the sub-primal cuts are sent to a USDA-approved case ready plant where they are individually portioned, packaged and labeled.
At 44 Farms all cattle are pasture raised and grain finished. There are NEVER EVER hormones, growth promotants or animal byproducts administered to them in this feed.
Yes. We are USDA Certified Program Schedule G-112. We have a third party audit us at every stage to ensure we meet these guidelines.
Animals in our beef program are not administered antibiotics. However, if an animal does become ill, our partner feedyards will administer an antibiotic, notch the animal’s ear tag and electronically log the identifier in our animal health system to ensure that the animal is not admitted into the 44 Farms beef program.
What is USDA Prime?
Before you buy prime beef online, its important to understand how each prime grade is designated and what they mean for the steak you are about to purchase. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) grading system grades American beef on three levels:
- USDA Prime: The top grade, from young, well-fed cattle with abundant marbling.
- USDA Choice: Good quality but less marbling, flavor, and texture than prime.
- USDA Select: Lean, requires marinating to enhance flavor.
All beef grades have a place. While USDA Choice and Select options tend to best suit roasts and braised dishes, Prime beef offers such rich marbling and flavor on its own that it can go with any cooking method or meal. Using USDA Prime cuts like filet mignon or a boneless ribeye steak ensures top-notch dishes, highlighting the importance of quality ingredients for culinary excellence.
Beef Grades Explained – Select vs Choice vs Prime Steaks
FAQ
Do grocery stores sell USDA Prime?
Our butchers are beef-proud, and for good reason: Gelson’s is the only grocery chain in Southern California that’s licensed to carry the Certified Angus Beef® Brand of USDA Prime Beef.
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.
Does Costco sell USDA Prime meat?
Costco’s Prime steaks feature a USDA Prime rating, which is the highest rating a cut of meat in America can get. The reason USDA Prime beef is such a desirable cut of meat is because of the marbling featured in the steak.
Is heb prime 1 usda prime?
What is USDA Prime BEEF?
Now serving more USDA Prime: the best of beef. Restaurant-quality steak. Any night of the week. We offer an unmatched selection of USDA Prime beef every day. That means more of the juiciest, most tender and flavorful beef you can buy. Prime is the highest quality beef as classified by the USDA.
What is USDA Prime Steak?
USDA Prime Flank Steak Cut from the underside of beef, this area yields especially flavorful meat that’s best served medium-rare. This cut is very lean so we recommend marinating it for extra moisture. Searing and grilling tips for outstanding USDA Prime beef. Whatever you’re preparing, or preparing for, we can help you make it great.
Does Kansas City Steak Company offer USDA Prime BEEF?
It is with great pride that the Kansas City Steak Company offers you our USDA Prime Private Stock®. Our delicious USDA Prime Beef selections include exquisitely marbled, tender cuts such as Filet Mignon steaks, Top Sirloin steaks, Kansas City Strips and our crowd-pleasing Porterhouse Steaks.
Where can I find USDA prime meat?
Our USDA Prime meat box is the only place you’ll get hard-to-find USDA Prime meat at wholesale prices – hand-butchered and delivered to your door. We agree: anything more than medium rare is a travesty. As an outdoor kitchen connoisseur, you know what great meat is and the best way to cook each cut.
Does Costco sell 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. All prices listed are delivered prices from Costco Business Center.
How many types of USDA prime steak are there?
Over 14 varieties of mouthwatering USDA Prime steak and beef that’ll make any butcher jealous. Pro tip: subscribe and save 13% on every box. You can cancel, pause or change your plan anytime. Our beef is aged a minimum of 28 days, cut to order and flash-frozen just before shipping for maximum freshness. Make room in the freezer.