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Marbled meat is meat that contains various amounts of intramuscular fat, giving it an appearance similar to
Marbled meat is meat that contains various amounts of intramuscular fat, giving it an appearance similar to marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock consisting of carbonate minerals (most commonly calcite (CaCO3) or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) that have recrystallized under the influence of heat and pressure. It has a crystalline texture, and is ty ...
. The term is principally applied to red meat
In gastronomy, red meat is commonly red when raw (and a dark color after it is cooked), in contrast to white meat, which is pale in color before (and after) cooking. In culinary terms, only flesh from mammals or fowl (not fish) is classified ...
.Key terms
''Beef quality grades'' - are based on a composite evaluation of the degrees of (1) marbling and (2) maturity. These designations reflect carcass firmness, texture, and color of lean, and the amount and distribution of marbling within the lean. High grades represent high projected levels of tenderness, juiciness, and flavor. ''Marbling'' - is the intermingling or dispersion of intramuscular fat within the lean. Graders evaluate the amount and distribution of marbling in the ribeye muscle at the cut surface after the carcass has been ribbed between the 12th and 13th ribs. Degree of marbling is the primary determination of quality grade. ''Maturity'' - refers to the physiological age of the animal rather than the chronological age. Because the chronological age is virtually never known, physiological maturity is used; the indicators are bone characteristics,ossification
Ossification (also called osteogenesis or bone mineralization) in bone remodeling is the process of laying down new bone material by cells named osteoblasts. It is synonymous with bone tissue formation. There are two processes resulting in t ...
of cartilage
Cartilage is a resilient and smooth type of connective tissue. Semi-transparent and non-porous, it is usually covered by a tough and fibrous membrane called perichondrium. In tetrapods, it covers and protects the ends of long bones at the joints ...
, and the color and texture of ribeye muscle. Cartilage becomes bone, lean color darkens and texture becomes coarser with increasing age. Cartilage and bone maturity receives more emphasis because lean color and texture can be affected by other postmortem factors.
''Beef yield grades'' - estimate the amount of boneless, closely trimmed retail cuts from the high-value parts of the carcass–the round, loin, rib, and chuck. However, they also show differences in the total yield of retail cuts. A YG 1 designation indicates a carcass having the highest percentage of boneless, closely trimmed retail cuts, or higher cutability, while a YG 5 carcass would have the lowest of each.
The USDA Yield Grades are rated numerically from 1 to 5, with 1 denoting the highest yielding carcass and 5 the lowest.
United States grading system
The USDA's grading system, which has been designed to reward marbling, has eight different grades (listed in descending order): * Prime * Choice * Select * Standard * Commercial * Utility * Cutter * Canner. Prime is the premium grade, has the highest marbling content, and fetches the highest prices atrestaurant
A restaurant is an establishment that prepares and serves food and drinks to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on the premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and Delivery (commerce), food delivery services. Restaurants ...
s and supermarket
A supermarket is a self-service Retail#Types of outlets, shop offering a wide variety of food, Drink, beverages and Household goods, household products, organized into sections. Strictly speaking, a supermarket is larger and has a wider selecti ...
s. Choice is most commonly sold in retail outlets, and Select is sold as a cheaper option in many stores.
Prime, Choice, Select and Standard grades commonly come from younger cattle (under 42 months of age); Commercial, Utility, Canner and Cutter are applied to older cattle carcasses which are not marketed as wholesale beef sides or blocks, and are used in ground products and for cheaper steak
A steak is a cut of meat sliced across muscle fibers, sometimes including a bone. It is normally Grilling, grilled or Pan frying, fried, and can be diced or cooked in sauce.
Steaks are most commonly cut from cattle (beefsteak), but can also ...
s in family chain restaurants.
See also
* Artificial marbling * Boston butt – A cut of pork * *List of steak dishes
This is a list of steak dishes. Steak is generally a cut of beef sliced perpendicular to the muscle fibers, or of fish cut perpendicular to the spine. Meat steaks are usually grilled, pan-fried, or broiled, while fish steaks may also be bak ...
References