• The best beef is shiny and bright red, firm to the touch, with a light scent.
• The most tender meat has a network of white fat called marbling. This marbling adds a considerable amount of the rich flavor associated with great tasting beef, especially with steak.
• Look for steaks that are more marbled if you're interested in the best taste for the style of cut you are buying. If you are concerned with reducing your fat intake, look for a cut with less marbling. Just realize that you will be giving up flavor for lower fat content.
• While tastes vary, many agree that beef, especially steak, is best served pink and tender inside, and browned and seared on the outside.

• The location where the cut comes from on the cow has a real effect on its tenderness and flavor.
• The hindquarter provides cuts which are generally more tender. They are usually cooked quickly by grilling, broiling, pan frying, etc.
• Cuts from the forequarter are generally less tender. Use slow-cooking and moist-cooking methods with them.
• To see where all of the different cuts of steak come from,
  click here.

• Meat Products are among the most highly regulated and supervised products in our food supply. USDA inspectors oversee the processing and distribution of all meat products. It is the USDA that grades beef by evaluating it according to uniform standards for tenderness, juiciness, and flavor. The grade is determined by the age and condition of the animal, and the amount of marbling or intramuscular fat.

• Beef has more grade levels than other meat. Of the eight grades, the average consumer only needs to be concerned with three of them: Prime, Choice and Select.

• If you want a very comprehensive treatise on meat, we highly recommend reading "The ALL New All Purpose Joy of Cooking" by Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker and Ethan Becker.

• The best grade of beef is USDA Prime.
• This grade is ear-marked for the finest cuts that conform to the complex grading formula that the USDA applies to the inspection of beef. It comprises less than 2% of all graded beef.
• It has an abundant amount of marbling (the network of fine lines of white fat). This marbling, as well as other factors such as feed quality, and aging, adds to the rich flavor and fine texture of the best cuts.
• Prime beef tends to be found only in restaurants, fine butcher shops, and custom or specialty suppliers of beef.

• USDA Choice is the next best grade of beef.
• Choice can be nearly as good as Prime, especially in the top 2/3 of the grade. Generally, it tends to have a little less marbling (and therefore less complexity to the flavor) and a slightly tougher texture than Prime.
• Choice is usually the highest grade found in grocery store meat departments, although some chains may custom order prime cuts for large purchases.

• USDA Select is the next grade of beef.
• This grade can be nearly as good as Choice grade (in the top 1/3 of the grade). Select has less marbling than Choice, and will have even less complexity to the flavor.
• Select can be somewhat more tough in texture.
• Select can dry out easily when overcooked, especially as steaks.
• It is the most common grade of beef available to, and bought by, most people.

There are other naming designations that are used to describe and define special categories of beef.

• Certified Angus Beef™ is a trademarked brand name of beef that is certified by the USDA to be from Angus cattle. It is reputed to be the best of the best. It is available in some grocery store meat departments, at fine butcher shops, and at custom or specialty suppliers. Be sure to look for, or ask for, the Certified Angus Beef sticker.

• Dry-Aged Beef is beef that is specially aged and has undergone the dry-aging process. It is an all natural method of aging and tenderizing the beef. Dry-aged steaks are touted by custom or specialty suppliers as being the acme of tenderness and flavor. We suggest that you be your own judge to determine if these cuts are right for you. They will be premium priced, but may be worth the investment.

• Meat labeled as Kosher indicates an additional inspection by a specially trained Rabbi. Kosher meats are processed according to rabbinical law, and the term kosher translates to mean correct or proper. A "kosher" stamp certifies cleanliness, not quality.

• The remaining grades of beef such as Standard, Commercial, Utility, Cutter, and Canner, are not usually sold in grocery stores or butcher shops. They are usually reserved for uses that do not require better grades of beef. They come from older cattle, and the name "Canner" sort of explains itself.