Natural Beef
Western Meats Natural Gourmet Beef
…is the highest gourmet beef, it is designed to meet the demands of even the most selective taste. Hand picked and chosen by USDA graders and beef experts to meet premier criterion of marbling and texture characteristics. Western Meats natural gourmet beef is guaranteed to satisfy!
The meat grading program is administered by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Beef quality grades indicate palatability characteristics such as tenderness, juiciness and flavor. There are eight quality grades for beef which reflect the amount of marbling (fat within the lean), firmness, color and texture of the beef, and the maturity of the animal. Here at Western Meats we only carry Prime and Choice cuts of beef. See below for grading.
Quality Grades
Prime Grade is produced from young, well-fed beef cattle. It has abundant marbling and is generally sold in restaurants and hotels. Prime roasts and steaks are excellent for dry-heat cooking (i.e., roasting, broiling, and grilling).
Choice Grade 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, like Prime, suited to dry-heat cooking. Many of the less tender cuts, such as those from the rump, round, and blade chuck, can also be cooked with dry heat, but be careful not to overcook them. Using a meat thermometer takes the guesswork out of cooking and assures a safe internal temperature: 145 °F is medium rare; 160 ° F, medium; and 170 °F, well done.
Grade — Marbling Score
- Prime + — Abundant 00-100
- Prime ° — Moderately Abundant 00-100
- Prime – — Slightly Abundant 00-100
- Choice + — Moderate 00-100
- Choice ° — Modest 00-100
- Choice – — Small 00-100
