| The Agriculture Department's description of the
top three grades of beef. Prime:
The ultimate in tenderness, juiciness and flavor. It has abundant
marbling - flecks of fat within the lean - that enhances both flavor and
juiciness. Prime roasts and steaks are unexcelled for dry-heat cooking (
roasting and broiling).
Choice:
Less marbling than prime, but is of very high quality. 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 and blade chuck, also can be cooked
with dry heat.
Select:
Very uniform in quality and somewhat leaner than the higher grades. It
is fairly tender, but because it has less marbling, may lack some of the
juiciness and flavor of the higher grades. Only the tender cuts should
be cooked with dry heat. Other cuts should be marinated before cooking
or cooked with moisture to obtain maximum tenderness and flavor. |
