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Meat Quality Grades
Quality grade names and factors considered for grade determination vary among kinds of meat. Even within the same species grading may differ.
Beef Quality Grades
| Grade | Characteristics | Suggested Use | |
| Prime | Has abundant marbling and is generally sold in restaurants and hotels. | Prime roasts and steaks are excellent for roasting, broiling, and grilling (dry heat methods). | |
| Choice | Has less marbling than Prime grades, but is still high quality. | May be cooked with dry heat. Be careful not to over cook roasts from rump, round, and blade chuck. A meat thermometer can be helpful in cooking to a safe temperature. | |
| Select | Leaner than the higher grades. Fairly tender but may lack some juiciness and flavor of higher grades. | Only the loin, ribs, and sirloin should be cooked with dry heat Other cuts should be marinated before cooking or cooked with moisture. | |
| Standard | Has no marbling. Will lack juiciness and flavor of higher grades. | May be sold as ungraded or "store brand" meat. | |
| Commercial | May have marbling, but comes from a more mature animal and will lack tenderness. | May be sold as ungraded or "store brand" meat. | |
| Utility, Cutter, Canner |
Meat from mature animals which lacks marbling. | Usually only sold as ground beef or processed meat. | |
Veal Quality Grades
There are five grades for veal and meat of calves. Prime, choice, good, standard, and utility. Prime is the most juicy and flavorful. Choice cuts are somewhat less juicy and flavorful than prime cuts. Unlike the meat of mature animals, veal and the meat of calves is lighter in color ranging from grayish pink to light pink. The bones are small, soft, and reddish. Dry heat may be used to cook the most tender veal cuts such as loin roasts, rib roasts, rump roasts, loin chops, rib chops, cutlets, and ground veal. Moist cooking methods should be used for cuts such as shank cross cuts, shoulder roasts, breasts, riblets and round steaks.
Lamb Quality Grades
| Grade | Characteristics | Suggested Use | |
| Prime | Has abundant marbling and is generally very juicy and tender. | Tender cuts such as chops, roasts, shoulder cuts, and leg can be cooked with dry heat. Less tender cuts such as breast, riblets, neck, and shank should be cooked more slowly with moist heat in order to tenderize them. | |
| Choice | Has less marbling than Prime grades, but is still high quality. | Same as prime cuts. | |
| Good, Utility, Cull |
These cuts are seldom sold in retail stores. | ||
Pork
Pork is not given USDA quality grades as the meat is generally more uniform and tender. When buying pork, look for meat that is firm and grayish pink in color and has good marbling.
Poultry Quality Grades
Grade A is the highest quality poultry and usually the only grade found in retail stores. Grade A poultry is free of defects such as bruises and broken bones. Whole birds and parts are fully fleshed and meaty. For birds and parts with the skin on, there are no tears in the skin and a good covering of fat under the skin. Grade B and Grade C are used in processed meat products. If sold in retail stores they are not usually grade identified.
To Learn More
Inspection and Grading - Information about meat inspection and grading from the Food Safety Inspection Service.
