Getting the Grades

I was in my local grocery store looking through the brisket selection when the meat manager asked if I needed help. I asked if they ever carried prime because I'm practicing for a competition. She told me as she shook a brisket at me that “Choice is just fine and if I knew what I was doing I could win with it”. That just isn't the case. Whether you are cooking for a competition or for your friends on weekends, grade matters. Let's get smokin' on what the USDA grades are and what to expect.

Prime-  This gets top marks in my book. Prime comes from young, well-fed beef cattle and boasts more marbling than the lower grades, which translates to better flavor and juiciness.

Choice-  This gets a solid C. Choice has at least a small amount of marbling but  you start to see more fat in clumps around the muscle.

Select-  I have a beef with this grade. It has the least amount of marbling that you will see at a market. For barbecue this gets an F. 

I doubt you’ll find a brisket this low, but there are other grades like standard, commercial, utility, cutter, and canner. For better barbecue, start off with better quality meats. Like my dad used to say, “there’s no replacement for displacement”. If you aren't getting Prime you’ll be doing more trimming and having dryer brisket than you want. Marbling means moisture in barbecue and there is little you can do to change that. 

What about Angus, Kobe, Wagyu!? Angus are breeds, and may be the most popular american breeds of beef cattle. This breed is used as marketing for brands like Certified Angus Beef. This is similar to Kobe/Wagyu. Kobe is really a breed of cattle from Kobe, Japan. Also, Wagyu simply means Japanese Cow. The USDA does not recognise a higher grade than Prime. So what does this mean? Prime is the best grade you can find in America, but you can find better beef through Certified USDA Programs. These programs are strict about breeding practices to ensure the standards are met. 

If you are trying to better your barbecue, start by getting better beef. Using a high grade will give you noticeable improvement in quality in taste and tenderness. I know, I know it’s more expensive but you can start with a smaller weight brisket. All in all, start where you can and make improvements when you can.

Thank you so much for joining me. There is more to come about this and other topics. Feel free to email me at theseasonedsmoker@gmail.com and your question may be featured in my next post! 

To better barbecue,

The Seasoned Smoker