Look For Quality, Taste When Buying Beef

With the nation’s food focus in Amarillo, Texas, on Oprah vs. the Cattleman, expect a renewed interest in beef.

While beef consumption has actually gone up slightly over the past two years - to an annual 64.4 pounds per person, according to USDA figures - it has remained relatively flat since 1990.

When you decide to indulge, make sure you get the best quality and taste for your money. The USDA has established eight Quality Grades for beef: Prime, Choice, Select, Standard, Commercial, Utility, Cutter and Canner, with Prime being the most desirable and Canner at the end of the list. The grades are based on the age of the animal (the older the cattle, the tougher the meat) and the degree of marbling (the amount and distribution of the intramuscular fat, which provides juiciness and flavor).

Consumers are able to purchase only Prime, Choice and Select, all of which come from young animals. Prime, the fattiest and most expensive of the grades, is usually found only at upscale steak houses and specialty meat markets. Choice and Select, which have moderate to slight amounts of marbling, are the grades most commonly found at the supermarket. Select is the leanest and least expensive.

“In general, cattle today are leaner than those produced in the ‘70s because of consumer demand and advanced feeding and management practices,” said C.J. Valenziano, director of information for the Chicago office of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. She noted retailers are also trimming more fat and that more than 40 percent of the cuts sold today have no external fat when the shopper purchases them.

A few tips when buying beef:

Certain cuts are cheaper to buy at different times of the year because of demand. For instance, right before the Super Bowl, there were major sales on ground beef and deli meat. Chuck roast and roast from the round tend to have the best prices in winter.

Within the categories of Choice and Select there is a great deal of variability, so don’t be surprised if a high quality Select looks like it should be labeled Choice. If there is no quality label on the meat, talk to the store’s butcher.

In general, the more white flecks of fat inside the meat, the more tender the steak. The leanest steaks have word “loin” and “round” in their name.

Choose steaks that are bright cherry red and firm to the touch. The package should be cold with no holes and tears or excess juice. Don’t forget to check the “sell by” date. Try to make meat your last purchase at the supermarket.

Even though it may seem silly, pick up the package and smell it. If there is any foul order, don’t buy it.

Don’t overcook your steaks. According to the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, contrary to popular belief, steaks (unlike ground beef) are best served medium rare with a bright pink inside and an internal temperature of 145 degrees. (The USDA urges, in order to prevent food safety problems, that the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.)