Before diving into Beef Marbling Score, let’s figure out what marbling actually is. Marbling is the white streaks and flecks of fat within the meat, which forms a beautiful marble pattern, hence the name. It is the primary factor that determines the quality of the beef in terms of tenderness, juiciness and flavor.
Another name of marbling is “intramuscular fat” while intermuscular fat is the fat surrounding the meat that we usually trim off. When marbling begins to melt, it coats the muscle fibers and creates a juicy, flavorful beef with rich buttery texture. In other words, beef with a richer marbling has a better quality, in most cases.\
Beef comes from all over the world, and every country has it's own grading system. We import beef mainly from Australia and the US. So it can be quite confusing to compare beef products from different countries. Now lets explore what the different grading systems are.
Another name of marbling is “intramuscular fat” while intermuscular fat is the fat surrounding the meat that we usually trim off. When marbling begins to melt, it coats the muscle fibers and creates a juicy, flavorful beef with rich buttery texture. In other words, beef with a richer marbling has a better quality, in most cases.\
Beef comes from all over the world, and every country has it's own grading system. We import beef mainly from Australia and the US. So it can be quite confusing to compare beef products from different countries. Now lets explore what the different grading systems are.
- United States – USDA Beef Grading System
USDA Prime—It only accounts for 2% of the total production of U.S. beef. It is the most tender, flavorful, and juiciest beef with the richest marbling. The Prime steaks are approximately equal to BMS 4-5.
USDA Choice—The degree of marbling is slightly lower than that of USDA Prime. But its tenderness and flavor are still good with a lower price. Opt for the premium cuts such as ribeye which would be delicious as well.
USDA Select—The beef in this grade is typically leaner and tougher. Marinating before cooking could maximize the tenderness and flavor. Also, slow cooking methods like braising and stewing help increase the tenderness too.
Angus Beef-“Angus” is the name of the breed of cattle, which does not exactly mean the beef has a high quality. However, Angus beef has a better marbling when compared to most cattle, and thus they usually taste juicier and more flavorful. - Australian Beef Grading System - AUS-MEAT Grading System
Australian beef tastes subtly different from American beef. This is because Australian beef is mainly grass-fed and pasture-raised, so they are much leaner and have a special flavor like game meat.
The AUS-MEAT is an older standard which mainly focuses on marbling. This system scales from M0 to M9 in increments of 1. The number also indicates the level of marbling.
What about grading Australian Wagyu?
The Australian Wagyu Beef is under the same grading system as other Australian beef, which is graded from M0 to M9 as well. However, since the actual marbling amount of Australian Wagyu Beef is richer than the grading system could cover, the Australian Wagyu sellers extended the grades by themselves. M10, M11 and M12 are then created.