Grading Beef British Style

Grading Beef British Style

Susan Allen
Susan Allen

 

Prime, choice, select, standard, commercial, utility, cutter, canner...all ways we label our beef today  and guess what country we have to  thank for that? I’m Susan Allen host of Open Range, after the break I’ll explain. The USDA grading system of beef, basically a method to discern meat’s fat content began as a result of the British  palate. In the 1880’s over  90 percent of US beef ended up on English china  and the titled gentry demanded their beef be high in fat, something that disgusted the typical affluent American consumer of that era. . British capitol yoked with Yankee ingenuity had built a euro-American cattle dynasty ,  England’s desires prevailed and ranchers initiated  a process that has continued to this day of feeding out cattle by fattening them on corn to create coveted marbling. Little did they know that by doing that they also created a lucrative grain market that would not only dictate beef pricing but forever change agricultural practices and food distribution  patterns. Probably out of sheer necessity, wealthy American consumer in the late 1800’s began to accept, even demand, British style beef heavy with fat,  thus the USDA system of stamping quality based on the finish or fat in beef was born. The cattle industry’s partnership  with the British flourished until WWII when the majority of our best cuts were exported to England or consumed only by  America’s elite. After the war the incredible advances in production agriculture  meant that the average American  could afford nice cuts of beef as well freeing the beef industry from European dependency. I’m Susan Allen
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