Grades of Beef: What you Should Know
On March 06, 2025
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When you want to grill a steak, it’s important to know the different grades of beef available to you. This guide covers everything you need to know on the different grades of beef so you can make sure you choose the right one for your needs.
Get to Know the Grades of Beef
The three grades of beef are as follows: Select, Choice, and Prime. This distinction helps indicate both the level of flavor and moisture you can expect from the finished product. This also means that each grade can vary pretty drastically in price. Knowing which grade you want to use for any given occasion or recipe will serve both you, and your wallet, well.
Select
Select grade contains the least amount of fat and marbling and is the most common steak available in grocery stores. It’s the least tender of the three grades, but it’s also the most affordable. That being said, there are lots of delicious ways to prepare Select grade beef. If you’re just starting out, or want something budget friendly to prepare for a weeknight meal, there are several ways to make this grade work for you.
For example, a great way to combat the lack of fat in these leaner cuts is to use a marinade. After cooking, cut them against the grain to enhance tenderness. Click this link for a delicious recipe for pepper steak stir fry, or check out some marinade options here.
Choice
Choice is a solid mid-grade option that is higher-end for most grocery store butchers. It’s pricier than Select due to the higher fat content which results in better flavor and more moisture. This is the grade you want if you’re looking to elevate a steak night with family or friends. The quality of this grade also completely opens up your options to create tons of great meals with nearly any cut.
This perfect ribeye steak with some beef rub, for example. Or this Denver Steak on the grill as another option are just a couple ways you can treat yourself with the choice grade of beef.
Prime
Prime grade is luxury. It has the most fat marbling throughout each cut. This means more flavor and juiciness than the other grades and is the most expensive grade. Prime isn’t commonly available at grocery stores, or even in some butcher shops. This may involve a trip to a specialty store. Prime grade is for special occasions and making memories.
Reverse sear some ribeye to a medium rare for a rich, decadent meal. If it’s within your budget, treat yourself and see how you feel about it.
How Grades of Beef are Chosen
USDA grading is based on a small sample taken from the rib portion of the cow that is then used to grade the entire carcass. No matter what the cut is, it’s all determined based on that one piece. The grading process includes things like analyzing both the marbling of the fat in the sample, as well as the quality of the meat overall. There are three grades that you need to be aware of so let’s go over those next.
Additional Grades of Beef
While these three grades are what the USDA uses to classify beef based on its fat marbling, there are types of beef such as Kobe and Wagyu, which use their own classification. You might also hear the term “commodity beef”, which is still a USDA classification. This is the type of beef used by many fast food restaurants. These are all things to keep in mind when checking the labels of your beef.
Choosing The Right Grade of Beef for Your Needs
With your new knowledge on the different grades of beef, you can feel confident and informed when selecting your meat. Continue to familiarize yourself with the different grades, and how and when you like to use them. When you’re grilling that perfect New York strip, you probably want to go with a higher grade like choice or prime. Save the select grade for when you use beef as an ingredient, like in Guinness pot pie.
Now that you know which steak is best for each purpose, you’ll be grilling steak for every occasion. The good news is, you can find something that works for you in the Hey Grill Hey App as well as your Recipe Library. If you want to learn even more about the different grades of beef, check out this video from my YouTube channel where I blind test a few Taste Test Todd steaks.
