Usda prime beef has the highest marbling score or fat content followed by usda choice.
Usda choice marbling.
About half of all beef is marked usda choice.
It has at least a slight amount of marbling.
Yield grade the amount of fat between the outside of the ribeye and the skin fat that would basically turn to gristle when the steak is cooked.
Containing small to moderate marbling usda choice grade always delivers good beef flavor texture and tenderness.
Select beef is very uniform in quality and normally leaner than the higher grades.
If you know what you are doing you can make this stuff tender.
Otherwise get a higher grade.
View the marbling image for slight jpg.
About 2 to 4 fat.
Noticeable marbling but not a lot.
For the choice grade the minimum degree of marbling required is a minimum small amount for carcasses throughout the range of maturity permitted in the bullock class.
For the select.
Marbling the amount of intramuscular fat in the section of ribeye inspected by the usda.
Our program has been assigned a usda g schedule number g 22 and can be reviewed through usda s ams service record.
This is a good option for backyard cooks.
Just over half of the beef graded each year earns this grade.
It is fairly tender but because it has less marbling it may lack some of the juiciness and flavor of the higher grades.
Marbling is described by one of the following classifiers.
The ribeye muscle may be slightly soft and in carcasses having the maximum maturity for this class the ribeye is moderately light red in color.