Beef grading can seem like an afterthought. After all, when we’re at a reputable restaurant, all we need is the server’s assurance that it’s “fresh”, “high-quality” or “premium”, to feel at ease knowing our stomach is in good hands. But what exactly do these terms mean, if they do mean anything at all? And how do we determine that the beef is as remarkable as one touts it to be?
In this article, we take a closer look at some established beef grading systems, particularly the ones in the United States, Australia and Japan, and widely adopted by the rest of the world. Learn how various factors tie into their quality, impacting their overall grading, and ultimately influence their status.
Let’s get right into the thick of it.
USA
American beef is graded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Their system assesses beef quality based on two factors, ‘quality’ — being tenderness, juiciness, and flavour; and ‘yield’ — the amount of usable lean meat on the carcass.
There are a total of eight tiers to the beef grading system, but only the top three depict the most superior quality. Represented as grade shields, these are the USDA Prime, USDA Choice and USDA Select grades. Many restaurants, hotels and steakhouses serve Prime beef, while Choice beef is commonly utilised for casual dining.
USDA Prime beef is distinguished from other grades by its abundant marbling (intramuscular fat) and is made from young, well-fed cattle, ensuring elevated tenderness and flavour. After Select, beef of Standard and Commercial grades are often sold ungraded or store-branded; and the lowest three grades, Utility, Cutter and Canner are mostly used for ground or processed meat products.
Australia
Australia uses the Meat Standards Australia (MSA) grading system for evaluating the quality of beef. Developed by Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA), the MSA is recognised by the USDA, which offers a Process Verified Program (PVP) for MSA-licensed beef producers to display the USDA shield on their products. In Australia, the MSA symbol acts as a seal of quality.
MSA takes into account several attributes such as marbling, fat coverage, maturity, and carcass weight for the determination of beef grade. Notably, its marbling scale spans 100, for no intramuscular fat, to 1,190, for extreme amounts of intramuscular fat. The older AUS-MEAT standard is less detailed, and instead measures marbling on a scale from 1 to 9, with 9 indicating the highest amount of marbling.
Three primary levels of beef quality can be used to reference beef cuts, with the topmost as five star (supreme), followed by four star (premium) and three star (MSA graded), although these different levels are not universally well-known.
Japan
Translating to ‘Japanese cow’, wagyu is a collective term used to describe specific breeds of cattle originating from Japan. It is among the most renowned types of beef in the world. Like USDA, the Japanese beef grading system tabulates wagyu scores based on quality and yield. The Japanese Meat Grading Association (JMGA) oversees the grading of wagyu beef.
Quality grading in the Japanese system is nuanced. It involves distinctive factors, including meat and fat colour, shape and size of the ribeye, firmness and more. This starts from 1 at the lowest and 5 at the highest. Meanwhile, yield grading assigns letters A, B and C to indicate the overall yield of usable lean meat from the carcass, with A representing the highest yield and B and C representing lower yields.
That said, the most premium grade of wagyu would be A5 wagyu. A5 wagyu is often derived from domestic cattle such as Japanese Brown (Akage Washu), Japanese Black (Kuroge Washu), Japanese Shorthorn (Nihon Tankaku Washu), and Japanese Polled (Mukaku Washu). These breeds are famed for their exceptional marbling and complex flavours, resulting in extraordinary quality.
Setting Standards for Quality of Beef
Conclusion
In summary, various beef grading systems are crucial frameworks adopted across the world for assessing the quality and characteristics of beef. Whether it’s the USDA grading system in the US, the MSA standards in Australia, or the wagyu grading scales in Japan, these guidelines offer a comprehensive evaluation of factors that set the standard for quality, enabling the best tastes and textures in beef consumption.
In establishments that offer more exquisite dining experiences, beef grading systems are undeniably important, serving as linchpins for top-notch offerings. This applies to us at Hanjip Korean Grill House — an authentic Korean restaurant in Singapore that doles out sophisticated platters of Japanese and Australian wagyu, plus USDA prime beef for the intimate, communal affair of Korean barbecue.
Indulge in the finest meats at Hanjip Korean Grill House. Experience for yourself what rich, succulent and mouth-watering beef tastes like. Reserve a spot, or book a private dining room for a superlative meal with us today.
