Steak Quality and Aging

Once you’ve decided on your favorite cuts, the next problem is how to get the best quality and the best value. Most of us are at least vaguely familiar with “prime” and “choice”—the two top grades of meat—but there are also “good” and “commercial” and three grades even lower that aren’t usually sold in retail stores. Most of the meat you’ll encounter at the supermarket will be graded “choice,” but unfortunately that is a very large category and can vary significantly in quality. Some retailers distinguish meat as “top choice”—the best quality within the choice grade. All grades above “commercial” must be from steers, which are castrated bulls (commercial grade beef can be taken from cows or bulls), and the meat from the better grades, “prime” and “top choice,” must be well marbled with white fat. You’ll rarely see prime beef, the best grade, at the supermarket; you’ll have to go to a good butcher or a fancy restaurant.