Many people prefer buying beef from the grocery shop or ordering meat at the restaurant without necessarily thinking about where the meat came from. A few people are also aware of the various cattle breeds, the different grading or inspection processes, or the kind of marketing done behind the scenes. That is why when the hot dog makers and fast food chains throw about the word “Black Angus meats,” there’s going to be problems and confusion.
What’s great about Angus meat?
Compared to meat from other cattle, Angus beef develops with excellent marbling. Marbling is the level of the intramuscular fat. Marbling has an effect of enhancing tenderness, flavor, and keeping the meat moist when it’s cooking, especially at high temperatures.
Beef is often graded according to their marbling ability, with the highest marbling degree given to the Prime grade. In most cases, Angus ranks better on the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) scale, but this does not imply that it’s a grade of quality, or that products that are labeled Angus are better compared to other cuts.
Angus of quality
A huge quantity of the Angus meat produced in the U.S. is found under the umbrella of American Angus Association. In an effort to increase the awareness of Angus meat and command a higher price for the products of their members, the organization, in 1978, came up with a Certified Angus Beef brand. As a result of the association’s effort, the word Angus has commanded great power and influence. Using the ultrasound technologies, genetics, and classic breeding registries, those concerned with Certified Angus Beef have tried their best to enhance the breed which bears their logo.
The Certified Angus meat is classified by USDA and often comes in two main grades, that is, the Prime and Choice. Moreover, there are eight other criteria that must be achieved for beef to be regarded as Certified Angus. Revised some years back, these criteria are meant to determine meat quality and also ensure that the cattle used are more than 51% Black Angus (by definition). The buyer’s tip here is that a Certified Angus Beef of the choice grade is a much better quality compared to the average choice beef.
Black Angus v. Angus AAA
For meat to qualify as Certified Angus, it must come from cattle which is certified to have certain genetic qualities, Additionally, Black Angus meats must come from cattle whose bodies have fifty-one percent or more solid black, thus the phrase “Black Angus.” These kinds of cattle are usually considered to be a flavorful breed. That’s why it is imperative to ensure that whatever you are purchasing is really Angus.
The AAA-grade is a different kind of grading where various meat categories are determined by their marbling ability. The Angus AAA (unlike Prime with high amounts of marbling), has small amounts of marbling. However, just like Prime, this category of Angus meat is of a very high quality compared to AA, and A. The AAA-grade provides a juicy and tender taste and is resilient when cooked with different techniques. More than fifty percent of the graded beef attain the AAA status and quality.
You may also need to note that the AAA grading is mostly used in Canada and is an equivalent to the USDA Choice.
Hope you now understand what the hype surrounding Black Angus meat is all about. The next time you walk to the meat counter of your area grocery shop, you will be in a position to determine which meat is best for you.
