Grading Beef British Style
Prime, choice, select, standard, commercial, utility, cutter, canner...all ways we label our beef today and guess what country we have to thank for that? I’m Susan Allen host of Open Range, after the break I’ll explain. The USDA grading system of beef, basically a method to discern meat’s fat content began as a result of the British palate. In the 1880’s over 90 percent of US beef ended up on English china and the titled gentry demanded their beef be high in fat, something that disgusted the typical affluent American consumer of that era. . British capitol yoked with Yankee ingenuity had built a euro-American cattle dynasty , England’s desires prevailed and ranchers initiated a process that has continued to this day of feeding out cattle by fattening them on corn to create coveted marbling. Little did they know that by doing that they also created a lucrative grain market that would not only dictate beef pricing but forever change agricultural practices and food distribution patterns. Probably out of sheer necessity, wealthy American consumer in the late 1800’s began to accept, even demand, British style beef heavy with fat, thus the USDA system of stamping quality based on the finish or fat in beef was born. The cattle industry’s partnership with the British flourished until WWII when the majority of our best cuts were exported to England or consumed only by America’s elite. After the war the incredible advances in production agriculture meant that the average American could afford nice cuts of beef as well freeing the beef industry from European dependency. I’m Susan Allen