brought a new interest in beef from cattle
raised exclusively on grass, which is leaner
and stronger in flavor (p. 134) than
mainstream beef.
U.S. Beef Quality and Grades Today
Despite the prestige of Prime beef, the
current consensus among meat scientists is
that fat marbling accounts for no more than
a third of the variation in the overall
tenderness, juiciness, and flavor of cooked
beef. The other important factors include
breed, exercise and feed, animal age,
conditions during slaughter, extent of post-
slaughter aging (p. 143), and storage
conditions before sale. Most of these are
impossible for the consumer to evaluate,
though there is a movement toward store
and producer “brands” that may provide
greater information about and consistency
of production. Potentially more flavorful
beef from older animals can be recognized