# Certified Angus beef



## Jim (Oct 9, 2015)

What does that really mean? Is it baloney? No way to verify if it anyway.


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## Keystone (Oct 9, 2015)

We buy almost all of our beef on the hoof from a small local guy that raises 6-8 steer at a time. Never ask what breed he has as his beef is so far better than anything I have ever had in a Grocery store it isn't even fair to compare. That includes so called Black Angus beef (like you I often wonder if that is what you are actually buying).


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## Jim (Oct 9, 2015)

That would be cool! More research needed :lol:


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## mirroman (Oct 9, 2015)

I live in a rural area where finding grass fed Angus with no chemicals or hormones, is like finding teeth in a chicken.


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## DocWatson (Oct 9, 2015)

Jim said:


> What does that really mean? Is it baloney? No way to verify if it anyway.



There's a pretty clear explanation here...... https://www.certifiedangusbeef.com/press/kit/Understanding_beef_quality_grades_110612.pdf, but it doesn't give the 10 qualifiers.

But I found them here...... https://www.certifiedangusbeef.com/brand/specs.php

The Certified Angus Beef ® brand has 10 exacting standards that every cut must meet for unrivaled flavor, juiciness and tenderness.

Marbling and Maturity

1. Modest or higher marbling – for the taste that ensures customer satisfaction

2. Medium or fine marbling texture – the white "flecks of flavor" in the beef that ensure consistent flavor and juiciness in every bite

3. Only the youngest classification of product qualifies as "A" maturity – for superior color, texture and tenderness

Consistent Sizing

4. 10- to 16-square-inch ribeye area

5. 1,050-pound hot carcass weight or less

6. Less than 1-inch fat thickness

Quality Appearance and Tenderness

7. Superior muscling (restricts influence of dairy cattle)

8. Practically free of capillary ruptures (ensures the most visually appealing steak)

9. No dark cutters (ensures the most visually appealing steak)

10. No neck hump exceeding 2 inches (safeguards against cattle with more variability in tenderness)

And from here..... According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service, Angus beef must meet the following requirements: 

2.1 Genotype. Cattle eligible for Angus influence beef programs based on genotype must have positive identification (ear tags, tattoos, brands, etc.) and be traceable back to provable (e.g.; registration papers) Angus parentage. Qualifying cattle must be traceable to one registered parent or two registered grandparents. Programs which claim a specified percentage of Angus heritage must use this method. 

2.2 Phenotype. Cattle eligible for certification in Angus influence beef programs based on phenotype (appearance) must be predominately (51 percent) solid black. Blue roan, gray, etc., are not considered to be black or a percentage of black. Such variations can qualify only when it occupies 49 percent, or less, of the body area with the remaining 51 percent, or greater, being solid black. (1) Angus influence cattle may be either horned or polled. Carcasses of certified live animals which display certain non-Angus characteristics (e.g.; dairy conformation, Brahman humps) shall be excluded as specified in the carcass specifications for approved programs. 

(1) At times, a black hair coat can become sun bleached and appear to be a shade of brown, particularly on the back. If the base of the hair close to the skin is black then that entire brown tipped area should be considered solid black. However, if the hair color is brown to the roots, it should be considered as brown in color and the area will not contribute to the 51 percent black requirement. 

"Certified Angus Beef" (CAB) is a special industry designation developed in 1978 that involves standards for marbling, tenderness, age, and color. According to the National Cattleman's Beef Association, only about 8% of U.S. beef is entitled to the label "Certified Angus." Just because something is labeled "Angus" or "Black Angus" doesn't mean it's the same quality as "Certified Angus Beef." Angus beef is further differentiated by USDA grades such as "prime," "choice," and "select," giving us such labels as "Certified Angus Prime," indicating the best Certified Angus Beef. 

That tells us what qualifies as "Angus" but not why we would want Angus beef. A lot of it comes down to genetics--specifically, the genes that control a protein called myostatin. Myostatin inhibits the growth of muscles in cattle. According to David Elstein and Erin Peabody (see reference below), "If the gene responsible for producing myostatin is altered so that it makes an inactive form of the protein, or the gene is intentionally suppressed, the result is more muscle and less fat." Angus and Hereford cattle have more myostatin, so their meat is fattier and more marbled. But fat content and marbling alone don't tell you if the meat is likely to be tender--you have to look at other things, such as how fine the marbling is and how well distributed through the meat, and the toughness of the fat and connective tissue. Here again there is an advantage for Angus beef, as it tends to have finely textured marbling and thus can be more tender than meat from other breeds. 

Marbling of meat figures prominently in USDA beef grading standards, as this excerpt shows: 

Quality Grades:

•Prime grade - is produced from young, well-fed beef cattle. It has abundant marbling and is generally sold in restaurants and hotels. Prime roasts and steaks are excellent for dry-heat cooking (i.e., roasting, broiling, and grilling).
•Choice grade - is high quality, but has less marbling than Prime. Choice roasts and steaks from the loin and rib will be very tender, juicy, and flavorful and are, like Prime, suited to dry-heat cooking. . . .
•Select grade - is very uniform in quality and normally leaner than the higher grades. It is fairly tender, but, because it has less marbling, it may lack some of the juiciness and flavor of the higher grades. . . .
•Standard and Commercial grades frequently are sold as ungraded or as "store brand" meat.
•Utility, Cutter, and Canner grades - are seldom, if ever, sold at retail but are used instead to make ground beef and processed products.
USDA meat grades are illustrated in the following chart. Note that when they refer to "maturity," they are referring to pre-slaughter age, not post-mortem aging. Category A, for example, is typically from cattle that were less than 30 months old when slaughtered.

Hope this is the explanation you were looking for.


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## lckstckn2smknbrls (Oct 9, 2015)

I'll take mine rare.


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## Jim (Oct 10, 2015)

Rare for sure! 

Thanks Doc! My concern is the shady supermarket. How do we really know what they advertise? I guess we go on good faith. Look at this sale starting tomorrow..........


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## KMixson (Oct 10, 2015)

Jim said:


> Rare for sure!
> 
> Thanks Doc! My concern is the shady supermarket. How do we really know what they advertise? I guess we go on good faith. Look at this sale starting tomorrow..........



Yes, I would be leery of buying meat coming from those two headed, three legged, four tailed cows. :lol:


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## Jim (Oct 10, 2015)

KMixson said:


> Jim said:
> 
> 
> > Rare for sure!
> ...


:lol:


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## JMichael (Oct 10, 2015)

I think in most cases, you're getting what is advertised, and I'll admit that I've been happy with the black angus burgers that I've been buying. But a couple of weeks ago I got some from a different store that was so bad that I half suspected that the "Brand" or company name was "Black Angus" rather than the product being from a black angus, if you know what I mean. It was a poor grade of meat for sure so there may be something to your fears Jim.


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## Captain Ahab (Oct 11, 2015)

You think about food way too much

Go fishing


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## Jim (Oct 11, 2015)

Captain Ahab said:


> You think about food way too much
> 
> Go fishing



Yes, all the time. Eating is my favorite hobby!


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## lugoismad (Oct 11, 2015)

That looks like an IGA flyer?

The one around here was busted several times re-dating their meat. I'd be careful about who you buy from.


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## Jim (Oct 11, 2015)

lugoismad said:


> That looks like an IGA flyer?
> 
> The one around here was busted several times re-dating their meat. I'd be careful about who you buy from.



Price Chopper!


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## lckstckn2smknbrls (Oct 12, 2015)

lugoismad said:


> That looks like an IGA flyer?
> 
> The one around here was busted several times re-dating their meat. I'd be careful about who you buy from.


That's called Aged Beef. :wink:


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## jethro (Oct 12, 2015)

Oh I remember Price Chopper when I lived in Western MA! Shady is right.


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## JMichael (Oct 12, 2015)

Wow, I didn't realize Price Chopper was a nation wide chain. We've got them down here in the south also.


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## lswoody (Oct 12, 2015)

I've often wondered too.


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## Jim (Oct 12, 2015)

The Price chopper near my house (literally 1.5 miles away) is open 24 hours. It's great for emergency things in the middle of the night(If you have kids you know what I'm talking about). I have been building a friendship with the Butcher to get his opinions and the old man is pretty cool on recommendations but I still don't trust the meat.


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