Everything You Need To Know About Steak Marbling - Meat N' Bone

Everything You Need To Know About Steak Marbling

· Updated Posted by Meat N' Bone

The marbling on beef is often touted as the be-all and end-all for judging the tenderness of a steak. This couldn't be further from the truth. There are actually several factors which influence the tenderness of a steak and steak marbling is not the only one, nor in fact, even close to being the most important one.

In this article, we're sharing our expert experience to help you understand a few myths surrounding meat marbling and how to guarantee you're getting your money's worth when buying beef for tenderness.

Steak Marbling Does Not Guarantee Tender, High Quality Beef

In a previous article, we explained the way the USDA inspects and grades meat. The top grade is called USDA Prime. It is the highest distinction of quality and has a high degree of marbling (intramuscular fat). The result is a VERY flavorful steak when cooked.

This is why so many famous steakhouses use the word PRIME in their name (that, and a lack of creativity).

USDA Prime Graded Beef Does Not Guarantee Tenderness

In the past, only 2% of all the cattle raised in the US would make this grade.  More recently, that number hovers between 5% and 7%. There is more beef grading Prime (which is great!) but it does not mean all of that Prime beef is just as good, just like not all USDA Choice is equal.

Prime Grade beef is guaranteed to have excellent flavor, but it does NOT guarantee the other most significant factor that defines a great steak: Tenderness. This also helps to explain why not all wagyu is the same.

Tough meat cannot be recognized by the eye when you are buying at the supermarket. Marbling is not a driving indicator of tenderness (marbling accounts for a mere 10% of the variation in tenderness). Breed and sex also have relatively little effect on tenderness (at least when we are looking at Angus, Holstein and Hereford breeds).

This is why paying for things like G1 certification are becoming more and more important to select the best quality of beef.

What Actually Makes Beef Tender?

Now that we have established that marbling or even a beef grade does NOT impact the tenderness of beef, we can delve into what does:

1. Aging

All beef in the US is aged (which is why we have the greatest beef industry in the world alongside Japan and Australia). However, not all beef is aged the same.

Beef is initially "aged" right after slaughter when the carcass is hung and kept at a certain temperature for 7 and up to 14 days. Getting this right makes a difference.

After the beef is broken into primal pieces, those may also be wet aged and most commonly for 7 days. G1 beef is wet aged for 30 days. These extended aging techniques make a difference to the tenderness of the beef, but also add a premium to the price of the steak you get at the counter.

2. Humane Practices: A Peaceful Sleep

According to research in Australia and New Zealand, also backed by research in the US, stress is one of the most important influences on ultimate meat tenderness.

Ideally, animals should be rendered unconscious by electrical stunning immediately prior to slaughter. This way, the animal passes away peacefully and the muscles do not stress. If an animal is stressed, adrenaline is pumped into their muscles which creates beef that's tough, has a high PH and is tasteless.

We work with farmers who follow these ethical slaughtering standards but it also adds a premium to the end price.

3. Age At Slaughter

Younger animals will always be more tender (that is why the cochinillo is so much more tender than a regular pig). As animals get older, the amount of connective tissue (collagen) increases and as that happens, the connective tissue becomes resistant to dissolution when cooking. Consequently, beef from older animals is less tender. 

This is an important point. Older animals will usually have more marbling. Old dairy cows can be slaughtered and graded PRIME. Yet they will be significantly less tender than a steer slaughtered at the right age (they will also taste more acidic).

This is why you can find "Prime" steaks, that are significantly cheaper than other "Prime" steaks. Beef is a commodity. You cannot cheat price.

4. Genetics

Tenderness is heritable. Tender sires have tender calves.

Programs that are known for generating quality tender beef will have a leg up vs programs that do not. That said, even the most tender meat derived from progeny of the most select of sires can be ruined by stress before slaughter. So a "good" farm can go "bad" really quick by changing slaughterhouses or getting acquired. 

Finally, many new studies are showing the pH of the meat is as important as the marbling, so much so that certain programs are graded on only pH rather than marbling. While marbling is the visually appealing characteristic that gets us drooling, there are many other factors that play into how the steak will perform.

You Cannot Cheat Price

In order to compete in pricing, many producers/butchers cut corners to achieve a lower price point. There is nothing wrong with this practice, except when they pretend that they are not.

In order to produce less expensive meat, a producer can work with older cattle, which is often dairy cattle (marbles better, sells for cheaper). The difference in a ribeye will be discernible to the eye, however, it won't be in other cuts such as tenderloin, picanha (coulotte), tri-tip, etc.

This why you can find "USDA Prime" picanha at half the price that top purveyors such as Meat N' Bone sell for. We believe our consumers are OK paying the premium for more tender meat. That is why we pay for beef with G1 certification which, unlike the inspection of the USDA, goes much beyond beef marbling. We also work with smaller producers and programs in both the US and Australia. Smaller programs by default will typically do better at quality control.

All of our beef is held to the highest standards in the industry, and yes it has a premium attached to it. It is not a huge premium, but one we believe our customers value.

Tender beef is better tasting, easier to digest and just nicer to enjoy. There are OTHER factors outside of marbling and tenderness that make a difference such as the acidity of the meat but that is a conversation for another day.

Want To Learn More?

Collagen and it's effect on meat tenderness: A very detailed page, with photos, discussing the role of collagen (mainly) in meat.
http://www.aps.uoguelph.ca/~swatland/ch2_3.htm

Electrical Stimulation: The use of high-voltage electrical stimulation to improve meat tenderness and quality, PDF file at the Meat Science Department of Texas A&M, USA.
http://savell-j.tamu.edu/pdf/es.pdf

 

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About Everything You Need To Know About Steak Marbling

Marbling on beef is often touted as the be-all & end-all for tenderness but this couldn't be further from the truth. Learn more about steak marbling here.

Questions

Is marbling important to tenderness?

Marbling is not a driving indicator of tenderness. Marbling accounts for only 10% of the variation in tenderness. While USDA Prime beef is guaranteed to have excellent flavor due to high marbling, it does NOT guarantee tenderness, which is the other most significant factor that defines a great steak. Tough meat cannot be recognized by the eye when buying at the supermarket. This is why G1 certification and other quality indicators beyond marbling are becoming increasingly important when selecting the best quality beef.

Why can USDA Prime steaks vary so much in price?

You cannot cheat price on beef. Cheaper USDA Prime steaks often come from older dairy cattle, which marble well but are significantly less tender than younger steers slaughtered at the right age. The difference is discernible in cuts like ribeye but less obvious in tenderloin, picanha, or tri-tip. Top purveyors like Meat N' Bone pay for beef with G1 certification and work with smaller producers in the US and Australia to ensure superior quality control and tenderness, which justifies a premium price.

Does USDA Prime grade guarantee the best steak?

USDA Prime grade guarantees excellent flavor due to high marbling, but it does NOT guarantee tenderness. In the past, only 2% of US cattle achieved Prime grade; today it's 5-7%. Not all Prime beef is equal, just as not all USDA Choice is equal. Prime Grade beef is guaranteed to have excellent flavor, but tenderness depends on other factors like aging, humane handling, age at slaughter, and genetics. This is why not all wagyu is the same either.

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What is G1 certification and why does it matter?

G1 certification goes much beyond USDA inspection and marbling assessment. G1 beef is wet aged for 30 days (compared to standard 7-day aging), ensuring superior tenderness. G1 certification evaluates factors like genetics, humane handling, age at slaughter, and pH levels - all critical to tenderness. Unlike USDA grading which focuses on marbling, G1 certification prioritizes the factors that actually determine how tender and flavorful the beef will be.

How does stress before slaughter affect meat quality?

According to research in Australia, New Zealand, and the US, stress is one of the most important influences on meat tenderness. When animals are stressed before slaughter, adrenaline is pumped into their muscles, creating beef that is tough, has high pH, and is tasteless. Ideally, animals should be rendered unconscious by electrical stunning immediately prior to slaughter so they pass away peacefully and muscles do not stress. Meat N' Bone works with farmers who follow these ethical slaughtering standards.

Why is pH important in beef quality?

Many new studies show that pH of the meat is as important as marbling. Some beef programs are now graded on pH only rather than marbling. While marbling is the visually appealing characteristic, pH significantly impacts how the steak will perform during cooking and in terms of tenderness and flavor. Stressed animals produce high-pH meat that is tough and tasteless, while properly handled animals produce optimal pH levels.

What is the difference between wet aging and dry aging?

All beef in the US is initially aged right after slaughter when the carcass is hung at a certain temperature for 7 to 14 days. After the beef is broken into primal pieces, it may also be wet aged, most commonly for 7 days. G1 beef is wet aged for 30 days. These extended aging techniques make a significant difference to the tenderness of beef, but also add a premium to the price. The longer aging period allows enzymes to break down connective tissue, resulting in more tender meat.

Does breed affect beef tenderness?

Breed and sex have relatively little effect on tenderness when looking at common breeds like Angus, Holstein, and Hereford. Tenderness is more significantly influenced by genetics within breeding programs (some programs are known for generating quality tender beef), aging practices, humane handling, and age at slaughter. While genetics matter, they are heritable traits within specific breeding programs rather than breed-wide characteristics.

Why is younger beef more tender than older beef?

Younger animals will always be more tender than older animals. As animals age, the amount of connective tissue (collagen) increases, and this connective tissue becomes resistant to dissolution when cooking. Consequently, beef from older animals is less tender. This is why older dairy cows, even when graded PRIME, will be significantly less tender than a steer slaughtered at the right age. Older animals also tend to taste more acidic.

What makes Meat N' Bone beef different from supermarket beef?

Meat N' Bone sources beef with G1 certification, which goes much beyond USDA inspection and focuses on factors that actually determine tenderness: genetics, humane handling, age at slaughter, and pH levels. The company works with smaller producers and programs in both the US and Australia that prioritize quality control. All beef is held to the highest standards in the industry, with extended aging techniques and ethical slaughtering practices that ensure superior tenderness and flavor compared to commodity supermarket options.