• USDA Choice beef offers a balance of tenderness and affordability and is ideal for everyday meals. • Prime cuts shine with simple, high-heat cooking methods like grilling or pan-searing.

But not all Prime is equally Prime, and the disparity is even starker for Choice, the national standard for beef lovers without deep pockets. In fact, due to quirks in the grading system, shoppers ...

“Today’s feedlot cattle are about 11% Prime beef, 72% are Choice, and 13% are Select, so most of the beef that is being fed and going to harvest will fall into the Choice grade,” Riley said.

Choice and prime beef production in the United States have doubled from a combined 40% 20 years ago to more than 80%, and Texas A&M University professor and AgriLife Extension ...

Choice and prime beef production in the United States have doubled from a combined 40% 20 years ago to more than 80%, and Texas A&M University professor and AgriLife Extension ...

USDA Choice is like a dependable friend who never lets me down. It's more widely available than USDA Prime and offers a fantastic balance of tenderness, flavor, marbling, and affordability. While it ...

Prime beef is still a hallmark of steakhouses, but it will be pricier, which is why more restaurants are offering choice beef. Plus people may be purchasing prime beef at places like Costco or Sam ...

Big Daddy’s. 1 Park Lane, Massapequa. Long Island’s longest-running Louisiana-style eatery adds a barbecued note to prime rib night with a Wednesday special straight from the smoke pit.

This story originally appeared in the February 2018 issue with the headline “Don’t Have a Cow Over Pricey Prime Beef.” Texas meat markets once filled their smokers with the beef nobody ...