The taste of the beef is delicious and tender. Let's measure it by Marbling Score. What exactly is Marbling? Let's find out.
Beef is a popular ingredient for people all over the world. Each country has its own breed of cattle, raising methods, and cooking methods to make the beef taste different. For those who love to eat beef, in addition to giving importance to the taste and texture of different parts of the meat, another thing that can indicate the quality of the meat well is the fat in the beef. In official language about beef, fat in beef is not called Fat, but rather Marbling, which comes from the word Marble, because the white fat in red beef looks like marble.
What is marble or marbling? When the beef is sliced, you will see a pattern of the meat that looks like marble. Marbling or fat in the meat can occur from breeding cattle such as Angus, Hereford, Murray Grey, Shorthorn or Wagyu. Another case can occur from feeding various grains such as corn, barley, etc., which will cause the fat in the cattle's muscles to change from yellow to white. Fat from cattle that eat grass is better and of higher quality than fat from cattle that eat grains because the fat grows more slowly and has a different taste.
Marbling is clearly visible to the naked eye as small white lines distributed in the pieces of fat that are embedded in this muscle, making the meat more tender when chewed. It acts as a lubricant during chewing and swallowing, and stimulates the secretion of saliva when chewing, creating a moist feeling in the mouth. In contrast, meat without fat marbling is dry and lacks good flavor.
Standards for measuring the level of marbling in meat
The standard for measuring the level of fat in the meat is called BMS or Beef Marbling Standard. The fat that is in the muscle indicates the grade of the beef. Higher grades will have a greater amount of fat, will be more tender, will have a better texture, and will be more expensive.
The standard measurement is a score called the Beef Marble Score. In Japan, there are 12 levels of Wagyu beef grading standards, from level 1, which means red meat with no fat marbling, to level 12, where the steak has fat distributed evenly and beautifully in the piece of meat. Premium grade meat is A5, or meat with fat marbling level 8 or higher.
In the United States, standards are set by the Department of Agriculture (USDA), which divides beef into three grades:
Prime or the best grade is the meat that consumers accept the most and is very delicious. It is a part that comes from young cows that have been well-raised, resulting in meat of the highest quality. The meat will have fat distributed throughout, making the meat soft, juicy and tasty.
Choice or premium grade is desired by most consumers. The meat is from high quality beef but has less fat than premium grade. Most of the meat produced when graded is in this grade and is often used for roasts and steaks, especially the tenderloin, ribs, hind leg, neck and shoulder, which are often braised and baked.
Select or middle and general grades are meats with little fat and medium quality. Most of the meat is red meat, fairly tender, but the flavor is rather mild and it is not juicy. This grade of meat is desired by consumers who prefer to consume only red meat or meat with little fat.
Grading beef takes into account not only the level of marbling, but also other factors such as the age of the animal, which affects the tenderness and toughness of the meat, the firmness of the flank or the firmness of the surface of the red meat, the color of the meat, and the ratio of muscle, bone, and fat in each part of the carcass, which must be appropriate. Restaurant operators can order the premium quality beef that Makro has selected at:Makro Click>>https://bit.ly/2pJEcPZ
