US Meat Grades

gmac

Folks
Im headed to the US next week for work as usual but what’s not usual is that I’m driving this time. So I’m taking a cooler with me and I’m gonna try to stop and find some good brisket on the way home. 

Can you remind me the order of quality?  Prime vs Choice vs Select or whatever it is. Our brisket that I can get here seems so much poorer than you folks in the US can get. 

I’m not gonna be in a great spot but I will be driving from Detroit to Huxley IA. Anything along that route that would help. 
Thanks. 

DoubleEgger

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/production-and-inspection/inspection-and-grading-of-meat-and-poultry-what-are-the-differences_/inspection-and-grading-differences/!ut/p/a1/jZFRT4MwEMc_DY9di8yF-UZIzIYOXBYd42Xp4FpIoCVtkcxPb8EHnRm69qV39_tf2__hDKc4E_S94tRUUtB6iLPFkWzJwl2GJEqW7iNZx2_b5CkMib-7t8DhDyD2btRPrID8p49uuOBObcINx1lLTYkqwSROORhEhe5BaZwyKQukKQNzRozmBukSwNhCq2TR5YMVFi6sVLcwhjj9Po8lrmhRCY4kQw1QM-Za2dVGnVFfDgkFyJSAiooxUCBy0MfJLj8gvMfZ5ReJa_c69nbzVRR7JJn_Bq7M4AuYNtm6yGt5Ggd-CMTJ861dCoZHqFmnbLo0ptUPDnFI3_czLiWvYZbLxiHXJKXUBqeXJG6b1_TjOViR6qXZ-zr4BEpuht4!/#4a

DoubleEgger

Leave it up to the Feds to have a hyperlink like that.... Geez 

scdaf

You have them in order, best to worst.  Find a Costco and get a guest pass.

palmer2613

I'll second the costco suggestion.  Just stay away from their choice, which will only be flats (and twice the cost) of the prime, which will be whole packers. Granted you will have a bunch of fat to trim, but you will still end up cheaper than the choice flat.

OshawaDave

Here's a link that I have book marked that may help you.

https://www.certifiedangusbeef.com/

pab

I didn't think Costco had guest passes. At least they didn't when I joined 5 years ago, but it very well could have changed. I know Sams Club used to have them. 

HeavyG

pab said:

I didn't think Costco had guest passes. At least they didn't when I joined 5 years ago, but it very well could have changed. I know Sams Club used to have them. 

Somebody wanting to make just a one time trip to Costco should go ahead and get a membership, buy whatever you want, think about whether you really might ever go back again, if not just cancel your membership - Costco gives a 100% money back refund on club memberships.

gmac

Thanks everyone. Greatly appreciated. I will try the guest thing. But if that doesn’t work at least I will know the grades if I stop somewhere else. 

FarmingPhD

Huxley Iowa, headed to Kreg tool? 

GlennM

gmac said:

Thanks everyone. Greatly appreciated. I will try the guest thing. But if that doesn’t work at least I will know the grades if I stop somewhere else. 

Are you not a Costco member in Canada?  The membership is good in the US if you are.

gmac

FarmingPhD said:

Huxley Iowa, headed to Kreg tool? 

No. Monsanto research farm. 

gmac

GlennM said:

gmac said:

Thanks everyone. Greatly appreciated. I will try the guest thing. But if that doesn’t work at least I will know the grades if I stop somewhere else. 

Are you not a Costco member in Canada?  The membership is good in the US if you are.

Wife had one but it expired and I never have. 

In in the end I didn’t have time to shop for meat. It was a quicker trip than I expected. 

HoustonEgger

jamesj

One thing to keep in mind it there is overlap with the grades so it is possible to get a choice cut that has more marbling then prime.  So just look and see which has more fat.  

saluki2007

gmac said:

GlennM said:

gmac said:

Thanks everyone. Greatly appreciated. I will try the guest thing. But if that doesn’t work at least I will know the grades if I stop somewhere else. 

Are you not a Costco member in Canada?  The membership is good in the US if you are.

Wife had one but it expired and I never have. 

In in the end I didn’t have time to shop for meat. It was a quicker trip than I expected. 

If you get your hands on a Costco gift card you can go in without a membership to spend it plus more.

caliking

I would have recommended picking up some "Iowa cut" pork chops while in Iowa, otherwise known as small roasts in other parts of the world. 

Hy-Vee would have likely been worth it (they sell La Quercia meats). 20mins from Huxley, per the Googles.

Fareway had a decent meat counter back in the day, with folks who actually knew what they were doing manning it. 30mins or so from Huxley.

Of course, folks actually in Iowa may have better recs for you. We lived in Iowa City almost 10yrs ago. 

I know this is late info, but maybe you'll be back there some day.  

GregW

There is also another unofficial term when it comes to beef. Sysco offers something called upper 2/3 choice. It's a lot better than the run of the mill choice found in the typical grocery store such a Publix. One of the secrets of grocery store choice beef is, as in the case of Publix,  it's generally on the bottom end of the choice grade.

If you can order upper 2/3 choice it's much better quality, approaching prime in many cases.