The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service grades beef in five categories: Prime, Choice, Select, Standard/Commercial, and Utility/Cutter/Canner. Prime, Choice and Select are quality grades, and your family-friendly butchers at Butcher Block Gourmet Store proudly carry USDA Prime and USDA Choice. There is also Certified Black Angus steaks that are from the Prime and Choice grades. But what do these grades mean?

Prime is produced from young, well-fed beef cattle and has beautiful marbling. Choice is of high quality but has less marbling than Prime. Select has satisfactory quality and is leaner than the higher grades. Standard and Commercial grades are often sold as ungraded supermarket-brand meat, and Utility, Cutter, and Canner grades are rarely sold directly to the customer but are used in processed and ground beef products.

Angus is a breed of beef known for its high quality and rich flavour. Angus beef develops marbling better than most cattle and improves flavour, tenderness, keeping the meat moist while cooking. Less than three per cent of all beef produced in the United States gets a Prime grade; Angus guarantees that it’s going to be a superior cut of meat.

Butcher Block also stocks top-quality local beef tenderloin from cows reared on Master Meat Crafter Gregory Burrowes’ family farm; on request, he can source quality local beef tongue and liver. Whatever you purchase in-store, rest assured it’s the best!

For more tips and to purchase your weekend meats, pop by:

Master Meat Crafter Gregory Burrowes

Located at Butcher Block, Upper Manor Park Plaza Shop #A7

Or telephone 876-668-4481