Beef With High Marbling

Marbling comes in different shapes and sizes and not all beef marbling indicates greatness.
Beef with high marbling. Marbling intramuscular fat is the intermingling or dispersion of fat within the lean. The beef rib and short loin are among the most marbled sections while the beef round and sirloin tend to have the least. Cattlemen looking for both efficiency and carcass quality can have it all according to a university of georgia uga animal scientist. The lean muscle has a high frequency of thin evenly distributed flecks of fat.
A university of georgia team says beef cows can be efficient and not impact the carcass. Wagyu beef for example can be extremely marbled due to its genetics so much so that it s prized for that marbling. Beef carcass quality grading is based on 1 degree of marbling and 2 degree of maturity. Feed and finishing may also impact marbling with grass finished cattle offering a leaner beefier flavor whereas grain finished beef are much milder.
Although some people disagree about the quality of different types of marbling the following is the generally accepted standard. In addition to the quantity of marbling the distribution and texture of visible fat flecks within the ribeye are also considered during assessment of marbling score. Marble score or grades are a component of the aus meat beef quality grading system and is assessed within the ribeye muscle. And some cattle breeds simply will not produce marbled meat no matter what they are fed how fat they get or how tender their beef is.
Graders evaluate the amount and distribution of marbling in the ribeye muscle at the cut surface after the carcass has been ribbed between the 12th and 13th ribs.