Intramuscular fat flecks inside a muscle — drives flavor, juiciness, and USDA quality grade.
Marbling is the thin streaks and flecks of fat embedded within the muscle itself — not the outer fat cap. Under USDA grading, marbling drives quality grade: Prime has abundant marbling, Choice has modest, Select is lean.
Marbling melts during cooking and bastes the meat from the inside, which is why high-marbling cuts are tender and flavorful. Grass-finished beef typically has less marbling than grain-finished because of different fat deposition patterns.
USDA Prime
8-11% intramuscular fat — restaurant steakhouse grade
USDA Choice
4-8% — mainstream grocery
USDA Select
2-4% — lean, less tender
Primal Cut
The first major division of a carcass — chuck, rib, loin, round on beef. Every steak and roast is subdivided from a primal.
Dry-Aged Beef
Beef aged on an open rack in a humidity-controlled cooler for 21-45+ days — moisture evaporates, flavor concentrates, enzymes tenderize.
Dressing Percentage
Ratio of hanging (dressed) weight to live weight. Beef typically 60-64%, pork 72-76%, lamb 48-52%.