Tips & Techniques > Grades of Beef

Have you ever been confused by the terms Prime, Select or Triple AAA? Trying to figure out the grades of meat can be confusing, as there are no international standards. There are a number of factors taken into consideration when grading meat, such as marbling, texture, and bone and muscle maturity of the steer.

Here is a list of the grading equivalents from highest to lowest for the United States and Canada. Check with your National Beef Association for grading in your country. In general, the grades differ by the amount of marbling in the meat – Prime being the highest amount of marbling, and U.S. Standard or Canada A being the lowest.

• U.S. Prime / Canada Prime
• U.S. Choice / Canada AAA
• U.S. Select / Canada AA
• U.S. Standard / Canada A

Tip: Lower grades of beef often do not have any grading indicated on the package.