Why is it so difficult to buy a good
steak in a supermarket?
In
the mid 1970's the cattle associations convinced the USDA to lower the beef grading
standards. Beef that was graded as USDA prime did not exist any more. What was then a
high grade of USDA CHOICE became USDA PRIME and what was USDA GOOD became USDA
CHOICE.
After the change in the grading system
the per capita consumption of beef began a steady decline. The consumers demand for
"lean" and "no cholesterol" forced supermarkets to remove the
fat, the main ingredient that makes a good steak and gives it flavor.
A properly aged piece of lean meat may
be tender, however, a properly aged piece of highly "marbled" USDA
CHOICE or USDA PRIME is now available only in the better restaurants where
you cannot "see" the fat and marbling.
