SELECTION

Steak, Roasts and Other Beef Cuts

• Recognize Great Tasting Beef
• Check the Grade
• Look for Marbling
• Check Exterior Fat
• Watch for Connective Tissue
• Colour Varies
• Ask About Aging

Your Guide to Purchasing Ground Beef

Steaks, Roasts and Other Beef Cuts

Recognize Great Tasting Beef

Canadian beef is among the best in the world. Raised on Canada's vast grasslands and grain-finished, it provides the leanness desired by Canadian consumers, while still delivering the wonderful taste we all enjoy.

In addition to the care taken to produce the best, government inspectors and qualified graders ensure that Canadians are offered not only the best quality, but also a safe and wholesome product.

But eating satisfaction depends a lot on you - making the best possible selection at the store and understanding the best method for cooking each cut of beef. We all want tender, tasty beef every time, and knowing what to look for will help achieve that goal.

Check the Grade

Grading refers to eating quality. Canada's top grades are AAA, AA and A. These three "A" grades account for over 70% of the beef produced in Canada. Look for these grades in your retail flyers and at the meat counter. They're your assurance that you are buying the best. Some retailers may offer one quality grade only, such as AAA, while others may offer a combination. Be sure to ask.

Most Canadian beef is graded, but ungraded beef (mainly imported) is also available. Most ungraded beef is inspected for safety and wholesomeness, but its eating quality will be variable. In Ontario it is mandatory to identify, both at the meat counter and in any advertising, the grade of beef offered for sale.

Look for marbling

Small Marbling   Slight Marbling   Trace Marbling

The difference between the three "A" grades - AAA, AA and A, relates to the amount of marbling, or fine white streaks of fat running throughout the lean meat. AAA is the most marbled and has the best overall eating quality. Marbling contributes to tenderness, taste, and juiciness, therefore resulting in a more consistent product. Worried about extra fat in the AAA grade? Don't be. In fact, the average fat content of 100 g cooked, trimmed beef, based on Health Canada data, is 8.2 g. A cooked, trimmed 100 g portion of AAA grade beef contains 8.6 g fat, a difference of only 0.4 g or 4 calories.

Check Exterior Fat

This is the fat on the outside of the cut of meat; it should be firm and white. It can be left on during cooking to protect the meat and add flavour, then trimmed away before eating. Most retailers leave only 1/4" fat or less on most cuts of beef.

Watch for Connective Tissue

Connective tissue or gristle differs from marbling; it is not evenly distributed throughout the meat and the heavier strands are like translucent ribbons. It doesn't dissolve easily when cooked and is hard to chew. Moist heat is required to tenderize or soften this gristle.

Colour Varies

When beef is first cut, it is dark reddish purple in colour, but within minutes its surface quickly turns to a bright red in the presence of oxygen. However, if the oxygen can't get through the packaging material, the meat can remain dark. For the same reason, it is natural for the inside of a package of ground beef to be dark while the outside is bright red. If beef has been well aged, it can also be slightly darker in colour. Variations in colour can be due to many factors including the type of packaging, and therefore are not important indicators of quality.

Many consumers mistakenly believe that fresh beef can be dyed to give it a bright red colour. Rest assured, government regulations prohibit the use of any colouring, additives or preservatives in fresh beef.

Ask about Aging

Beef, like fine wine, improves with age. The term aging simply means the length of time beef cuts are stored under controlled conditions of temperature and humidity before they are packaged for the meat counter. Aging allows naturally occurring enzymes within the meat to slowly break down some of the connective tissues that contribute to toughness.

Beef aging significantly INCREASES TENDERNESS. Aging times vary considerably from 3 - 21 days. For the best eating quality, look for beef aged at least 10 - 14 days. Check with your butcher on his aging policy.

NOTE: Beef cannot be safely aged in a home refrigerator

Your Guide to Purchasing Ground Beef

You may be surprised to learn that ground beef is the most popular form of meat eaten in Canada. Whether served as a hamburger, in a pasta sauce, taco or casserole, its not only delicious, but also quick and easy to prepare, economical and nutritious. Here are the answers to some commonly asked questions about selecting ground beef.

Q. What is the fat content of the different forms of ground beef?

A. Federal government labeling regulations require that ground beef be labelled as:

The fat percentages are regulated by law and government inspectors regularly check retail samples to ensure the meat is labelled correctly.

Q. How does the fat content of ground pork, chicken and turkey compare?

A. If labelled "lean," whether its ground chicken or ground beef, the fat content cannot exceed 17%. At the present time, ground pork, chicken and turkey do not have to be labelled as to type (i.e., lean, medium, etc.), therefore, their fat content is unknown. If they are labelled "lean," for example, they must not contain more than 17% fat - the same as for ground beef. Look for the terms lean, medium, etc. on all ground meats and poultry.

Q. What is the fat content of the different forms of ground beef, when cooked?

A. Although regular ground beef contains more fat than medium, lean and extra lean, when cooked and drained of excess fat, the fat contents are not significantly different. (See chart below.)

Q. Why is meat on the outside of the package sometimes bright red, while the inside is darker purple in colour?

A. It is natural for the beef in the centre of a package of ground beef to be a darker colour than the meat on the outside. The difference in colour is due to oxidation. The ground beef on the surface has been exposed to oxygen in the air, so it stays red; the interior is a darker, purple colour due to lack of oxygen. When exposed to air, the darker colour will turn red.

Q. Is it illegal to add any colouring, additives or preservatives to fresh beef?

A. Government regulations prohibit the use of colouring, additives or preservatives in fresh beef.

Q. How many servings should I get from a pound of ground beef?

A. One pound (500 grams) of ground beef provides four, 3 oz (90 gram), cooked servings.

Q. Some ground beef packages have a "best before" date. How do these packages differ from the regular store packages?

A. Some newer types of packaging allow for longer storage times and contain a "best before" date similar to other packaged products, for example, fresh pasta.

Q. Are some forms of ground beef better for certain types of dishes?

A. Depending on what dish you are preparing, making the right ground beef choice can help save you money and still keep your recipes low in fat.

Following are suggested uses for ground beef:

Extra Lean/Lean:
Use in recipes such as cabbage rolls and meat loaf, in which the ground beef is not precooked and drained of fat before other ingredients are added.

Medium:
Use in recipes such as hamburgers and meatballs, in which the ground beef is not cooked before other ingredients are added but in which the fat can be drained off during cooking or drips out on the barbecue, grill or broiler pan.

Regular:
Use in recipes such as spaghetti sauce and tacos, in which the ground beef is cooked and the fat is drained off before other ingredients are added.