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American Wagyu Black Grade
Filet Mignon
Starting at $43.00
American Kurobuta
Whole Bone-In Ham
Starting at $179.00
American Wagyu Black Grade
Tomahawk
Starting at $135.00
American Wagyu Gold Grade
Manhattan NY Filet
Starting at $57.00
American Wagyu Gold Grade
Ribeye - 1.5"
Starting at $99.00
American Wagyu Black Grade
Flat Iron
Starting at $79.00
Beef Grading 101
  • Introduction to Beef Grading
  • USDA GRADES
  • BEYOND PRIME: BMS
Introduction to Beef Grading
Introduction to Beef Grading
Introduction to Beef Grading

An understanding of beef grading can help you choose the steak or roast that’s appropriate for your next meal or special occasion. It is a tangible way to determine the quality and eating experience before you actually savor your steak, and choose the best steaks online. Taste tests are not used in the grading process. Instead, USDA inspectors do a visual examination of the quantity and quality of intramuscular fat, commonly known as marbling. This is performed between the twelfth and thirteenth ribs. The score determined by the inspection is then assigned to the entire carcass.

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USDA GRADES
USDA GRADES
USDA GRADES

Beef sold in the U.S. is graded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). There are eight total grades, although the lower five grades are not recommended for use on your grill. The two grades you need to know are Prime and Choice.

Prime is the highest quality conventional beef available in the U.S. According to the USDA, beef that grades at this level is “slightly abundant to abundant marbling and is generally sold in hotels and restaurants.” Age is another grading criteria and USDA Prime beef must come from cattle between 30 and 42 months of age. Historically, only about 3% of the beef sold in this country grades Prime. This percentage is growing and experts predict the numbers will slowly tick upwards to 5% to 6% due to improved cattle raising practices. 

Choice is the next tier down on the USDA scale and accounts for 70% of U.S. beef production. This is generally the grade of beef you’ll find at your local grocery store. The USDA describes Choice as “high quality, but has less marbling than Prime.” The age criteria for Choice is the same as Prime, specifically between 30 and 42 months of age. There is a marbling difference of Choice beef that grades at the top of the scale compared to the carcasses that grade at the lower end. Since such a high percentage of beef grades as Choice, there is a large swing in variation from top to bottom. Whenever possible, we work to use beef from the top one third of Choice for the highest quality possible within the grade and some of the best online steaks available. 

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BEYOND PRIME: BMS
BEYOND PRIME: BMS
BEYOND PRIME: BMS

All Snake River Farms American Wagyu beef grades above Prime. How is that possible if Prime is the highest grade on the USDA scale? Special breeds of cattle like Japanese Wagyu are capable of producing marbling beyond their American counterparts. The Japanese beef industry created a rating system to capture this superior marbling using the Beef Marbling Score (BMS).Learn more about American Wagyu beef and the difference between Wagyu and Kobe beef.

THE JAPANESE BEEF MARBLING SCORE

The USDA grading scale was created to rate conventional cattle raised in the United States. On rare occasions, conventional U.S. beef might exceed USDA Prime marbling, but the system doesn’t measure, or give credit, for any beef that goes beyond this scale. In order to fully capture the marbling found in Snake River Farms American Wagyu beef, we adopted the Japanese Beef Marbling Score.

Using BMS, beef marbling is measured on a scale from 1 to 12, with a 1 being Select beef and a 12 being the highest level of marbling possible.

BMS 2 to 3      USDA Choice

BMS 4 to 5      USDA Prime 

BMS 6 to 8      SRF Black Grade

BMS 9+            SRF Gold Grade

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  1. USDA GRADES
  2. BEYOND PRIME: BMS
  3. BEYOND PRIME: BMS
The 17 Best BBQ Rubs for the Tastiest Barbecue Ever
Featured
The 17 Best BBQ Rubs for the Tastiest Barbecue Ever
The 17 Best BBQ Rubs for the Tastiest Barbecue Ever
Ground pecans are the secret to this spice's rich nuttiness. Use it to generously coat pork shoulders, chops and tenderloins before grilling, roasting or slow-cooking.
Good Housekeeping
Becca Miller
Love this product!
Love this product!
Snake River Farms
Subscriptions
Starts at $225.00
Love this product!

The quality of the meat from Snake River Farms is simply amazing! We have been enjoying the small box of beef and pork each month since Christmas and it just keeps getting better and better.

Melissa D.
King of the Cul-de-sac
King of the Cul-de-sac
American Wagyu
Gold Grade Brisket
Starts at $189.00
King of the Cul-de-sac
This was my first wagyu brisket and it was the best I have ever had. Turned out better than perfect. I am not a Grand Champion yet but I am king of the culdesac. Looking forward to the next one.
Texas
Higher Steaks
Featured
Higher Steaks
Higher Steaks
Don't have access to top-quality butcher shops? Mail order is your best bet. We're fans of the American Wagyu sold by Snake River Farms, which provided the steaks you see here.
Amiel Stanek & Chris Morocco
Bon Appétit Magazine
How to Cook Tomahawk Steak
Featured
How to Cook Tomahawk Steak
How to Cook Tomahawk Steak
A tomahawk steak is every steak lover’s dream. The first time a tomahawk steak was put down in front of me I was filled with a sense of wonder and joy – that first bite was so juicy, meaty, and delicious, it’s like all my dreams came true. For real, it really was that magical.
I am a food blog
The best, period.
The best, period.
American Wagyu
Gold Grade New York
Starts at $80.00
The best, period.
I've ordered theses multiple times and they're amazing. Strongly recommend if you're ordering to serve a group. The consistency of the cuts is exactly what you hope for.
Michael T
Blacklick, OH

Meatology

Beef

beef
Chuck

[ Click on the animal to learn more about our cuts ]

Meatology:
Chuck

The rib primal is the source of premium steaks and roasts including ribeyes, tomahawks and prime rib. It's located at the top part of the animal, specifically the section between the sixth and twelth ribs. The beef from this area is referred to as the "middle meat" due to its central location and is prized by restaurant patrons and retail customers.

The beef from this area has a high level of both intramuscular and kernel fat which results in flavorful and juicy cuts that are naturally tender. Dry heat techniques are best used to prepare rib primal cuts.

  • Top Rib Cuts
  • Top Rib Recipes & How-To’s

Meatology

Pork

pork
HamShankBellyShoulderCollarLoin

[ Click on the animal to learn more about our cuts ]

Meatology:
Collar

The collar is located at the top of the shoulder between the blade and underblade. It is a muscle that starts at the jowl and ends close to the loin. This cut includes part of the  “money muscle” used by competitive barbecue teams. The collar is well marbled and can be cooked low and slow or roasted.

  • Top Pork Cuts
  • Top Pork Recipes & How-To’s

OUR GREATEST GIFT IS TIME

We're family owned and operated. Our independence allows us to use this gift to build long-lasting relationships and perfect our sustainable production methods to deliver premium products to our customers.

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