Retail Cut Retail Cut Determinants Determinants

Measuring rib eye area Measuring rib eye area and back fat and back fat

Grading Rib Eye Steak Grading Rib Eye Steak

Determining the quality of a steak Determining the quality of a steak can be measured by:can be measured by:

Amount of fat throughout the steak Amount of fat throughout the steak

And And

Size of the Rib Eye Muscle Size of the Rib Eye Muscle

Types of Fat Types of Fat Intramuscular Fat Intramuscular Fat

Known as MarblingKnown as Marbling small streaks of fat that small streaks of fat that

are found within the are found within the muscle muscle

Effects juiciness and flavor Effects juiciness and flavor Has a positive effect on Has a positive effect on

tenderness. tenderness. Meat which has little Meat which has little

marbling may be dry and marbling may be dry and flavorless. flavorless.

Excessive amounts of Excessive amounts of marbling will not marbling will not necessarily increase the necessarily increase the juiciness and flavorjuiciness and flavor

Types of Fat Types of Fat

Intermuscular Intermuscular Known as Seam Fat Known as Seam Fat Found in between Found in between

muscles within the muscles within the carcasscarcass

Usually a thin layer Usually a thin layer that separates that separates musclesmuscles

Types of Fat Types of Fat

Subcutaneous Subcutaneous Known as Back fat Known as Back fat

or External fat or External fat Fat located on the Fat located on the

outside of the outside of the muscle muscle

Under the Under the epidermis (skin)epidermis (skin)

Fat that can be Fat that can be trimmed from retail trimmed from retail cutscuts

Measuring BackFat Measuring BackFat Backfat is measured in Backfat is measured in

tenths of inches tenths of inches It is measured along the It is measured along the

Longissimus dorsiLongissimus dorsi muscle muscle

The rule on the left side The rule on the left side of the grid is used.of the grid is used.

It is placed on top of the It is placed on top of the steak so that the edge steak so that the edge of the rule is adjacent to of the rule is adjacent to the the Longissimus dorsiLongissimus dorsi muscle and measured to muscle and measured to the edge of the fat on the edge of the fat on the outside of the the outside of the muscle. muscle.

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DemonstrationDemonstration

Determining the Size of Rib Determining the Size of Rib Eye Steak Eye Steak

Longissimus dorsiLongissimus dorsi muscle makes up muscle makes up the Rib eye steak the Rib eye steak along with the along with the ComplexusComplexus and and SpinalisSpinalis muscles. muscles.

This muscle spans This muscle spans from ribs six from ribs six through twelve. through twelve.

Measured in square Measured in square inches using the rib inches using the rib eye grideye grid

Measuring Rib Eye Area Measuring Rib Eye Area The Measuring Grid The Measuring Grid

A. Each dot equals an A. Each dot equals an inch inch

B. Dots within the B. Dots within the squares labeled 8,9 or 10 squares labeled 8,9 or 10 include 80, 90 or 100 include 80, 90 or 100 dots.dots.

Since rib eye area is Since rib eye area is measured in square measured in square inches.inches.

Example: Using the 8 Example: Using the 8 square, there are 80 dots square, there are 80 dots

To get square inchesTo get square inches Move the decimal to the Move the decimal to the

left once left once 80 dots= 80.0080 dots= 80.00

Moving the decimal to Moving the decimal to the left once gives a 8 the left once gives a 8 square inch areasquare inch area

A

B

Measuring Rib Eye AreaMeasuring Rib Eye Area Place the grid over the Place the grid over the

Longissimus dorsiLongissimus dorsi muscle trying to fill in muscle trying to fill in either the 8, 9 or 10 either the 8, 9 or 10 square which has square which has counted the dots counted the dots already. already.

Count the other dots Count the other dots located on the muscle located on the muscle that was not part of the that was not part of the squaresquare

Once you’ve counted Once you’ve counted the dots, move decimal the dots, move decimal to the left once to the left once

This will give you the This will give you the rib eye area in square rib eye area in square inches.inches.

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DemonstrationDemonstration