Most of us go to the grocery store to buy beef or order beef while at

a restaurant without thinking too much about where it came from.

Few people know about breeds of cattle, inspection and grading

processes, or the marketing that goes on behind the scenes. This

is why, when fast food chains and hot dog makers start throwing

about a term like "Angus" it creates a lot of confusion among

consumers.

 

 

 

What is Angus

 

Angus is a breed of cattle. It is not a quality of beef. It does not imply that the beef is organic, natural, or of a higher grade than any other type of beef. Black Angus cattle are a breed of naturally hornless beef cattle; they were originally imported from Scotland in the late 1800s.

 

The Black Angus, or more commonly Angus is a black hided breed without horns (polled). The Angus have a number of advantages (fast growing, reliably tender and well marbled) and quickly became popular as breeding stock. Today, Black Angus are the most popular breed of beef cattle in the United States, and purebred herds are widely raised throughout the country.

 

 

 

What's so Great About Angus

 

Angus beef develops with better marbling than most cattle. Marbling is the amount of intramuscular fat. Most people agree that marbling improves flavor, tenderness, and keeps meat moist while cooking. Beef is graded based on marbling with the highest degree of marbling reserved for the Prime grade.

 

 

 

Inspecting, Grading, and Classifying

 

All beef sold in the United States is inspected by the US Department of Agriculture. This is mandatory and performed for reason of food safety. Grading is voluntary and done at the expense of the owner of the cattle. There is a lot of deception in beef labeling. Stores sell lower grade beef with stickers that say things like "Butcher's Choice" or "Prime Value". Similarly lower graded beef, or frequently ungraded beef gets the Angus stamp on it to be sold to fast food chains and a whole host of uses. This is not to say that these products are not made with Angus beef, but that the implication that Angus means quality isn't true. In the past few decades the word Angus has come to imply something it simply doesn't.

 

 

 

Final Analysis

 

A fast food hamburger or a mass market hot dog with the Angus name stamped on it are still the lowest quality of beef that can be sold for human consumption even if it comes from Angus cattle. If you like Angus beef, buy Angus beef of quality and not just something labeled Angus. Angus can be flavorful and tender beef or it can be a name used to separate you from your cash. Be a smart consumer and know what you are buying.  At Rock Hills Farm we sell only one hundred percent pure Angus beef raised under only the best conditions to produce only the best beef both in taste and health benefits.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Article Sources:

http://naturespasture.com/black-angus-beef/

http://bbq.about.com/od/beef/a/Angus-Beef.com

http://cheaphealthygood.blogspot.com/2008/09/angus-anguish-is-angus-beef-worth-money.html