What is the difference in PRIME beef?

I get this question alot. People always wonder why USDA Prime beef is so much more expensive and harder to find than other grades. The answer is that Prime beef meets 2 major qualifications that the others do not. The first is that the animal must not be holder that 18 months. This ensures that the muscles have not been over used and connective tissue has not developed therefor keeping the meat a little more tender. Secondly the meat must be high in intramuscular flecks of fat called marbling. These tiny pockets of fat are scattered through the muscle where they break up areas where connective tissue would otherwise form and make the meat tighter. This fat also makes the meat more palatable, flavorful and pleasant to chew. Only 4-5% of the beef being produced in the U.S. grades as USDA Prime. Genetics and dietary budget play a role in whether or not the animal grades out well. Being that USDA prime beef is more expensive to produce and relatively rare (no pun) it is no wonder that it commands the price that it does. Seasonal demand, market supply, weather and commodity prices all play a part in what the prices are for USDA Prime beef. Now all you have to do is age it and cook it right! But those are both topics for another blog entry.