What does that mean? Never heard of such a grade.

These tenderness programs help customers identify specific cuts of beef that are consistently tender or very tender, with the claims “USDA Tender” and “USDA Very Tender.”

Qualifications:

Beef cuts that are considered for this tenderness claim will be certified through third party audits. Companies will also be reviewed by the AMS’ Grading and Verification Division, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service and other divisions to ensure quality. AMS works with the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) International for the tenderness standards. There are minimum tenderness thresholds for tender, and very tender to guarantee the quantitative tenderness values. This is tested by using Warner Brantzler shear force measurements, which determines the amount of force required to shear through a meat sample and national standards have deeply researched and determined.

Additionally, only inherently tender meat can qualify. Inherently tender meat is that which has not been subjected to further processes not typically used during the conversion of muscle to meat. Examples of these are enhancement through marination (injection and tumbling), mechanical tenderization (blade or needle), and chemical tenderization. Inherent processes include, but are not limited to, electrical stimulation (during harvest), carcass suspension techniques, and aging (carcass, primal, or subprimal, or a combination thereof).

Tenderness is a very important factor in the level of satisfaction when eating beef. This program helps ensure the customer is pleased with the end product. It also facilitates communication between the industry and retailers, as well as increasing the understanding of the finished product’s and the expectations of the consumers.

Interesting, can’t say I understand why we need a separate grading system.

It looks like choice to me, according to the marbling.

I agree, definitely not select, and not enough for prime. Wasn’t the best looking pack they had but I needed 4 and not 3. They had a pack of three that had better marbling. Should’ve put them in the freezer!

Sounds like fed Holstein cross

there ya go!

Look Close

It says, "NO ROLL" (NR) Google the grade "No Roll" too much for me to explain other than they should be DELICIOUS

So ungraded Holstein with just enough blk to claim as angus. There are a lot of Holstein steer feed lots in TX and NM

In this case I think the NR is Nolan Ryan can’t say I’m positive though.

I can’t seen him not branding it better

Looks like Nolan Ryan to me. I have no idea what his crosses are however.

Marketing.

That shows it’s graded Choice. So choice t bones

I understand that, I was confused by the Kroger labeling, usda tender. I hadn’t seen that prior.

If I'm buying, its prime only (I butcher a home grown brangus once a year). But if you're buying and cooking, I'd eat it!

Best I can tell, It’s a new way of telling people that are so discounted from reality of where meat comes from, on what cuts to buy.

Great price, but those don’t look much like T-Bones to me. More like a bone in strip steak. Where’s the tenderloin that’s the best part

Only 2 out of 4 had the tenderloin part

I don’t always take pictures of my food, but a few yrs back, this bad boy looked like the state of Texas minus the panhandle

I’m not a big T-Bone fan but that one looks awesome!!!

Looks like a porterhouse to me.

I thought so, too and that’s why I bought it. Usually the first 2 or 3 cuts are. They had the porterhouse ones next to this one in the case, and the tenderloin was even bigger on those. This one must have been cut #4 lol

That poor steak was flipped more then once!! That’s should be a crime