flesh of mature cattle, as distinguished from veal, the flesh of calves.
The best beef is obtained
from early maturing, special beef breeds. High-quality beef has firm,
velvety, fine-grained lean,
bright red in colour and well-marbled. The fat is smooth, creamy white,
and well distributed. In
young beef the bones are soft, porous, and red; the less desirable
mature beef has hard white
bones. Beef tenderness and flavour are improved by aging; in one common
aging method the
carcass is hung for about two weeks at approximately 36º F (2º
C), encouraging physical
changes in the muscle tissue that enhance the quality of the meat.
Grading standards are somewhat similar in various countries; there is
a large international beef
trade. In the United States, grades in order of quality are prime,
choice, good, commercial,
utility, cutter, and canner. Commercial grades are mainly from mature
cattle, especially cows.
Utility, cutter, and canner grades are used in processed meat products.
Beef hide, used for
leather manufacture, is a valuable by-product of beef.
The primary beef-consuming countries of the world (in per capita terms)
are Uruguay,
Argentina, New Zealand, Australia, and the United States. Beef is relatively
scarce--and not
particularly popular--in most of Southeast Asia, Africa, and the Indian
subcontinent; the sanctity
of the cow in the Hindu religion forbids the consumption of its meat
by Hindu adherents. Beef is
not unusual in the cuisines of Korea and Japan, however; in Kobe, Japan,
near Osaka, a highly
prized beef is produced from cattle that are vigorously massaged and
fed a liberal dietary
supplement of beer.
Butchering practices differ among countries, resulting in a variety
of names for the different
cuts. In the United States, where beef is the most popular meat, steaks--cross-sections
from
the fleshier parts of the carcass--are among the most desirable cuts.
The standing rib roast,
called in Britain the best rib, is also a valued cut. Less desirable
cuts may be pot-roasted, used
in stews, or ground (see hamburger). Boiled beef is popular in some
cuisines, as in the French
dish known as pot-au-feu. Corned beef (or salt beef in Britain) is
a brisket or rump cut that has
been pickled in brine.