Retail cutting characteristics for US Choice and US Select beef subprimals

US Choice (Ch) and US Select (Se) beef subprimals from the rib, chuck, plate, loin, and round were obtained to conduct retail cutting tests. Subprimals were merchandised into bone-in or boneless retail cuts and associated components by experienced retail meat merchandisers. These Se subprimals had less (P < 0.05) trimmable fat than their Ch counterparts: ball tip, top sirloin, outside round, inside round, and ribeye. Se inside rounds, outside rounds, eye of rounds, boneless striploins, and ball tips had greater (P < 0.05) purge losses than the same cuts from Ch. The only subprimals where grade impacted total saleable yield were the top (inside) rounds (Ch = 80.13%, Se = 87.34%; P = 0.004) and outside rounds cut into roasts, steaks, and cubed steaks (Ch = 87.61%, Se = 90.28%; P = 0.05). Methods to increase retail yields from beef subprimals should consider minimizing purge and increasing cutting efficiencies in addition to reducing fat trim.