HIGHER STANDARDS, HIGHER QUALITY.

• Marbling
Another feature, other than the dry aging of beef, that factors into the superior flavor and tenderness of Ohio Signature Beef is marbling. Marbling is the flecks of fat that are found within the muscle. It is also referred to as intramuscular fat. The more marbling there is within a cut of meat the juicier and more flavorful it will be. The producers of Ohio Signature Beef realize this and that is why we only allow cattle with carcasses that are highly marbled to qualify for Ohio Signature Beef.

The amount of marbling a carcass has is measured in the ribeye muscle where the carcass is split into the fore and hindquarters, between the 12th and 13th ribs. USDA graders determine the marbling score of beef carcasses. The degrees of marbling are abundant, moderately abundant, slightly abundant, moderate, modest, small, slight, traces, and practically devoid. USDA Prime beef is everything above slightly abundant and USDA Choice beef is beef with marbling scores between small and moderate. Like stated above, the producers of Ohio Signature Beef only allow carcasses with above average marbling. For a carcass to qualify for Ohio Signature Beef it needs to have a marbling score of small marbling or higher, so all Ohio Signature Beef is either USDA Choice or USDA Prime. This ensures that Ohio Signature Beef consumers will always be able to enjoy a juicy and flavorful cut of beef.

Genetics play a large roll in the marbling of a beef carcass. As producers of Ohio Signature Beef we do our best to feed cattle that have the genetics to hang a highly marbled carcass.

The way cattle are fed play another important role as to whether a beef carcass will be marbled well. Just because the animal has the genetics to marble well does not mean they will be marbled to their potential. Through generations of feeding cattle, we have found that feeding cattle, that have the genetics to marble, a corn-based diet will lead to a highly marbled carcass. A corn-based diet is high in energy. The energy not used to maintain the body then allows the animal to deposit the excess energy as marbling. This then leads to a mouth-watering flavorful cut of Ohio Signature Beef you can enjoy with your family at the dinner table.

When a cut of beef is well marbled, it is more likely to be tender. When a well-marbled cut of beef is cooked, the flecks of fat within the muscle melt allowing the meat to require less shear force to be chewed. This in combination with the time tested dry aging is why you will always find Ohio Signature Beef to be fork tender.