Marbling, or white flecks of fat within the meat muscle, is often evaluated on the cut surface of the rib-eye or loinieye. The most commonly used method for evaluating marbling is visual comparison with published standards. Marbling affects meat’s juiciness, tenderness, texture, and flavor—attributes that determine “eating experience.”
Marbling that is fine-textured (small flecks) and uniformly distributed is preferred over marbling that appears as large, coarse flecks of intramuscular fat. Certain cuts of beef naturally accumulate more intramuscular fat than others. Some cuts known for their high degree of marbling are ribeye, short rib, strip, and flatiron steaks. Other premium cuts, such as filet, are prized for qualities other than marbling, such as extreme tenderness.
Increasing the protein content of the diet may increase starch digestion and absorption in the intestinal tract. The increasing the protein level in diets of young calves to as high as 16% increases marbling. The combination of higher grain and protein in diets will lead to more marbling.
In the United States, Japan, and Australia, trained human graders visually appraise the amount of white fat flecks in muscle and their spatial distribution to determine the quality of meat.
Meat marbling
