You have to give it to the marketing guys that push the idea that Angus is a “better” cut of beef than you have normally been purchasing. Hell…some of my competition has even jumped on the band wagon. Well we are going to set the record straight and let you decide.
Angus is a breed of cattle…that’s it. Angus short for Aberdeen Angus originally came from Scotland. This breed is recorded by the U.S. government. In order to be certified “Angus” buy the USDA it must have the following requirements.
The cattle must be able to be traced back to provable registration papers. This is known as the Genotype. It also must have a positive ID…i.e. tattoos, brands, ear tags and such. Also they must have the blood lines of at least one parent or two grandparents. This is how the USDA can tell what percentage of Angus the cattle is.
Angus is also based on looks. This is called the Phenotype. It must be at least 51% covered with a solid black color. Angus also come with and without horns called polled
"Certified Angus Beef" or (CAB) was developed by the industry in 1979. The standards that they base this certification on are things such as age, color and marbling (fat lines between the meat muscles). This gets crazier because only about 8% of the beef can be CA (certified Angus)
So in a nutshell, Angus cattle is all about genetics. Angus, because of its genes is a fattier meat. They breed the Angus to slow down muscle growth and produce more fat. Angus has a gene called myostatin. The Angus meat is fattier and contains more marbling. As a last note, the Angus breed of cattle is probably the most prolific beef cattle that is raised in the United States today.
