Beef Fabrication 101

Travis Tennant

February 2019

Approximate Carcass Yield

(852 pound carx)

Wt. Value

Lean Cuts 69.9% 95.2%

Trimmable fat 13.6% 4.3%

Bone 16.2% 0.5%

Beef Wholesale Cuts

CHUCK

Mock tender

Boneless short rib

FlatIron

Shoulder tender

Clod

Chuck roll

PLATE

Short ribs Inside skirt

RIB

Ribeye roll Backribs Rib lifter

BRISKET

SHANK

ROUND

Inside round

Top round

Outside round

Bottom roundEye of round Knuckle

LOIN

LOIN

Tenderloin

Striploin

Top sirloin

Tri-tip

Bottom flap

Ball-tip

FLANK

Flank steak Outside skirt

Fabrication VALUE – First 1/4

Wt. Value

Rib Eye roll 3.3% 12.9%

Grind 18.2% 11.8%

24.7% of value21.5% of weight

Fabrication VALUE – Second 1/4

Wt. Value

Striploin 3.0% 9.0%

Chuck roll 6.4% 8.6%

Tenderloin 1.6% 7.3%

24.9% of value11% of weight

Fabrication VALUE – Third 1/4

Wt. Value

Top round 5.6% 6.1%

Shoulder clod 5.4% 5.4%

Top butt 3.1% 5.3%

Brisket 3.3% 3.9%

Bottom round 3.8% 3.7%

24.4% of value21.2% of weight

Fabrication VALUE – Bottom 1/4th

Wt. Value

Trim Fat 13.9% 3.1%

Knuckle 2.4% 2.7%

Bottom sirloin flap 0.9% 2.6%

Rib lifter 1.3% 1.7%

Eye of round 1.5% 1.7%

Shank 1.4% 1.4%

Outside skirt 0.4% 1.4%

Bnls short rib 0.9% 1.3%

Inside skirt 0.7% 1.3%

Bone 16.8% 1.3%

Flank steak 0.5% 1.2%

Heel 1.2% 1.2%

Bottom sirloin tri-tip 0.6% 1.2%

Elephant ear 0.7% 1.0%

Mock tender 0.8% 0.9%

Bottom sirloin ball-tip 0.7% 0.8%

Pectoral meat 0.5% 0.7%

Backribs 1.0% 0.5%

26.0% of value46.2% of weight

Consumer

(Mis)perceptions

Lean Finely Textured Beef

• Raw material = 30 lean/70 fat

• Lean separated from fat by density

• Ammonium hydroxide food safety hurdle

• Highlights the

aspect of quality

which is important

to financial value

in our production

system

Traditional beef

Branded beef• Highlight “specifications” which

the animal or carcass met

– Subset of traditional beef

• Some highly recognizable

– 93 branded programs today

Criteria beef• Appeals to consumers whom

identify and find value with

specific meat criteria

All-natural

beef

• Definition

– Products

containing no

added ingredients

and are minimally

processed (not

altered)

FeedTypically no

restriction

Antibiotic UseMay or may not be

allowed

Ionophore UseMay or may not be

allowed

Growth promotant UseMay or may not be

allowed

Mammalian protein or by-

product in rationNot Allowed

Certification

Producer-Signed

Affidavit and/or

USDA Certification

Regulation Branded Program

Non-hormone treated

cattle (NHTC)

• Uses modern technology…

(with the exception of growth

promoting implants)

…to efficiently convert feed,

labor, and environmental

resources into high quality

protein for humans• Muted efficiency

Hormones in beef are NEGLIGIBLE

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Estrogen in beef is NEGLIGIBLE

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Preston, 1997

Estrogen “No

Hormone Effect

Level” is 3000

nanograms

Natural

estrogens are

~10% orally

active

Estrogenic birth control

• The "pill" is orally active – the triple bond ethyne group allows for oral

administration

• The "pill" deceives the body into

thinking it is pregnant (i.e. a

psuedopregnancy). A high level of

progesterone is maintained which

inhibits secretions of FSH and LH.

No new egg follicles are developed

and no ovulation occurs.

• Ortho Tri-Cyclen is a 28 pill system

where the progestin and

norgestimate levels increase in

every seven day set of pills.

– The first seven white tablets contain

180,000 ng of norgestimate and 35,000

ng of ethynyl estradiol.

– The second seven light blue tablets

contain 215,000 ng of norgestimate and

35,000 ng of ethinyl estradiol,

– The third seven blue tablets contain

250,000 ng of norgestimate and 35,000

ng of ethinyl estradiol.

– The final seven pills of the 28-day pack

are green placebo pills, or reminder

pills.Ophardt, 2003

Organic beef

Definition

– 100% Organic• Must only contain

organically produced

ingredients with the

exclusion of water and salt

– Organic• Must contain >95%

organically produced

ingredients with the

exclusion of water and salt

FeedOnly Organic

feedstuffs used

Antibiotic Use Not Allowed

Ionophore Use Not Allowed

Growth promotant Use Not Allowed

Mammalian protein or by-

product in rationNot Allowed

Certification USDA Certification

Regulation USDA Audits

Troxel, 2005

Grass-finished

beef– Similar to traditional

beef through cow-

calf and stocker

segments

– Cattle not fed high

energy diet

• Lower fat content

• Slightly higher

levels of Omega-3

FA

• Less efficient

Value added beef• Appeals to

consumers

seeking

convenience

For More Information

Travis Tennant, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Animal Science

West Texas A&M University

WT Box 60998

Canyon, TX 79016

Office – 806-651-3576

Mobile – 512-577-9276

BCRC – 806-651-2275

Meat Lab – 806-651-3579

Fax – 806-651-2938

Email – ttennant@wtamu.edu