# Regarding Angus beef and beef grades **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [August 23, 2005, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-angus-beef-and-beef-grades/318299 "2005-08-23T18:29:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CJJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecc23a/32.png) [@CJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CJJ)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-angus-beef-and-beef-grades/318299/1 "2005-08-23T18:29:41Z")
An excellent article from SDSAB member Una on [aged beef and Angus beef](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mangusbeef.html). My only question is regarding the USDA grading chart; how are the maturities A thru E categorized? I would guess it’s something more than just the age of the animal at slaughter, else the USDA would just use age on the chart. Also, how then does veal fit into the grading scheme? Also, let me be the first to discourage anyone from “having a beef” with Una’s article; I’d like to think we’re far to intelligent for such an obvious remark:-) ---
**Author:** ![JeffB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeffb/32/188_2.png) [@JeffB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JeffB)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-angus-beef-and-beef-grades/318299/2 "2005-08-23T18:34:54Z")
From [Texas A&M](http://meat.tamu.edu/beefgrading.html): > [@](#): > > Maturity refers to the physiological age of the animal rather than the chronological age. Because the chronological age is virtually never known, physiological maturity is used; and the indicators are bone characteristics, ossification of cartilage, color and texture of ribeye muscle. Cartilage becomes bone, lean color darkens and texture becomes coarser with increasing age. Cartilage and bone maturity receives more emphasis because lean color and texture can be affected by other postmortem factors. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-angus-beef-and-beef-grades/318299/3 "2005-08-23T21:06:19Z")
…and there you have it. Glad you found a _prime_ link, JeffB. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-angus-beef-and-beef-grades/318299/4 "2005-08-24T08:29:51Z")
I spoke recently to an old fella who’s worked in the industry his whole life and he said something interesting about the way it has changed over the last century. He said he’s been in the same industry the whole time, but when he started out, he was in “the grazing business” and the focus was on owning a lot of land and everything followed from there. Then a couple of decades back things changed and he was in “the cattle business” and the focus was on raising healthy cattle of the right breed and everything followed from there and now he’s in “the beef business” and the focus is on producing (using dna analysis and so on) high quality meat and everything follows from there. ---
**Author:** ![Mycroft\_H](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/898d66/32.png) [@Mycroft\_H](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mycroft_H)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-angus-beef-and-beef-grades/318299/5 "2005-08-24T13:26:38Z")
We were on holiday in the UK in June and driving through the county of Angus. My wife saw some black cattle in the field and wondered if they were classified locally as Angus beef, or just called “black cows.” (Or, with a brogue, “black kews.”) ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-angus-beef-and-beef-grades/318299/6 "2005-08-24T18:25:02Z")
“Black Angus” is (or, apparently, was) the name of a sizeable chain of British restaurants. ---
**Author:** ![Big\_Whistle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Big\_Whistle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Big_Whistle)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-angus-beef-and-beef-grades/318299/7 "2005-08-24T19:41:19Z")
In the Western United States, there are restaurants known as Stuart Anderson’s Black Angus Restaurant. The company also operates facilities using the name “Cattle Company” instead of Black Angus. Not that this has any bearing on the discussion. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-angus-beef-and-beef-grades/318299/8 "2005-08-24T23:04:45Z")
> [@Mycroft H.](#): > > We were on holiday in the UK in June and driving through the county of Angus. My wife saw some black cattle in the field and wondered if they were classified locally as Angus beef, or just called “black cows.” (Or, with a brogue, “black kews.”) I love the Internet. > **[Home - Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society](https://www.aberdeen-angus.co.uk/)** > > The Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society is the world's leading beef breed and brand. The Society that leads the way for breeders and consumers alike. > [@](#): > > The History and Development of the World´s Finest Beef Breed > > The Aberdeen-Angus breed was developed in the early part of the 19th century from the polled and predominantly black cattle of North east Scotland known locally as “doddies” and “hummlies”. Browsing around on Google’s [Directory of Angus Breeders](http://directory.google.com/Top/Business/Agriculture_and_Forestry/Livestock/Cattle/Breeds/Angus/Breeders/), I find that a quick and totally unscientific sampling indicates that UK breeders of black-colored Angus cattle refer to them as “Aberdeen Angus” or as “Angus”, and that it’s the U.S. breeders who call them “Black Angus”. [http://www.glymptonaberdeenangus.co.uk/](http://www.glymptonaberdeenangus.co.uk/) [http://www.moniabrockaberdeenangus.com/](http://www.moniabrockaberdeenangus.com/) [http://www.grandonaberdeenangus.com/](http://www.grandonaberdeenangus.com/) [http://www.retanachaberdeenangus.com/](http://www.retanachaberdeenangus.com/) [http://www.deveronaberdeenangus.com/](http://www.deveronaberdeenangus.com/) [http://www.themoss.co.uk/](http://www.themoss.co.uk/) It would appear that in the UK, “Angus” means “black”, period, and that it’s the DamnYankees in the early 1950s who were responsible for introducing red as a color. There’s a fascinating history of Red Angus [here.](http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/cattle/redangus/) So my guess would be that the locals call them either “Angus” or “Aberdeen Angus” if they prided themselves on their knowledge of cattle breeding, or “doddies”, or…what was the other one?..“hummlies” if they didn’t give a hoot. P.S. [http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/cattle/angus/](http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/cattle/angus/) > [@](#): > > The characteristics we commonly call polled was often referred to in the old Scottish writings by the terms of “humble,” “doddies,” “humlies,” or “homyl.” > > \< snip \> > > In the county of Angus, cattle had existed for some time that were known as Angus doddies. MacDonald and Sinclair quote the Rev. James Playfair as having written in 1797, “There are 1129 horned cattle of all ages and sexes in the parish. I have no other name to them; but many of them are dodded, wanting horns.” This seems to be the first authentic reference to polled cattle in the county of Angus, apart from ancient sculptures. In the area of Aberdeenshire, other polled cattle were found and were called Buchan “humlies,” Buchan being the principal agricultural district in Aberdeenshire. Because I wondered about that, too. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2005, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-angus-beef-and-beef-grades/318299/9 "2005-08-25T01:56:15Z")
To continue with the “black angus” hijack- Our Newfoundland dog is named Angus and we get sooooooo many tired black Angus jokes! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2005, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-angus-beef-and-beef-grades/318299/10 "2005-08-25T02:05:36Z")
Regarding the Black Angus chain of restaurants, there’s a Simpsons bit where Marge is dressing Bart up because she thinks that the end of the world is near. Generally, it goes: Bart: Why do we have to get dressed up? Are we going to Black Angus? Marge: Mmm…let’s just say we’re going to the best steakhouse in the universe. Bart: (gives her the eye) So…we’re _not_ going to Black Angus… ---
**Author:** ![Mycroft\_H](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/898d66/32.png) [@Mycroft\_H](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mycroft_H)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2005, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-angus-beef-and-beef-grades/318299/11 "2005-08-25T20:26:22Z")
**Duck Duck Goose** – Thanks! Yeah, I love the Internet too, but I love this Board even more. (But I suppose I could have searched instead of making a flippant comment for humor’s sake. :smack: Again, thanks for providing some reading material.) And **Una** , thanks to you as well for another great, informative article. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Goob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c77e96/32.png) [@Mr.Goob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Goob)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2005, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-angus-beef-and-beef-grades/318299/12 "2005-09-01T13:07:16Z")
I worked on a farm for years raising Certified Black Angus. Nothing like going to a pasture and picking out what steer you want, loading him on a trailer, driving to the butcher and picking up your succulant beef a few days later. Yummy. In most of the catalogues before sales, and in shows they almost always refer to the class as Aberdeen Angus. Cuts down on the ambiguity. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2005, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-angus-beef-and-beef-grades/318299/13 "2005-09-02T12:46:55Z")
There’s been a Black Angus restaurant in Fairfield, CT, for decades. (Yes, its steak is pretty darn good.) I wouldn’t be surprised if there were hundreds of variations on that name around the country.