Yield Grades- Refer to the pounds of boneless, closely trimmed, retail cuts (BCTRC) from the round, loin, rib, and chuck. Marketing communications use yield grades designated numerically from 1 to 5. Also called cutability.
How to determine yield grades:
- amount of fat, measured in tenths of inches, over rib-eye muscle or longissimus doris
- kidney, pelvic, and heart (KPH) fat, which is usually estimated as a percentage of carcass weight
- area of rib-eye muscle (REA), which is measured in square inches
- hot carcass weight, carcass weight reflects amount of intermuscular fat
