Marbling For Steak Means Fat

Very marbled cut which means it s flavorful and stays tender while cooking.

Marbling for steak means fat. Marbling is what we call intramuscular fat which means that it s found inside the muscle. Marbling adds a lot of flavor and can be one indicator of how good the beef is. Degree of marbling is the primary determination of quality grade. When looking at the surface of a piece of steak intramuscular fat appears as thin creamy white streaks that contrast against the red of the flesh.

If you take a look at a new york strip for instance the layer of fat along the outside is not considered marbling. Similarly the big glob of fat in the middle of a ribeye is not considered marbling either. A well marbled steak is a truly beautiful thing and there s a reason why we re willing to pay top dollar to get it. What exactly is marbling and why is it so desirable.

Also called intramuscular fat marbling adds flavor and is one of the main criteria for judging the quality of cuts of meat. Marbling intramuscular fat is the intermingling or dispersion of fat within the lean. Marbling is so named because the streaks of fat resemble a marble pattern. Graders evaluate the amount and distribution of marbling in the ribeye muscle at the cut surface after the carcass has been ribbed between the 12th and 13th ribs.

Marbling in uncooked meat looks aesthetically interesting but that is not why it s special. Visually marbling is soft intramuscular between the muscle fibre fat made up of polyunsaturated monounsaturated and saturated fats. When cooking marbling adds flavor and juiciness as the fat melts into the steak. When you have heavy marbling and it s the right kind of marbling you have a superior steak on your hands.

The pattern it makes is referred to as marbling. The presence and type of marbling in meat is important for several reasons. A high quality steak will have a lot of marbling while a lean cut will have very little or no. The marbling keeps the meat moist so natural juices don t evaporate in the pan.

Marbling is the visible unsaturated healthy intramuscular fat that accumulates within the muscle and between the muscle fibre bundles. Well marbling refers to the white flecks of intramuscular fat in each cut of meat. Marbling is important to steak because it adds flavor the right kind of flavor juiciness as it melts into the steak when cooking and tenderness because the fat is much more tender than the muscle fiber in the steak. At chiller temperatures marbled fat appears white and will become less.