1. This is a type of Scottish breed of cattle. Earlier on, it was referred to as Aberdeen Angus (named after its place of origin). Angus cattle, incidentally speaking, are the most often used breeds in American beef production.
2. Angus beef is very popular among both the producers as well as consumers since they, simply speaking, have more meat on their bones than other breeds do. In addition, they also have a very distinct type of ‘marbling’. This means certain flecks of fat which help in enhancing the flavor and even the texture of the meat.
3. Angus cattle, in effect, are used all over the world. In actuality, they are also raised in almost all countries of the world. Usually, they come in red and black colors. When it comes to the general reputation of sheep, Angus is rated pretty highly on the charts. It comes in various grades. Some of these are Cutter, Utility, Commercial, Select, Choice, and Prime. This grading is done by the United States Department of Agriculture.
4. A point to be noted is that Angus breed is not necessarily the same as certified Angus beef. Also, all Angus patties are fashioned from Angus cattle. But not all of the Angus cattle are certified Angus beef.
5. The CAB or Certified Angus Beef comes from Prime or Choice varieties. In addition, Certified Angus Beef is not a government defined term.
6. Cattle breeding, incidentally speaking, is much like breeding dogs. Say a breeder wishes to sell his Angus cattle for food-related purposes. He has to prove to the USDA that the cattle he or she is giving are at least half Angus. If the hide of the cow is more than fifty-one percent black, it is proof enough that it is Angus. However, the authorities can ask for certain other details to also be produced before them before they make a verdict.
7. There is a lot of misunderstanding on the issue of Certified Angus Beef or CAB. Angus brands, in these times, take care of a large percentage of the beef market. The CAB has been in existence more or less since the last few years of the 1970s.
8. Certifying or spotting Angus beef may seem like a simple procedure to most of us. However, this is not the case at all. Earmarking or even pin-pointing Angus type cattle involves personnel who have received specialized training for the same.
9. Production plants these days are equipped with video cameras with which the USDA graders oversee the entire process of certified Angus beef. Animals which are identified as Angus are given an ‘A’ stamp on the hocks, usually.
10. CAB, as briefly touched upon before, is the leader in the pack as far as quality of the animals for food purposes is concerned. It is also true that Angus beef is taken as a benchmark for good quality as far as beef is concerned.
Kelly Manuel is a writer and illustrator who has been published in many books for children. Her favorite things to do are read, draw, and play with her dog. Kelly Manuel was born on October 18th, 1985. She grew up as an only child but she always had lots of dogs around the house because her parents were both veterinarians. She loved reading from a very young age and would often make up stories about the dogs that came into the clinic where she lived with her parents.
