Buying a brisket can be confusing because there are so many different brisket grades and labels. The good news? Once you understand how beef is graded, picking the right brisket becomes easy.
At its core, grading comes down to marbling, those thin white streaks of fat running through the meat. More marbling means better flavor, more juiciness and a more forgiving cook.
Below is a simple breakdown of how U.S., Canadian and Australian grading systems compare, plus what those “premium” labels like Certified Angus Beef and American wagyu really mean.
United States Beef Grading System
The U.S. Department of Agriculture grades beef based on the cow’s maturity, quality of lean muscle and the presence of marbling.
The USDA recognizes eight different grades of beef. Routinely, you’ll only find three USDA grades in your local grocery store: select, choice and prime. The other five are more for canning and other commercial production.
“The goal for the use of these criteria is to provide purchasers with a system that measures and predicts quality by methods that maximize consistency and reliability.”
North American Meat Institute
Select
The leanest grade with the least marbling. I don’t recommend purchasing a select grade brisket. Because there is very little marbling in this grade, it will be challenging to keep that brisket moist.
Choice
A moderate amount of marbling. Choice briskets can be amazing when you treat them right. When you smoke the brisket slow and low at 225F degrees following my no-fail smoked brisket recipe, you should end up with beautiful results.
Prime
The highest USDA grade you’ll commonly find. Rich marbling, great tenderness and more consistent results. If it’s in your budget, prime is the sweet spot for most backyard cooks. When you start the smoking process with a more marbled brisket, you’re already starting out on top.
Not to add to the confusion, but sometimes you can find a choice-grade brisket that has really nice marbling. So don’t just focus on how it’s graded. Take the time to look at the meat and look for one with nice striations of fat.
Pro tip: Always check the flat, not the point. The flat tells the truth about marbling.
Canadian Beef Grading System
In Canada, The Canadian Beef Grading Agency (CGBA) assesses each carcass for maturity, meat color, fat color, carcass muscling, fat coverage and texture, meat texture and marbling level.
Canada’s system is similar to the U.S., but uses letter grades:
- A: trace marbling (similar to select)
- AA: slight marbling
- AAA: small marbling (comparable to choice)
- Prime: slightly abundant marbling (similar to U.S. prime)
AAA and Prime are solid options for brisket with good tenderness potential.
Australian Beef Grading System
In Australia, AUS-MEAT is responsible for establishing and maintaining meat specifications.
Like the U.S. and Canada, inspectors assess carcass quality for rib fat, meat color, fat color, ribeye muscle and marbling.
The meat is assigned quality grades from 0 to 9.
- 0 means no marbling
- 9 means intensely marbled
Many competitive pitmasters love cooking A9 briskets because they’re incredibly rich and forgiving. They’re often pricier, but the marbling is next-level.
How Breed Impacts Brisket Grades
Some beef programs produce briskets that exceed standard grading scales because of genetics and controlled feeding standards. These aren’t “grades” on their own. They’re programs layered on top.
Certified Angus Beef® Brand (CAB)
Angus cattle are black-hided cows that are known for their quality taste. All Angus cattle aren’t created equal, so when I’m buying Angus, I always look for Certified Angus Beef brand.
Certified Angus Beef brand beef is graded by the USDA and does come in choice and prime. But to be branded as Certified Angus Beef, the cattle have to meet 10 specific standards. This ensures you’re guaranteed the same quality every time.
A lot of my friends who own barbecue restaurants across the U.S. cook Certified Angus Beef brand prime briskets in their BBQ joints.
American Wagyu (Snake River Farms, etc.)
When it comes to wagyu beef, I’m a fan of American Wagyu from Snake River Farms. Wagyu is a breed that originated in Japan. It is known for its intense marbling. It’s so marbled that it surpasses the USDA grading scales.
Instead, their beef is graded as black and gold.
An SRF black grade brisket will cost you substantially more than a USDA prime brisket, but the results will be out of this world.
If you want to cook top-of-the-line high-quality brisket, try SRF gold grade briskets. The marbling is phenomenal, which ensures it will be moist and flavorful.
SRF gold is all I use in BBQ competitions when I cook hot and fast brisket.
Which Grade of Brisket Should I Buy?
Choose the highest marbling you can comfortably fit into your budget.
- Prime gives you great flavor and tenderness at a reasonable price.
- Well-marbled Choice can be fantastic if handled with care.
- American wagyu/Australian A9 offer elite marbling for top-tier cooks.
Read the full guide → Brisket Buying Checklist
What about Grass-Fed Beef?
First, let me clear something up. All cows are grass-fed. They start their lives in a pasture and graze on the grass and natural vegetation.
It’s how a cow is finished that impacts the flavor of the meat. A grass-finished cow is a cow that lives her whole life in the pasture and feeds on natural vegetation. According to the National Cattleman’s Beef Association, she may also eat forage, hay or silage.
A grain-finished cow transitions from a grass and forage diet to a balanced diet that includes grains, potato hulls, sugar beets and hay at a feedyard. Grain-finished cows result in meat with more marbling and a slightly sweeter flavor.
Brisket Guides
This node is part of my Ultimate Brisket Guide, which breaks down every step from anatomy to trimming to cooking.
Explore more brisket fundamentals:
- What Is Brisket?
- Brisket Anatomy Explained
- Brisket Size & Shape Variations
- How Much Brisket Per Person
- How to Trim a Brisket
- How to Separate the Point and Flat
- Storing & Thawing Brisket
For a full overview:
My Go-To Brisket Rub for Building Flavor and Bark
I use Girls Can Grill Brisket Rub on all of my briskets. This blend layers salt, pepper, garlic and savory spices to highlight the natural beef flavor while helping the bark develop evenly.
