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Glossary of Terms
Certified Angus Beef: A brand owned by the American Angus Association. To be certified, the meat must pass the association’s strict standards.
Black Angus: A breed of cattle raised for beef production.
Proprietary labels: Picture unpackaged meat in refrigerator cases with fancy names and frills of parsley. Before you buy, determine if you’re paying for the label or the grade.
Dry-Aged: A time-honored process that helps boost the beef’s natural flavor. The meat is hung unpackaged for several weeks—and often longer—in a temperature-controlled space. It loses water, but the flavor becomes more concentrated. An expensive endeavor, dry-aging ups the steak cost. Aficionados insist the taste is superior to wet-aged meat.
Wet-Aged: If you spot only “aged” on the menu, it could refer to wet-aged meat, which is aged in sealed plastic.
