The top three grades, Prime, Choice and Select, are given primarily based on fat content. Prime beef has more marbling. More marbling means a tastier, more tender piece of beef.

Prime beef is hard to find. High-end custom butchers, and high-priced restaurants are your best choice. But once you’ve had a Prime ribeye, cooked to perfection…oh my!

I mention the ribeye because it’s my first choice in steaks. The only difference between a ribeye steak and “prime rib” is the fact that the steak is sliced from the roast PRIOR to cooking.

Some prefer different cuts, and that’s fine, but I’d like to mention a caveat…when you purchase a cut like a T-bone you’re paying eight dollars or more a pound for, well, bone. Buy a sirloin strip (the “big” side of the T-bone) or a tenderloin (the “little” side) instead. Don’t pay big bucks for bone you can’t eat.

As for doneness, these are the recognized levels:

RARE: nearly red through-out. Extremely tender, red juices flow freely. Fork-tender, or close to it.

MEDIUM-RARE: nearly pink through-out. Cool in the center. Still close to fork-tender, pink juices flow freely.

MEDIUM: Nearly everyone can learn to love this. A pink center, hot throughout, very juicy, still fairly tender. The most-oftened ordered in restaurants.

MEDIUM-WELL: A lot of tenderness has been lost. No pinkness left, requires a Prime or Choice cut to still have any juiciness. You’ll need a sharp steak knife.

WELL-DONE: Shoe-leather. There’s no juice left. If you want one of these prepared at my house, bring your own steak and be prepared to cook it yourself. I won’t abuse a piece of good beef this way.

Just my two-cents worth.