40 BULLETIN 1246, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
No. 2. or Good, beef ribs. — Xo. 2. or Good, beef ribs have depth 
of flesh above the average, but usually are slightly deficient in this 
respect as compared with Choice ribs. This grade is the lowest that 
shows marbling. Fat deposits between the muscles are abundant. 
The fat covering generally is rough, and varies in thickness, but is 
of fair quality. The fat on the inner walls generally appears in 
ruffles, but the bones and intercostal muscles, especially near the 
backbones, are visible. The flesh is of a light to cherry-red color, 
fairly smooth-grained and moderately tender. The " feather edge " 
of the blade bone generally is white, but inclined to be hard or ossi- 
fied. 
No. 3, or Medium, beef ribs. — Xo. 3, or Medium, beef ribs have 
average depth of flesh. The exterior surface is thinly covered with 
fat and there is little or no fat either on the inner walls or between 
the muscles. There is no marbling, and scarcely any fat between 
the chine bones. Such ribs, however, have sufficient fat of fairly 
good quality to satisfy the demand of most consumers for roasts 
of average quality. There are streaks of fat on the inner walls 
between the ribs, but the rib bones are uncovered, hard, and grayish 
white. The flesh is dark, coarse-grained, and usually watery. The 
chine bones, including the tips, generally are grayish-white and 
flinty. 
Xo. 4- or Common, beef ribs. — Xo. 4, or Common, beef ribs are 
below the average in thickness of flesh. They appear flat, and the 
rib bones, though moderately covered with flesh, are prominent. 
There is very little, if any. external fat covering, and no fat on the 
inner walls, but a sufficient amount between the muscles to make 
the roasts palatable. The flesh is thin, coarse, dark, watery and 
relatively tough. Thinness of flesh, prominence of the ribs, and 
lack of finish are the outstanding characteristics of Common ribs. 
The chine, rib, and blade bones generally are grayish white and 
flinty, except when the animal was under 3 years of age. 
Xo. -5, or Cutter, beef ribs. — Xo. 5, or Cutter, beef ribs lack suffi- 
cient flesh and fat in proportion to bone to make them economical 
for the consumer. They are usually light, very thin, flat, and have no 
fat deposits between the muscles or on the interior surface. Only 
occasionally is there fat on the exterior surface. The bones are 
hard and flinty, and the flesh is coarse and tough, very watery, and 
dark. Ribs of this grade are offered intact in limited quantities 
only. They are usually boned and sold as boneless cuts, such as 
" regular " and " spencer " rolls. 
GRADES OF BEEF CHUCKS. 
Under the Chicago method of cutting, a beef chuck represents 
about 26 per cent of the weight of the side. It contains five ribs, 
with the shank and brisket removed. Some markets remove the 
shank by disjointing \\ at the shoulder. The " Manhattan " or " New 
York style" chuck includes the briskel and shank. In some markets 
this «-ni LS known also as "cross cut." The chuck contain- a lame 
percentage of flesh of high nutritive value, hut i- widely discrimi- 
nated against on account of the unattractive appearance of the retail 
cuts. It is regarded a- one of the coarser (aits. It i^ especially 
