What Is Ungraded Costco Beef And Where Can You Find It?

Looking for an alternative to the everyday beef cut grades you find in your local supermarkets? Ungraded, or "no roll" beef, has begun making its way into some Costco outlets — but it's only available at the chain's Business Center locations in Canada. The meat is also being sold at some Loblaws supermarkets and supermarkets owned by Loblaws in the country.

Ungraded beef is beef that was butchered in a country with a different quality grading process when compared to the country where it's being sold — in the case of Costco, this meat is originally from Mexico. Normally, beef is inspected by and marked by its country of origin. Grade "A" beef has high standards for flavor, fat, and cut. It's the type of beef you're most likely to find in U.S. restaurants. 

On the opposite end of the spectrum, anything below a "B" is typically used in processed foods that hide the cut's deficiencies. This doesn't necessarily mean it hasn't been inspected for safety. Instead, it indicates that it hasn't been given a seal of approval that ensures uniformity. While that sometimes results in a cheaper hunk of beef, you might also end up with tough, stringy, or undersized steaks, as the cow or bull might be older. Costco operates 11 Business Centers across Canada, and they remain your best bet if you want to buy ungraded beef at a Costco store. 

You can buy ungraded beef in the United States and even purchase some through Costco, though not at their retail stores. The chain only carries USDA-graded meat in its physical American outposts, but it serves as a delivery carrier for meat from Silver Fern Farms, a New Zealand company that doesn't employ USD or USDA grading, instead grading its meat in-house. 

If you're willing to venture beyond Costco's doors, a variety of ungraded cuts might be as close as an Instacart search away. Looking for smaller ethnic markets, specialty butcher shops, Halal butchers, or local meat processors will lead you in the right direction. There are also plenty of options for online buying as well, such as the Chicago Meat Authority. It all depends on whether or not you're willing to take a gamble with your prime rib — or you'd rather lean on the safety of a government grading system.