About Our Beef Quality

The Mission Ranch is an historic, family-owned and operated Black Angus Cattle Ranch located at the confluence of Mission Creek and the Yellowstone River. This double water access means our cattle graze on fresh, naturally managed pasture and high quality, nutrient-rich hay, alfalfa and barley that we grow ourselves.


Our cattle are “finished” in a feedlot, where they are COB (Corn, Oats, and Barley) fed for three to six weeks to ensure maximum marbling. The beef is then dry-aged for two more weeks to develop additional tenderness and flavor. The greater the amount of marbling, the higher the grade of beef because marbling makes beef more tender, flavorful, and juicy. Ninety Percent of Mission Ranch Beef grades Prime or Choice, the two highest grades possible, making Mission Ranch Beef some of the best meat you can buy.



What is “All Natural”?

The Mission Ranch raises All Natural Black Angus beef, which means no antibiotics or growth hormones are present in the animal’s system at the time of processing.* In addition, all fresh meat qualifies as "natural." Products labeled "natural" cannot contain any artificial flavoring, coloring, chemical preservative, or any other artificial or synthetic ingredient.



How Is Beef Graded?

Inspection is mandatory, but grading is voluntary. We pay to have our meat graded. USDA grades are based on quality and marbling, with Prime and Choice being the highest grades possible. Ninety percent of Mission Ranch Beef grades Prime or Choice. A USDA grading guide is as follows:


  • Prime grade – (Best) – Only two percent of all graded beef receives a USDA grade of Prime. A Prime grade means the beef has more marbling, the most tender and flavorful of all. Beef graded Prime is generally sold in restaurants and hotels. Mission Ranch Beef grades Prime or Choice over ninety percent of the time.
  • Choice grade – (2nd Best) – high quality, less marbling than Prime, but still very tender, juicy, and flavorful. For cooking suggestions, see our cuts and preparation guideline on the CUTS OF BEEF page.
  • Select grade – uniform in quality and lower in fat. Because of less marbling, it’s not as tender and it lacks the juiciness and flavor of the higher grades.
  • Standard and Commercial grades – frequently sold as ungraded or as "store brand" meat.
  • Utility, Cutter, and Canner grades – seldom, if ever, sold retail. Instead, these lower grades are typically used to make processed products.
  • For cooking suggestions on Mission Ranch Prime and Choice graded beef, see our cuts and preparation guidelines on the CUTS OF BEEF page.



What is “Certified”?

The term "certified" means that the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service and the Agriculture Marketing Service have officially evaluated a meat product for class, grade, or other quality characteristics (e.g., "Certified Angus Beef"). All Mission Ranch Beef is evaluated by the USDA and certified as All Natural, Choice or Prime, Black Angus, Montana Beef.



*Are Hormones or Antibiotics Ever Used?

Antibiotics may be given to prevent or treat disease, but a “withdrawal” period is required from the time antibiotics are administered until the time the animal is shipped to a plant for processing. The Mission Ranch uses only approved vaccines, antibiotics, or hormones under FDA approved circumstances, and keeps detailed records of any such occurrences. If a drug has been used, documentation is provided to ensure that no detectable residues are present in the animal before being processed for human consumption.