A cut specification is the document a buyer and a meat plant agree before the first order. It removes the guesswork from names that differ between countries and between butchers. Every line of a Morgan Beef specification can be read with the four questions below.
Which cut? Morgan Beef names its deboned primals by the reference codes of the AUS-MEAT Handbook of Australian Meat, seventh edition, known as HAM7. Each code is a four-digit number that identifies one cut and the way it is separated from the carcass, so topside, striploin or chuck tender mean the same thing to a buyer in Johannesburg and a buyer in Dubai. The Morgan Beef cut index lists the cuts Morgan Beef produces with their codes and reference photographs.
How much trim? The trim line states the maximum fat thickness left on the cut, measured in millimetres, or states that the cut is denuded, that is, with the fat and the silverskin removed. It may also name tissues to be removed, such as a tendon end or a lymph node, and set the weight range of each piece.
Which grade? In South Africa the grade line quotes the carcass classification: the age class, the fatness code and, where it matters to the buyer, the conformation. Export specifications sometimes add the buyer's own quality grade or a maturation period in days.
How is it packed? The pack line states whether each cut is vacuum packed on its own or several to a bag, the carton type and its weight range, the labelling, and whether the product is delivered chilled or frozen. For halal product the pack label also carries the certifying body's mark.
A buyer who reads these four lines knows exactly what will arrive. When a line is missing, ask for it before the order is placed, because the plant will otherwise apply its standard specification for that cut.