Marbling, or marbled meat, is meat that contains various amounts of intramuscular fat, giving it an appearance similar to marble. The term is principally applied to red meat.
The American beef grading system rewards higher degrees of marbling. This grading system defines eight grades, in descending order: Prime, Choice, Select, Standard, Commercial, Utility, Cutter, and Canner. Of these, Prime has the most marbling, and Choice and Select have at least a small amount.