Steers

Steers are castrated adult male cattle, widely used for beef production. Compared with bulls, steers are easier and safer to handle, and castration produces meat with better marbling, tenderness, and flavour than intact males, which is why steers dominate quality beef supply chains. Quality is determined largely by breed, age, and feeding regime as well as gender, and these factors together decide the grade and eating quality of the beef they yield. From the feedlot to the butcher, the steer is the standard animal behind most of the world’s premium beef.