Reviewed by Mathew Benoit, COO of Learn Brands · October 2026
A shopper holds up two steaks and asks which one is better. Another wants to know if natural beef means the cattle lived outdoors. Someone else opens a pack of ground beef, sees gray in the middle, and wonders if it went bad. The meat case raises more questions than almost any other spot in the store, and a clear answer sells the cut.
Cut to Order: A Guide to the Meat Case is a free meat course that covers beef grades and meat labels, where beef cuts come from, the pork, chicken and lamb cuts people ask for most, how to match the heat to the cut, safe cooking temperatures, and how to keep meat cold and safe. It takes about 25 minutes, self-paced, across five short narrated lessons.
What you'll learn
Five lessons that move from the label on the pack to the cut, the pan and the fridge.
Reading the case (Lesson 1). What Prime, Choice and Select mean, why marbling makes a steak juicy, what natural, organic and grass fed really say, why every pack of chicken and pork says no hormones added, and what 80/20 means on ground beef.
Beef from nose to tail (Lesson 2). The primals on a beef chart, from chuck to round, and the one rule that explains almost every cut: muscles that work hard are tougher and full of flavor, and muscles that barely move are the most tender. Ribeye, strip, filet, brisket, flank and skirt, and how to cook each one.
Pork, chicken and lamb (Lesson 3). Pork shoulder (also sold as Boston butt) versus tenderloin, why thighs stay juicier than breasts, what air chilled and enhanced mean on the label, and the lamb cuts people buy for a special dinner.
Heat and doneness (Lesson 4). Hot and fast for tender cuts, low and slow for tough ones, why collagen melts into gelatin with time, and the safe temperatures to know by heart: 145°F with a rest for steaks, chops and roasts, 160°F for ground meat, and 165°F for all poultry.
Behind the counter (Lesson 5). Why ground beef can be brown inside and still fine, keeping the case and the fridge at 40°F or colder, keeping raw meat away from produce, why you shouldn't rinse chicken, and how much to buy per person.
How the course works
Each lesson is a short narrated walkthrough with photos from meat cases, butcher counters and home kitchens. Four games keep it moving: call fact or myth on the labels shoppers ask about, match each cut to its primal, sort cuts into hot and fast or low and slow, and decide fine or pull it on packs from the case. You also tap through a drawn beef chart to see where each cut comes from, flip cards to find the best way to cook each cut, and put the steps of cooking a steak in order.
At the start you pick your role: meat counter, grocery team, department lead, or home cook. The course adds tips for that role in every lesson, and three practice customers let you try it out loud: a shopper planning a weekend cookout, a shopper with questions in the aisle, and a friend making their first pot roast.
It closes with a 15-question final quiz. Twelve correct passes. It is online and self-paced, and it works on a phone, tablet, or desktop.
Who this is for
Meat and butcher counter staff, grocery team members who stock the case or answer shoppers on the floor, and department leads who train their teams. It also fits anyone who cooks and wants to shop for meat, cook it right and store it safely at home.
What you walk away with
You'll be able to explain beef grades and meat labels in plain words, point any shopper to the right cut for what they're making, tell them how to cook it and to what temperature, and keep meat cold, separate and safe from the case to the kitchen.
Free to enroll. Self-paced. Certificate on completion.
Who built this course
Cut to Order: A Guide to the Meat Case was created by the Learn Brands education team under the direction of Mathew Benoit, COO and Creative Director of Learn Brands. Mathew grew up working in his family's store, and Learn Brands now trains store teams at more than 3,500 retailers. The course is built from the questions grocery and meat counter teams actually get asked at the case.
How we checked the facts
Grades were checked against USDA Agricultural Marketing Service beef grading. Labels, safe minimum internal temperatures, the color of meat, thawing, washing and cold storage were checked against USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service guidance and FoodSafety.gov. Cuts and primals were checked against the Beef. It's What's For Dinner beef cut chart, and how much chicken, beef and pork Americans eat against USDA Economic Research Service data. Every photo was checked by eye to make sure it shows what the lesson says.
Food safety
The course covers meat safety as general education. It is not a food handler card or food safety certification. Food handler rules vary by state and county, so check your local requirements and follow your store's food safety policies.
Last reviewed October 2026.
Meat FAQ
Is this course free?
Yes. Cut to Order: A Guide to the Meat Case is part of the free Core Education Suite, free to take and free to assign to your team. No cost, no subscription, no card required. A certificate is issued on completion.
How long does it take?
About 25 minutes, self-paced: five short narrated lessons, four games, three practice customers, and a 15-question final quiz. You can stop and pick up where you left off.
Do I need to know anything about meat first?
No. The course starts with reading the label and builds from there. Experienced counter staff use it to sharpen how they explain cuts and recommend the right one.
What's the difference between Prime, Choice and Select?
They're USDA quality grades, based mostly on marbling, the thin streaks of fat inside the muscle. Prime has the most and much of it goes to restaurants, Choice is the grade you'll see most in stores, and Select is leaner, so it can cook up drier. Lesson 1 covers it.
Is ground beef bad if it's brown in the middle?
Not on its own. Meat turns bright red where it meets the air, and the inside of a pack can be grayish brown simply because air can't reach it. If the whole pack has turned gray or brown, smells off or feels sticky, it's past its best. Lesson 5 covers what to look for.
What temperature should meat be cooked to?
Measured in the thickest part: 145°F for beef, pork and lamb steaks, chops and roasts, then a three minute rest; 160°F for ground beef and pork; and 165°F for all poultry. Lesson 4 explains why.
Is this a food handler card?
No. It is general education about meat, including how to store and handle it safely. If your state or county requires a food handler card, you'll need to get that separately, for example with the Learn2Serve National Food Handler Certificate, which is ANAB accredited and done online.
Can I enroll my whole team?
Yes. Create a free company account, assign the course, and track who has started and finished from the Learn Brands dashboard.
Train your team
Want your team selling more at the counter? Retail Sales Academy covers communication, suggestive selling, upselling and service recovery for store teams. Buying for a team? Register your business free and assign seats across your whole staff.
Related courses
Keep going with Rolled Fresh: A Guide to the Sushi Counter, Prime to Wagyu: A Guide to Premium Beef, Cheese 101: From Milk to Board, Fresh Picks: A Guide to the Produce Department, Catch of the Day: A Guide to the Seafood Counter and Retail Customer Experience Training, find the right bottle to pour beside the steak with The Science of Wine and Beer Decoded: From Grain to Glass. Browse the free Core Education Suite.
About the reviewer
Mathew Benoit is COO of Learn Brands. He has a family liquor store background, spent more than eight years as Marketing Director at the distributor Vinocopia, and has represented brands nationally. Read Mathew's full bio.
