Moneyball for Cattle Is Creating an American Steak Renaissance

Reliance is a black Angus bull with a long, fluid stride. He has a quiet confidence when he walks. It’s one of the qualities that led cattlemen to bid up the prized animal to $150,000 during a recent bull sale at Woodhill Farms in Viroqua, Wisconsin.

But there’s more to Reliance than his poise. He comes with a printout of genomic assessments and a family tree going back generations. The numbers say he’s a winner, and these days, the numbers are right. He’s rated in the top 3% of all Angus bulls for ribeye quality, and the top 5% for marbling—the white, fatty flecks that make beef more flavorful and tender, according to Brian McCulloh, who bred the “big-money bull.” Reliance’s descendants are almost guaranteed to turn into delectable Porterhouses, which their owners can charge more money for accordingly.