Previous dogmas suggested that body composition and subsequent carcass characteristics of beef cattle are primarily tied to mature body weight and fat thickness. Subsequent research suggests that marbling can occur at different stages of growth when sufficient nutrition is provided and that the relationship between total fat and marbling is not constant. Combined with increasing consumer demands and coordination within beef systems, opportunities exist to develop systems that capitalize on marbling and overall palatability at points throughout the production system to provide consumers with a high-quality, consistent beef product.