#4. Buy the best grade of meat you can afford
Most of us rarely have the opportunity to buy and taste Prime beef. That's because only 1 - 2.5% of all beef processed in this country is good enough to be graded by the USDA as Prime. The inspector takes in all sorts of things when grading for Prime, but as a consumer, we mainly look at marbling, that network of fat traversing throughout the meat.
Given a choice at the market between a perfectly lean piece of meat and a Prime cut with lines of fat running through it, many of us would pick the lean steak. But the marbling gives a Prime cut the incredibly rich, juicy, tender flavor and texture we seek.
Just because Prime isn't that readily available or in a price range we can afford, there is nothing wrong with Choice. There are different Choice grades, so you may want to shop where they consistently buy beef at the higher end of the Choice grade. How will you know? By getting to know your butcher and asking.
Jake
Lot of great information here. Thank you for the steak buying tips.
The Reluctant Gourmet
You are very welcome Jake.
cedric
Thanks for the great advice. I was not aware that steak was graded in that manner.
Sergio
Interesting and useful advice. Now, I would appreciate your suggestion about COOK those beautiful **RIBEYES**
The Reluctant Gourmet
Working on a list of cooking suggestions for Rib Eyes and all these other steaks. Please check back Sergio.
Sam Tha Butcha
I have been a Butcher for ten years, and whoever wrote this blog is right! Us Butchers are more than happy to make a customer happy. You wouldn't believe the stuff that happens behind the counter. But I must say, if you are nice to your local Butcher, they will be nice to you.....Keep That In Mind The Next Time You Think About Being Rude to Your Local Butcher;-)
Anna Pecora
this was very informative and answered my question was which are the best day to buy within my price range. I will certainly side when I can and maybe once or twice a year I can get prime.
Wayne
The advice you gave me was excellent. It made for the best steak ever!
Wayne
It was the best steak I ever bought
coz
SAM THE BUTCHA's: remarks ( at the start of the reply column) about being nice to your local butcher irritates me no end. Do we have to kiss everybody's butt just to get decent service nowadays? I just want my butcher to give me DECENT MEAT because I pay handsomely for it, and he needs to remember without customers; he doesn't eat. I don't want to be his best friend !!! My going there should be sufficient reason for him to appreciate my custom! Sam, have the fortitude to mention the location of your shop so that I can avoid it like the plague. I don't like your threat of what you might do to my meat should I not treat you like royalty. Coz Egberts Australia !
The Reluctant Gourmet
Coz, couldn't disagree with you more. I find getting to know the people who provide me with ingredients I cook every week makes a difference and how hard is it to be nice and treat your merchants with a little respect?
Patrick Toland
Thanks for the advice in this article, nice. I live in Ireland and watch many food shows from here and in the US. I have become interested recently in making great burgers. I have seen Americans mentioning chuck steak as a great cut for burgers. I am a little confused about asking a butcher here about this cut, as your article and others say that the chuck is tough and good for slow cooking. Is there a part of the chuck that's good for burgers or is it a different part of the cow? Any advice on this would be great. Thanks.
G. Stephen Jones
Great question Patrick. If you go to your local butcher, if they are not buying chop meat in bulk for burgers, they are probably using scraps and trimmings for their burger meat. I have no idea what parts of the cow are used in fast food burgers and frankly, I really don't want to know. Chuck steak is a great cut for making burgers and yes it is a tougher cut than filet but the meat is ground up, the ultimate tenderizer. More important is the fat ratio in the beef and that is a personal preference. Some people who are watching their weight like their burgers made with lean, low-fat beef but to me, they have no flavor. I read their are some restaurants using 60%/40% mixtures with 40% fat. Now that's going to be a juicy burger! The question I have and will have to research or would appreciate someone responding to, how can you determine the percentage of fat in a cut of beef? If I buy a chuck steak and grind it up myself, how do I know the fat percentage?
Joe B
"I can buy Prime New York strip steaks at Costco for less than $14 a pound. Are they good, yes but how would they compare to these other steaks?" You say they are good, but your question implies they are not as good as other stores prime. well, what is it?
G. Stephen Jones
Joe, I don't think I was implying anything but asking how would the steaks I purchase at Costco compare to the steaks Mark Schatzker wrote about in his book on steak. My experience with Prime cuts of steak is limited because of both cost and availability so I urge readers to try for themselves with what they can get their hands on. Also, everyone's personal tastes are going to be different than mine. It doesn't matter what I like, but what tastes best to the person eating the steak.
bdad
Check out the bbq sauce on the shelf behind them. That stuff is the bomb or pork.
The Reluctant Gourmet
I'm guessing bdad you are referring to Tip #2 with two of my favorite butchers. What brand is that?
Charles
You stated there were several classes of choice. What are the classes and how would one identify each. Great article and a lot of very good information. Will be my weekly reading this week, so I can be better educated.
The Reluctant Gourmet
Not sure of the various classes of choice but will see what I can find out. If there are any butchers or meat specialists who know the answer to this, please let us know.
Nash Rich
I really liked the diagram of what meat came from where. I've never really known what parts come from where. I knew where the rib was though because it's easier to know where the bones are. It's also my favorite part. I shouldn't have looked at this before lunch! Thanks for the info!
bettypark
WOW,it's amazing to know.I seriously don't know how to buy the best steak.thanks,Buddy!!hope it will be my next new experience. 🙂
Louise van der Marel
We love rib-eye, and when we lived in The Netherlands, i bought it many times.
We moved to Thailand where i bought 3 times rib-eye, but no more.
Just a bit brown on the outside and red on the inside.
When i did that here in Thailand, you could hammer it under your shoes and walk 10 years on it.
I think they gave me the short rib right??
But, in my opinion, they looked the same as the tender and juicy ones in The Netherlands.
UUUHHH, do i have to buy new glasses???
louise
G. Stephen Jones
I'm not sure about them looking the same, I guess it depends on packaging but wow, they are from completely different parts of the cow and are cooked completely different. It might be interesting if you cooked what they are calling rib-eye like you would short ribs and see how they turn out. Not that you want to pay rib-eye prices for short ribs.
Samantha Rogers
My brother recently started working at a butcher shop and it has got me fascinated with finding the best meats I can. You mentioned that it doesn't really matter if you get your steaks at the supermarket or a butcher shop, as long as you have a good relationship with the butcher. I will definitely use my newfound knowledge to see what each place has to offer!
G. Stephen Jones
Personally, I think you are going to find a wider variety of meats at a local butcher and in some cases you may find better quality but that really depends on where you are geographically. I find some fine meats at my local Costco but have no relationship with any of the meat cutters which makes it difficult when I have questions. I know the meat buyer at our local Farmer's Market and can ask him just about anything pertaining to meat cuts and how to cook them. I can also ask where the meat came from, it's grade and what he or she recommends. I find that invaluable when shopping for meats to cook and serve my family.
Callum Palmer
Not many people realize that there are different steaks that are more fit for different meals, so it is great to see your article acknowledge that. After all, if you're planning to have some steak and eggs for breakfast then that is going to be a very different kind of meat than what you'd want to eat for dinner. If you're not sure about what steak to get for what meal then it might be helpful to get some advice from the butcher until you can figure it out on your own.
Kyle Wayne
I never took into account that good meat isn't just about what it looks like. My grandpa is looking to hire a home delivery meats service since going to the store isn't as convenient as it used to be for him. I think I'll talk to him about not buying meat just by looks.
Rosie Beckett
I am planning to buy some steak from a local meat shop for the football tailgating party I am throwing in a few weeks and I want to make sure that I choose quality meat. You make a great point that freshly cut meat will have a bright red color and this is a great way for me to see if the meat is fresh when I buy it. Also, I did not realize that smell matters and I will ensure that the meat does not have an ammonia or sour smell when I purchase it. Also, I think that asking the local butcher for recommendations at the store will give me peace of mind that I am choosing the best meat.
captainmeatshop
Great article like this require readers to think as they read. I took my time when going through the points made in this article. I agree with much this information.
Chris David
Thanks for sharing yummy & healthy ideas for buying steak. This is one of the best articles I have crossed.
Olivia Smart
Thank you for explaining how it's good ask your butcher for advice for different cuts of meat. My husband and I are thinking about going to the butcher to get some steak for a dinner date night. I'll be sure to share this with him so we can talk to the butcher and start building a good relationship with them.
G. Stephen Jones
Hi Olivia, that's great. Thanks for letting me know.