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There really isn't a brand of steaks or anything to go with. It just depends on the quality. If you are buying out of the isle of a generic super market you are getting low quality cuts. But if you buy prime, or at least a good choice cut, with good marbling ... the rest of it comes down to how you season and cook it.
We have some pretty awesome beef out here. Unless I find better, right now a little IGA grocery store in a town named Townsend MT has the best price AND the best beef I've had. Cut anyway you want it, locally grown and oh so good. Don't eat it a lot, but that's what we get.
The best tasting steak I ever, ever had was a petite filet mignon from a place called 'The Wonder Bar' in Clarksburg, WV. I've had steak in most of the large city 'steak houses', and had steak in some great Montana places, but nothing, and I mean nothing has come close to that Italian family owned steakhouse in Clarksburg. Simply the best tasting steak me or any of my buddies have ever tasted anywhere.
You get them by knowing what they look like. The USDA system (as used at purchase) is a general guide, but the difference between a Choice+ and a Prime- isn't incredibly great, but you can't tell that from the labeling, you need to be able to recognize it.
You can also get them by learning to butcher and buying good quality primal cuts (I usually do this at Costco, Restaurant Depot, and direct from farmers). If I'm butchering a whole top sirloin I cut most steaks from the muscle that is the continuation of the loin muscle, and make roasts, kebabs, and ground beef from other sections (although I'll sometimes cut some "rump" and "cap" steaks too).
A good butcher will do something similar, and hopefully they'll let you know what part of the sirloin the steak has been cut from. The best way to start to learn how to recognize a good steak is to buy steaks from a butcher with a good reputation, and don't be afraid to talk to them. Pay attention to the color of the meat, the marbling, and the grain of the beef each time you buy it.
My favorite places to buy are at butchers who always have a few carcasses hanging in the walk in. While they don't advertise them as aged beef, they've frequently been hanging for a few weeks. That's very different from larger commercial operations where they're trying to get it to market as quickly as possible. Once you've bought meat like this a number of times (and paid attention to what it looks like) you'll be better able to judge the quality of what you see on a supermarket's shelves. The quality at supermarkets varies widely.
create a relationship with a hometown butcher, as someone said, in the butcher shops or iga's.
Wal-Mart and many supermarkets , sell "case-ready" or pre-packed steaks and meats - not cut at the store and packaged will gases for longer shelf life
go to stores that have butchers in them....and they cut on site
you've got to know some basics about beef,,,and be careful,,,like most info, it can be agenda driven..lots of propaganda in the wind..
ive been a butcher by profession for decades, from butcher shops, to farms, to supermarkets,
ive butchered thousands of local farm raised critters to being a meat manager in a high volume supermarket
buying a (best tasting) steak, is much like buying a best of any commodity, the question is "how much are you willing to spend"
because the simple answer is to buy "prime" grade rib eyes, sirloin strips, tenderloin, t-bones, porterhouse steaks
the top three grades of beef, are
prime, choice, and select
often the difference is marbling ( specks of fat in the muscle) remember, fat is flavor
prime has the most amount of marbling, while select has the least
prime is usually sold primarily in restaurants, and some higher end stores do sell it,,,,but again, it is expensive, a prime sirloin strip may sell for 19.99lb or more while a choice grade is around 9.99lb-14.99lb
and a select grade may be 6.99-9.99lb
id like to drive a bmw, but I cant afford one, so im driving a sonata
I don't buy prime grade-too expensive for me, so I will buy choice grade
look for sales on "choice" rib eyes, strips, porterhouse, T-bones, tenderloin
this would be my simple recommendation
a lot of variables, you can take the best steak, and overcook it, and it can be tough,, how you cook it has almost as much as the end result, as to what you buy
some people want a steak for a different purpose- my son is a health nut, and wants high protein, low fat,,, so I get him leaner steaks and tenderize them thru the cuber/tenderizer machine
lean and tender usually dont go together , but if you want a very lean steak, buy a top round, eye round, round tip, shoulder chuck steaks, very high in protein and very little fat
I cut up a local grass fed critter a few weeks ago, and it was so very lean, it will be tough as nails,,,
don't get me started on organics or grass fed,,, and the propaganda..
These folks supply many of the Chicago steak houses, this is prime beef, not choice, not select, but prime. You can get wet or dry aged (for flavor, I prefer dry aged, personally).
As far as cuts, rib eye for me, please. The fat lends flavor, and the deckle (cap) is the best part of the best cut.
However, like mentioned above, this stuff is so expensive, it just is for very super special occasions for me. Meaning maybe once every 5 years.
A local meat market. I know the rancher where the cattle comes from and know what they're fed. Butcher cuts my steaks to my specifications. The taste is amazing. Now when I don't want to pay $25.00 a pound, I go to my local Safeway butcher and tell him what I want. The steaks taste almost the same and are just as tender.
I will NEVER buy any meat from Walmart. I have in the past and it is either spoiled or taste like cardboard.
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