Quality meat makes a huge difference in steak (wine, restaurant, burger)

[MKTwet]

I watched this youtube video about how to cook restaurant quality steaks at home. I won't link it here, you can search it up. Cooking steak isn't that hard but it does require proper seasoning and then the right temps. I've done steaks a lot and they all seem to have fall short of some well known steakhouses.

So I went to a meat store and picked up some major really high quality meats above the costco stuff and it definitely taste much closer. The main different I think is the ribeye has so much more marbling so that every bite has good flavors from the fat. A lot of USDA grade steaks I bought from Costco just don't have enough flavor no matter how good I season it. But getting a good quality steak from a butcher makes a lot of difference.

[mainebrokerman]

Top 3 grades of beef
Prime
Choice
Select

Low priced lean beef
No-roll. Or ungraded beef
Sukarne - Mexican beef

Prime grade has the most marbling
And richest in flavor… also highest price

Choice has moderate marbling but is quite prevalent
In most stores … and many chains will use as loss leaders ( sometimes below cost)

Lean is cheaper yet leaner

…. Here’s is the Beef conflict in the past 40 yrs
Many consumers want lean!! Because we’ve been told the fat will clog our arteries
But lean beef can be tasteless and tough

I’ve sold prime grade beef and many ladies will comment “ eww look at all that fat”. Looking at marbling… they don’t see the steak before they cook it in the restaurant


Dry age … many restaurants will dry age which concentrates flavors

And don’t overcook… if you overcook a prime grade it can taste like a select grade .. dry and tougher

[kyle19125]

People typically don't know how to cook lean or grass-fed beef it seems. You can't cook it at full blast from start to finish. You start off with a quick sear on the first side, flip and repeat, THEN turn down the heat to more medium to cook up to no higher than medium unless you like shoe-leather consistency. If you eat your beef medium-well to well done, it's pointless to buy better cuts or grades.

[dennisthemedic]

I buy Nolan beef when it is on sale.

[lieqiang]

Easy peasy.

1. Take out of the fridge an hour before, add more salt and pepper both sides
2. Bake in the oven at 270 for about 15-18 minutes depending on where in medium rare range you want it
3. Sear on an oiled hot pan one minute per side, including using tongs to touch the edges to pan
4. Drizzling butter over the top near after your last flip
5. Let sit for 10 minutes under foil before tabling

The sear can also be done on the grill but personally I've found no improvement in the steak for the trouble of getting the grill going, unless you're already doing other things on the grill as well.

[teqp]

I agree with some of the posts above. Even a USDA Choice can taste not bad if cooked properly. I always look for a steak with the most marble in the meat, whether Choice or Prime. Costco Prime steaks (NY strips or ribeyes) are okay if they have good marble. When I really want good steaks, I typically buy from Holygrailsteak.com. Their meat is always fresh and they have a great selection from USDA Upper Prime, American Wagyu and Japanese Wagyu. My local butcher also has some great selections as well and has some dry aged selection as well.



I like the reverse sear method, 12 minutes (more if a thicker cut) at 225-235. I then get my Kamado Joe up to 750F and will sear each side for 2-3 minutes (dependent on thickness). I like my steaks more on the rare side than medium-rare. The cast iron skillet is quicker, but the charcoal does add an additional bit of flavor into the steak. Let rest and make sure your wine has been decanting for a while so it can be enjoyed when you eat the steak. Now, I'm hungry!

[sam812]

Originally Posted by lieqiang

Easy peasy.

1. Take out of the fridge an hour before, add more salt and pepper both sides
2. Bake in the oven at 270 for about 15-18 minutes depending on where in medium rare range you want it
3. Sear on an oiled hot pan one minute per side, including using tongs to touch the edges to pan
4. Drizzling butter over the top near after your last flip
5. Let sit for 10 minutes under foil before tabling

The sear can also be done on the grill but personally I've found no improvement in the steak for the trouble of getting the grill going, unless you're already doing other things on the grill as well.

That works. I prefer to cook from frozen on the grill.

Generously salt and pepper top of frozen steaks.
Go start gas grill to pre-heat it.
Flip frozen steaks and generously salt, pepper and add some garlic salt.
Cook for 6 minutes and then give steak a turn to get those nice grill marks for 4 more minutes.
Flip steak and cook for 5 minutes then turn.
After 2 minutes shut off flames.
Let sit for 8-10 minutes on the grill.
Then light grill and turn flame all the way up and heat steak for 1 1/2 minutes then turn over for 1 minute.
They are now perfect and ready to eat.

We buy a calf every year and have it butchered the next year.

[mainebrokerman]

When talking steaks … the steaks differ tremendously

Tenderloin ( filet mignon/chateaubriand) is the tendered
But often doesn’t have the marbling rib eyes have

Rib eye steak - also called Delmonico steak ( from a restaurant in New York)

Sirloin strip steak ( also called Kansas City or New York strip steak)
Bone -in strip steak also called club steak/ shell sirloin steak

The above 3 steaks are the most popular higher quality steaks
These steaks/muscles are along the backbone and more of a structure muscle not working muscle
Again if you want the best go with prime grade, but choice grade is good too

Other steaks for consideration… ( personal choice)
I love flat iron steaks - rated 2nd most tender on the steer- impressive coming from the chuck top blade

Bottom sirloin flap meat ( also called bavette). This is a well marbled muscle not all places sell ..
in the northeast many “ meat” stores will use this muscle for marinated beef tips - the butcher shops best selling item

Chuck eye steak - connects to the rib eye .. only get 3-5 on a critter but have excellent flavor

Skirt/hanger/flank all considered thin meats can be very good but have to be prepared carefully

The porterhouse/ t bone has two muscles above( tenderloin and sirloin strip) the difference is porterhouse has a larger tenderloin than t-bone

Theirs a muscle called top butt sirloin ( hip) formerly known as rump steaks
That is a large steak, very good flavor (consisting of two muscles one is the coulotte ( picahna) and is
Very flavorful- this is a good value steak )

Most chuck and round steaks are working muscles and can be tough… where most roasts and London broils come from..

Top round steaks s excellent for jerky… and more and more slow smokers are buying boneless
Chuck roasts …for pulled beef

For value…. Look at the loss leaders on the front page of the grocery store flyers

As a butcher for 40 years cutting local critters.. wild game .. and being a meat mgr at a supermarket
I get asked is it better to buy a half a cow …personal opinion… having cut up many different breeds
Is I do like supporting local farms but also realize this - if you buy half a cow most of the time yyou are buying live weight ( on the hoof). And what is the yield of boneless edible meat?? ( 30-40%)
You are buying the innards/head/hide/hooves and bones you can’t eat)
Do the math - usually get 25-30% burger and then chuck and round steaks/roast/stew … not all rib eyes!!

Grass fed vs grain finished- grass finished can be sour if you aren’t use to it
All beef are grass fed … personal preference I like grain finished…

Animal welfare - here’s a tidbit most people don’t see - if a beef critter is stressed … he won’t bleed well and this affects the meat/muscle … it’s called a dark cutter or cherry beef the steaks won’t bloom red … so it’s in the best interest of the industry to not stress the animals…

[don6170]

Originally Posted by MKTwet

Cooking steak isn't that hard but it does require proper seasoning and then the right temps. I've done steaks a lot and they all seem to have fall short of some well known steakhouses.

To me, proper seasoning is just salt and pepper, applied beforehand.

For a perfect cook every time, go with sous vide, followed by 45-60 seconds per side in a screaming hot cast iron skillet. You will cook it to the exact temperature with no guessing to doneness.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

The grade of the beef makes a difference, but the biggest difference is the amount of aging.

I've gotten really good steaks that are Select grade by buying the entire strip and taking it home and aging it for about 2 weeks. Flavor will be excellent. Tenderness will vary. Some Select when aged will be nicely tender, some will give you some chewing exercise. If the meat isn't tender, then I marinate it.

But yes, if you want good steaks, Prime is going to be safe bet. Choice can be quite good, especially if you are buying rib steaks which tend to run fatty and there is enough fat in the choice grade rib section, which is a fatty cut.

Just by the feel of the meat, I know that meat graded as "choice" has been aged longer than meat graded as Select. With Select, it is going to sell for less and they just get it packaged and sold as quickly as possible. Which is why I can take Select meat home and age it and greatly improve it.

One of the local stores sells a certified Hereford prime rib roast that is aged for 5 weeks. It's only available at holidays and if you want one, best to pre-order. It's expensive but worth every penny.

The expensive steak house serve prime beef and they also serve beef that is well aged. They can afford to do that since they charge a small fortune for your dinner. You have to pay the price to get meat like that.