Beef Tenderloin

[Mylegsbig]

Hey there is there anyway to get Select or Choice tenderloins, and if so, are they any good?

The only tenderloins i see here are 35 bucks a pound so i'd be paying 100 dollars for a piece of meat.


How much is choice or select tenderloin a pound and where can i get it

 

[ironchef]

Pretty much all beef tenderloins that you'll find in the supermarket/Cosco will be designated as choice. It's the most common grade that you'll find. If the beef is designated as prime, then it will be marked accordingly. Price varies by region.

 

[marmalady]

If you have a Costco nearby, they sell 'choice' meats, and their tenderloins are very reasonable. Also watch your grocery store ads - lots of times they'll have great sales.

Now - these are all 'untrimmed', meaning you have to do all the trimming of fat and silverskin yourself. If you saw a 'choice' tenderloin for $30/lb, I'm willing to bet it was already trimmed out.

 

[Andy M.]

Here in the Massachusetts/New Hampshire area, Costco sells whole choice grade tenderloins for around $10.00 a pound. Trimming jacks up the price a little but it's the best deal around. Prime is virtually not available outside of the restaurant trade and high-end butchers. I wouldn't go for select grade for a tenderloin.

 

[RPCookin]

Buying "prime" tenderloin is a waste of money, IMO. I have never found a tenderloin in any grade that wasn't excellent, unless it was poorly prepared (wrapping a strip of bacon around the edge before cooking helps to keep from drying them out ).

I can get them in any of my local supermarkets, generally for about $10 - $12 per pound. If there are none in the case, I can have them cut.

Some cuts, it's worth spending the extra money for a special occasion, but not for filets.

 

[Michael in FtW]

Most grocery stores are going to sell either "Select" or "Choice" grades of beef .... I have to go to either Whole Foods, Central Market, or an indipendent butcher to find "Prime" grade of any cut (and that's usually a special order). Prime (generally goes to restaurants and steak houses) and cost more than Choice, which cost more than Select. Read the label if it's prepackaged - it will tell you what grade it is.

Of course, since one of the major differences in the grades is the marbeling (amount of fat - fat is good - look at a slice of Kobe beef if you ever are fortunate enough to see one) - there is always the lost art of "larding". But, as Alton Brown would say - that's another show.

 

[Raine]

Yes, ther is a diffeernce between the grades.

We won't buy anything that is select, not even for the dog.

Select comes from old cows, etc.

 

[buckytom]

i wanna hang with rainee's dog! i'll bet he gets great q, too.

35 bucks a pound!?!?! that had better be trimmed organic prime beef mylegs, delivered to your house by the butcher.

most beef tenderloins around here go from 8 to 20 bucks a pound. the costco whole (untrimmed) tenderloins go for about 8 bucks/lb on sale, and are quite good. the trimmings don't go to waste either. we have happy cats....

 

[jennyema]

I have only seen beef for $35 a pound at a very high end butcher shop. That's crazy.

Costco is where Julia Child used to buy her meat.

 

[kitchenelf]

I can buy a nice big tenderloin for around $55.00 - $70.00 - I love to take the strip of circular meat that runs along the side and grind it for burgers.

 

[Mylegsbig]

Hey guys - See, i have never seen a Choice tenderloin. I'd love to pick one up for 12 bucks a pound.

The only ones i've seen at HEB and Central Market,, are prime. And they are 25-35 dollars a pound...

I wonder if there is a costco here

Do you think a plain butcher shop would have choice tenderloins?

 

[Andy M.]

Here's the website for their store locator. It's worth the trip but you have to be a member. That costs $45.00 a year. If someone you know has a membership, they can take you. Otherwise, you'll have to pay the $45.00.

http://www.costco.com/Warehouse/Locator.aspx

You can buy a whole tenderloin or a couple of steaks.

 

[Mylegsbig]

Andy, what are the advantages of joining Costco? would you reccomend it to someone on a budget?

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I like to puchase my meat from a local grower/butcher who crows nothing but great meat. I purchased a quarter cow from them last December and have finally used up the meat. I plan on buying half a beef from them. All of the meat came to about $1.50/pound, inclucing the tenderloin, rib steaks, ground beef, flank steak, soup-bones, the works. Now that I know the meat quality they sell (I would suspect prime, but we have no USDA INspectors in the area), because of the marbling, and flavor quality. I know the cattle are corn-finished for several months before butchering.

Even if you have have to drive a bit, and if you can find a cattle grower in your area, that's the way to purchase beef. I won't go back to supermarket beef when I can get much, much better beef, and all ro $1.50 per pound.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[Andy M.]

The advantages of Costco are the ability to buy good stuff, they have a lot moe than just meat, for very good prices. Their prices are usually better than supermarket sale prices.

They also carry stuff that alot of supermarkets don't.

The disadvantage is that you often have to buy larger quantities. For a single guy, that can be a problem. e.g. TP comes in a 24 or 30 roll package. You can buy a whole pork loin or a tray of a dozed chops. A whole sirloin strip, tenderloin, rib eye, etc - or trays of 3-4 steaks. Hambuger comes in 6 pound packages.

If there's one nearby, maybe you can share the cost of the membership with some friends. But you have to deal with the cost of buying large quantities and have somewhere to put them.

 

[ironchef]

Question: Where exactly do you live?

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Question: Where exactly do you live?

Who are you asking?

Seeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[Mylegsbig]

I live in San Antonio.

 

[ironchef]

Mylegs because I'm trying to figure out why he cannot find Choice.

 

[Mylegsbig]

Iron, the only times i see filets are at the supermarkets, i havent gone to an actual butcher as i dont know where one is....