Angus beef is superior

[fireweaver]

well, speaking of preparation methods & where we're shopping...

there's a korean-run grocery store just past my office building that has easily the best raw ingredients around. produce selection & quality are far superior to the regular ol' store, and at way cheaper prices. the meats & fish are no different. my mom was visiting here for a long weekend (fun times!), so i popped in there with her to get fixin's for a nice meal at home. scooped up a very lovely whole tenderloin for the crazy-cheap price of $5 per pound, and cut it into steaks thanks to the extremely helpful knowledge from the crew at DC. my marinade is to crush a half-handful of dried chives into the bowl, add a pinch of garlic powder or minced garlic, and a pour of the red wine you'll be drinking with the beef. sprinkle steaks liberally with sea salt & fresh-ground pepper on both sides, toss in wine mix to sit for 20 minutes or so. yum!

re: ketchup. dear god. a bozo i was (briefly!!) dating this past summer tried to correct my grill technique by offering to coat my steaks in KC BBQ sauce instead, and yes, he liked 'em burnt to boot leather too. ketchup is possibly the only "marinade" i can imagine worse...

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Very Technically true...However IMHO is of little or no use to the avg. consumer in this forum who is buyng meat for their table. These subtle differences are only visible to the most well trained, experienced eyes and equipment. Excellently prepared "choice" beef is excellent. Poorly prepared "Prime" is fair at best. For my money, I would prefer to discuss preparation methods and ideas rather than to discuss the intricate technicalities of the USDA beef grading System.

Do enjoy.....

You have spoken well. Technique is far more important. With proper technique, and some knowledge of the carcass, one can use the proper cut for the proper meal. You certainly wouldn't use even USDA Prime Chuck Steak to impress your FIL. In the same vein, if you use any bone-in rib steak for stew, then you are throwing away your money.

It is important to know what the best cooking methods are for the kind of meat you are using. There are easy to read and understand charts available online that explain the naming conventions, where the meat comes from on the carcass, and typical methods for preparing different cuts.

In summary, the more you know about the meat, the better you are able to choose the right cut and technique to create a great meal.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[RPCookin]

I have thought about that before. I have a friend that raised Brahamas, but we only feed two at our house. I would have to buy a freezer and, of course, consider the utility cost. No way can you guesstimate the cost of that. Electricity goes up daily How many pounds of beef would that be, roughly?And, what if the beef is just average, or worse, well below average. You, then, are stuck with it, no?

It's not that costly to run a small freezer. My wife and I (no kids) generally split a side of beef with my sister and her husband (daughter married and gone). That lasts for a year or more, and I can assure you that we pay less even with the freezing costs than you do at the supermarket. And we have that freezer available for other needs too then. Now and then when something is on a really good sale, we will stock up and generally save a lot of money on the grocery bill in the long run. Things like frozen veggies, meats like packaged spare ribs and corned beef (always a good buy around St. Patrick's Day), frozen shrimp and seafood can all be had on sale for 1/2 to 1/4 the normal price. We hardly ever buy anything at full price any more unless it is absolutely needed.

 

[pacanis]

My small upright freezer is over 20 years old and only adds $10/month to my electric bill. I imagine they are a lot more efficient today. I too stock up on things and wouldn't be without one.
I live by myself and bought a side of beef several months ago. It was a small 1-1/2 year old steer, 700 lbs I think. I believe I got a couple hundred lbs of beef. Anyway, I'll have no problem using it up, even some of the "odd" cuts I've been playing with. Excellent taste, tender, hormone free, I know the guy that raised it. Can't go wrong.
That said, the cuts aren't anywhere near as "pretty" as store bought, but I'd do it again. I imagine the individual butcher and size of the steer has a lot to do with that.

 

[Jikoni]

Kobe beef anyone?

I had Kobe beef in Japan and can definately vouch for it. It was fresh and tasted heavenly. Angus beef is great too, but sometimes I think to myself, why compare? Both are great and different.I rate my beef by chewing it and swallowing it. I am not a very technical person.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I had Kobe beef in Japan and can definately vouch for it. It was fresh and tasted heavenly. Angus beef is great too, but sometimes I think to myself, why compare? Both are great and different.I rate my beef by chewing it and swallowing it. I am not a very technical person.

I like the way you think.

As I stated previously, there are so many varieties availale to us these days. And some are great for one thing, while others are great for something else. I ceratinly wouldn't put Kobe or Wagyu beef in a stew. Nor would I use bottom round, no matter what breed it came from, for a grilled steak.

And if the meat doesn't have the quality we thought we were getting, it can always be ground up for meat loaf, or to add to spaghetti sauce. And I don't know about you, but for me, when ground meat is made into sloppy joes, the beef flavor is almost completely lost to the tomato, spices, and other flavors. Only the texture of the ground beef is important.

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[Jikoni]

^I totally agree GWN, when gound beef is all spiced up it always means she/he had some issues and has to be dealt with differently.(excuse the personification)

 

[CasperImproved]

Hello GWN and Jikoni - What I wanted to add here is from another forum on another site I view from time to time (chowhound's) that I agree with. The *best* beef, is the beef that is local and not stressed/overly processed. If a number of different breeds were given the same factors of growth (exercise, diet, etc.), many people would not likely be able to tell the difference between them. Quality in environment and care is likely to be the biggest value in a good tasting piece of beef. I did not personally grow up on a farm, but have enough family members that did that I was thankfully able to take advantage of their output during summer vacations Good beef requires a good plan on their growth, and it is likely that that their ancestry is not quite as important. Like humans, I think they are a product of their upbringing (I know, a bag analogy). In any case, I actually have a personal need for better pork. There is no better ham, then a ham that has a had a free range life style. I know, because the 2 or 3 hams I was able to acquire prior to my last home move were orgasmic for a pork lover. I know that sounds a little "out there". But if you haven't had the same experience... you just can't equate. Sorry I left the topic But I think the the point I was making is that overly processed meat is a bad thing (beef or otherwise), and if you can locate a local producer, it may well enhance your experience greatly. A good source of information may be a local smalle butcher shop, and if you don't have that, then ask some of your neighbors that have been around for a long time. And no, I did not capture the other forum info to repost. I agreed with the information I read and put it in my own words, and added my own thoughts (for the mod) ;-) I *love* a very good ribeye on the grill, but come easter, a local farm produced ham without hormones, etc. and a normal amount of fat (more then the raised for sale pigs for a large market by a large pig farmer) it is heaven... trust me. For a beef answer, I say the source issue and response is the same. I will however add that a good piece of beef from a taste prospective will have great marbling (the fat is where the flavor comes from). But I like all cuts for their specific uses.... the best cut of beef for a Mexican meal of burritos is normally a hard to cut/chew piece of beef unless cooked in a specific manner that is recommended. However, any cut has it's beauty, and it's ugly. Just needs to be convinced it's beautiful In other words, the right cooking method and usage after that. Casper