Not to upset you John T. but ...

%^)

... USDA choice T-bones are on sale at Fry's this week for $3.97 a pound (sez regularly $9.99 a pound) ... forced to fire up the Weber Sunday night ... can't last forever ... bottle shock should be worn off by now so think I'll open up one of the '06 Cujo zins to go with'em ... pinto beans, fresh salsa, and tortillas ? Hmmmm ... have to think about that ...

Clink !

%^)

Our Raley's just took in Black Angus beef. They had thick New York steaks for $3.99 last week.

Hey, Bill, I'm happy for you. I do have to wonder though, how they can possibly sell them at that price.
Even if they're buying the whole short loin and cutting the steaks in house, the price should be higher than that.
Anybody have a load of cattle that's gone missing?

Mangia, my friend, mangia. And let the good times roll.

Here's a clue as to why the meat can be so inexpensive.

Of course, I'm sure the Courtneys can provide much more illumination since it's their bailiwick.

The US of A, of course would *never* treat animals like this. Yeah, right.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43cTvd9o ... re=related

I do not find USDA choice to be anything special. As for supermarket-quality beef, I probably wouldn't take it even if they gave it away for free. There is something about factory farm beef, bolstered with growth hormones and antibiotics, that I find troubling. I would rather spend $18/lb for naturally raised, non-chemically manipulated, grass fed beef that don't get graded because the ranchers don't need to submit their steer to the feds in order to sell it to their customers.

I do not find USDA choice to be anything special. As for supermarket-quality beef, I probably wouldn't take it even if they gave it away for free. There is something about factory farm beef, bolstered with growth hormones and antibiotics, that I find troubling. I would rather spend $18/lb for naturally raised, non-chemically manipulated, grass fed beef that don't get graded because the ranchers don't need to submit their steer to the feds in order to sell it to their customers.

I've recently been introduced to a different line of beef - the brand name is "Vintage" - no hormones, but it's corn fed for 300 days. They use antibiotics if necessary, but allow ample time for them to clear out before slaughter. It gets graded, and is available in choice and prime. The animals are also "harvested" younger - yielding smaller muscles and hence, thicker steaks. It sells at about a 20% premium to the big boy brands; e.g. IBP, National.
I believe Lazy Acres carries it. I was given some samples, and personally did not find enough there to persuade me that it's worth the premium. A few trusted customers concurred. However, in a fair cutting, I would taste the meat side by side against the alternatives, and I'd do it blind.

I'm not in love with grass fed beef. Perhaps it's an acquired taste. I am currently reading "Omnivore's Dilemma" and my mind may change.

I think the "best" beef (by that I mean both in terms of flavor and morality) is grass fed and finished with grain. No hormones. No antibiotics.

For generations of folks that have known nothing other than industrial beef, pork and poultry, it is not surprising that the texture of sustainably raised products is hard to take. I grew up on a farm where we raised nearly everything we needed and developed a very profound respect for land and animal.
I agree totally that I would rather spend the extra $ for all the reasons already stated.

John,

Our stores sell "Black Angus" beef but usually charge a premium for meat with that designation. Is Black Angus really superior or is that just a marketing ploy?

John,

Our stores sell "Black Angus" beef but usually charge a premium for meat with that designation. Is Black Angus really superior or is that just a marketing ploy?

It's a minefield, Dave.
There is a brand, "Certified Angus Beef" - sounds official, doesn't it? Well in this case, it's brilliant marketing, because "certified" is simply part of the brand name, as "heinz" is to ketchup. That said, the beef has pretty tight specs and the claim is that it is always the top 5% of choice or higher.
Other packers out there (Swift, and National) also have Angus programs, and also claim to have similar specs.

I have done comparisons among CAB, other brands of Angus, as well as choice, select and prime, many times over. Prime consistently outperforms all comers.
I've had less steady results among the Anguses, with plain choice sometimes coming out on top. Stay away from select, it never wins.

When I want a good steak, I look for Prime graded beef. That's more important to me than the breed.