Where's the Beef?

A discussion on another forum got me thinking about beef. And besides, it is coming into BBQ season.

Apparently we have artisanal beef producers around here, guaranteed no hormones use, and presumably the beef critters could feel the love before getting the chop.

Others suggested that Canada prime is the only way to go, while some said US prime is the best. It was opined that the feeding differs and that Canadian feeds with alfalfa which is evident in the result. Lobels in New York was mentioned and of course in Vancouver we get Kobe beef ($35 per oz.!) from Japan.

So one question is whoproduces the best beef.

Another is which cut is the best. Some people opt for New York, strip loin or whatever, but everyone knows that rib eye is THE best - don't we?

So where do you get you favourite beef and what is your favourite cut?

Mmmmmm…beef steak! The best restaurant steak I have ever had was probably at Peter Lugar in Brooklyn.

Over the years I have had grass, alfalfa and corn fed beef. My favorite is USDA prime Midwest corn fed beef. Minimum 25 day dry-aged. Bone in rib-eye, please.

[Robin Garr]

We have artisanal beef producers around here, pretty much as you describe: Grass-fed, naturally produced, no hormones and humanely produced. Until the chop, of course. For a combination of all those reasons, we buy probably 99 percent of our beef from those sources nowadays, and I'm happy. I don't find grass-fed inferior, and the flavors are intense and very good, although in fairness I have not done a side-by-side with grass or grain fed.

I'll agree with you on rib eye bone-in, although I'm pretty much smitten with rib eye as my steak of choice whether it has a bone on it or not.

[Jenise]

Bill, funny you should ask. On Saturday our Yacht Club held a golf tournie and BYOS dinner. We have a huge brick grill there that enables large quantities of grilling at one time. So I needed steak, and what did I do? Got out my passport! There's a little butcher shop in Surrey right off 99 called Clancy's who sells Canadian prime from Alberta. I bought inch-thick bone-in rib steaks. They were gorgeous. And I took them to the party where people were removing their little American steaks from those foam containers where I unwrapped this big present of brown butcher paper and then proceeded to lather them with lots of chopped garlic and parsley in olive oil, salt and coarse chunks of black pepper from a mill which I'd brought along. I was so proud of the way my little beef-a-rama looked on the grill. One woman I didn't even know watched my prep and said, "Oh, is that PESTO?" No, I said, just olive garlic and parsley with olive oil. "WELL THAT'S PESTO," she said, insistently. This was one of those situations in which you have to choose between being right and being loved. And what did I choose? Right! "No it's not, pesto is lots of basil and olive ground to a paste with some garlic and pine nuts. This is lots of minced garlic with a little olive oil and parsley. Very different."

But as to which is better, the best Canadian beef I've had is definitely as good as the best American beef I've ever had. And I've had excellent prime beef from both Washington and Oregon. Trouble is, it's so damned hard to get one's hands on conventionally.

Um, Jenise, are we going to have to agree to disagree about pesto? I will agree that common usage means the basil kind, but there are plenty of other pesti out there.

Back to steaks: Grain-fed has a better chew but I prefer the flavor of grass-fed. Make mine porterhouse, dry aged for 3 weeks (or thereabouts), rare.

Not that I'd be turning away rib or NY strip... or skirt (steak, Stuart, steak).

Trouble is, it's so damned hard to get one's hands on conventionally.

Uh, pardon me, ma'am, does that mean you've been acquiring some of our Dominion of Canada prime 'unconventionally'? Or were you referring to the Washington and Oregon beef.

'Cause you know how we treat cattle rustlers in these parts.......

[Jenise]

Trouble is, it's so damned hard to get one's hands on conventionally.

Uh, pardon me, ma'am, does that mean you've been acquiring some of our Dominion of Canada prime 'unconventionally'? Or were you referring to the Washington and Oregon beef.

'Cause you know how we treat cattle rustlers in these parts.......

Cute! But on conventional vs. unconventional: I'm fairly sure that braving a border crossing for "foreign" beef would be considered unconventional by the standards of most Americans. In fact, you'd be surprised (or then again, maybe you wouldn't) how many people around here don't even have passports.

Cute! But on conventional vs. unconventional: I'm fairly sure that braving a border crossing for "foreign" beef would be considered unconventional by the standards of most Americans. In fact, you'd be surprised (or then again, maybe you wouldn't) how many people around here don't even have passports.

No it wouldn't.

I've met people from Washington state that weren't quite sure where or what Canada was (they had a vague idea where it was, but thought it might be a part of England somehow) and honest to God thought that we basically lived in igloos - an Arctic climate, despite the fact that we were only about 150 miles north of where I heard this.

I have found Americans to be among the least knowledgeable about other countries, in many cases because of an 'it's them and us" attitude and the 'them' seems to be some inchoate mass that pretty much takes in the rest of the world.

Obviously that doesn't go for the millions of Americans that DO have a better geographic sense. And that doesn't excuse the Canadians that are similarly ignorant of world geography - there are many of them as well.

Now I'm sure that is partly a 'big country. small country' sort of thing. If you live in, say, Denmark, it would be darned hard for you not to know about other countries around you - heck, you can practially see a couple of them from parts of Denmark.

[Jenise]

I have found Americans to be among the least knowledgeable about other countries, in many cases because of an 'it's them and us" attitude and the 'them' seems to be some inchoate mass that pretty much takes in the rest of the world.

I have too, and it's in very large part because of the big-country thing you mention. Your Denmark example is apt--it's easy to forgive someone who has spent their entire life tending a rural farm in Kansas, say, for being somewhat oblivious to the rest of the world. But I cannot imagine living 20 miles or closer from the border for most of their adult life as so many Bellinghamians have, and not being drawn, or even curious, content to live in their 180 degrees. By comparison I feel like I have a foot in both worlds. When I don't feel like cooking, we go to Canada. When I want a great piece of beef, I go to Canada. I have meals with friends there at least twice a month. Out for a drive? I listen to Canadian radio. That's in part because until I get closer to Bellingham I can't pick up my favorite Seattle NPR station, but it's the only American station on my presets and I'm fond of CBC 1 and 2 in their own right. I'm not ready to go metric yet, but at least now when I hear the radio announcer say it's 11 degrees out I can go, "wow, that warm" without having to convert to Fahrenheit.

I love where you live Jenise...you have the best of both worlds. I'd move up into the Pacific Northwestest in a quick minute, but we waited too long to do it and now we have grandkids 2 1/2 hours away. Even though we don't see them a bunch, the three or four times a year we do see them would cease to exist. Have you and your husband taken the Selkirk Loop which takes in part of British Columbia? We want to do that in our motor home. Most of the trip is around water, which we would love. If you Goggle it, a great website comes up with more info than you want and videos.

Regarding the beef, a local mom and pop store near our home sells this beef
http://prmeatco.com/mission.html

We find it to be great, but for some reason they cut the steaks thinner than we like. It is very popular in our area. Raley's has just introduced a new line of beef (I can't recall the name) and it is also very good. Our locally owned old fashioned butcher chop carries Harris Ranch.....if I do special orders, it is great. When I buy the newspaper specials, it is less than great.

But I cannot imagine living 20 miles or closer from the border for most of their adult life as so many Bellinghamians have, and not being drawn, or even curious, content to live in their 180 degrees.

Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime. ~Mark Twain

[Jenise]

I love where you live Jenise...you have the best of both worlds. I'd move up into the Pacific Northwestest in a quick minute, but we waited too long to do it and now we have grandkids 2 1/2 hours away. Even though we don't see them a bunch, the three or four times a year we do see them would cease to exist. Have you and your husband taken the Selkirk Loop which takes in part of British Columbia? We want to do that in our motor home. Most of the trip is around water, which we would love. If you Goggle it, a great website comes up with more info than you want and videos.

Regarding the beef, a local mom and pop store near our home sells this beef
http://prmeatco.com/mission.html

We find it to be great, but for some reason they cut the steaks thinner than we like. It is very popular in our area. Raley's has just introduced a new line of beef (I can't recall the name) and it is also very good. Our locally owned old fashioned butcher chop carries Harris Ranch.....if I do special orders, it is great. When I buy the newspaper specials, it is less than great.

Karen, I hope you and Gene DO take that motor home trip some day, and when you do plan to spend a few days in Birch Bay. It's real friendly here, and we have guest rooms! We'd love to meet you in person at last. I'll even take you to Vancouver to meet Bill, and we'll try to get him on one of his good days. We haven't done the loop you describe. We've been to Whistler, and over to the east side but haven't ventured far north or done the Sunshine Coast. Soon, we hope; soon.

Say, did you know that Costco sells prime beef via their website? I didn't, but saw it on their website yesterday after reading the thread that Bill referred to on that other board. Will have to try it some day.

Some people are intimidated by crossing borders or just dealing with authorities in general. In "Travels with Charley: In Search of America" by John Steinbeck, he attempted to cross the border at Niagara Falls to take the most direct route to Detroit. However, he did not have Charley's (his poodle's) vaccination papers. He crossed the bridge to Canadian Customs and was informed that he could enter Canada, but without the papers he would not be allowed to return to the US. So, he turned around and was delayed for several hours explaining that he never entered Canada with the dog. He then drove I-90 around Lake Erie. From a Wikipedia synopsis:

Steinbeck next traveled to Niagara Falls and some Midwestern cities. Before reaching those destinations, he took a detour and discussed his dislike of the government. He said that the government makes a person feel small because it doesn't matter what you say, if it’s not on paper and certified by an official, the government doesn't care. As he traveled on, he described how wherever he went people’s attitudes and beliefs changed. All states differ by how people may talk to one another or treat other people. For example, as he drove through Ohio, Michigan, and Illinois, there was a great increase in the population from state to state. The small villages that he had once seen were now growing into big cities and the roads, such as the U.S. 90, were filled with traffic.

(I was hoping to quote directly from the book, but it's not on Gutenberg Press yet.)

I have heard the horror stories from Canadians trying to get to/return from MoCool. After hearing those stories I can empathize with those that are reluctant to deal with boarder crossings and the associated headaches.

[Jenise]

I have heard the horror stories from Canadians trying to get to/return from MoCool. After hearing those stories I can empathize with those that are reluctant to deal with boarder crossings and the associated headaches.

You know what, I'm American and not Canadian (Canada is more restrictive than America about what you can bring home with you), but the problem may be one of expectations--and listening to too many horror stories. I cross over on average once a week and have done so for five years, and I have literally no horror stories to tell. If you understand and follow the rules, and don't act nervous and bring undue attention upon yourself, the truth is if you're nice, they're nice. Sometimes they even laugh and joke with you. (Example: two weeks ago a friend and I went to Van for lunch. Upon return, I was asked "Where and why?" "Vancouver for lunch, because the food here sucks." "Ma'am, I'm going to have to keep your passports.") Sure there's the occasional a-hole, but considering the job they have to do and the number of crossings I make, I have absolutely nothing to complain about. Sometimes, they even give me good stories to tell.

Like this one, posted on FLDG Classic shortly after I moved here:

Date: 02-Feb-2005 18:32
Author: Jenise Email
Subject: A shopping day in Vancouver
View Parent message

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So how cool is it when you buy fresh fish and they wrap it in the tangerine-colored Financial Times (of London)? Brought home a filet of Alaskan black cod, aka sable fish, so wrapped from the Public Market at Granville Island where I did some shopping yesterday. I am so loving this pearl-pink fleshed fish which I only had for the first time a few years ago. It's silky but not oily, it's mild but not boring, it's dense but not heavy. I don't quite understand why I can always buy it at Granville but never see it on this side of the border.

But it is true, that here in this town bordered on one side by salt water and the lovely San Juan Islands there's almost no fresh fish between October and March, which seems so strange because from my desk where I'm typing this moment I watch fishing boats chug back and forth all winter long. Where does their catch go? And if Canada can get black cod from Alaska, why can't we? In general, the most interesting fresh fish I see here are the occasional little flounders that the seagulls drop flopping in my yard. But I digress....

Between Granville and another little store called Meinhardt's in the Shaughnessy district, here are some other great finds that I just had to haul home with me: an artisan cheese from the Okanagan Valley called Poplar Grove Tiger Blue, a square goat camembert also from BC, mustard oil, large Spanish caper berries on stem, a slice of goose liver and black truffle pate with a hunk of foie gras in the center, Fazer oat crackers that I adore and can only get in Canada, a hunk of bayonne ham, a jar of pink salt flakes from the Murray River in Australia, a crusty loaf of fig and anise bread, broccoli rabe, frisee, a hard Mexican chorizo, shiso leaf, fresh mint, fresh dill, fresh tarragon and a round of really really REALLY stinky Le P'tit Rebla cheese from France that, though I stowed it in the trunk, I could smell from the front seat.

One of the cool things about living up here is that I can get all these naughty French cheeses, the young, unpasteurized kind that are illegal to import into the United States, quite easily. When I first started going back and forth I rather sweated having these cheeses on board, but after a year of living here in which I've said 'cheese' almost every time I've crossed back into the U.S. and never been questioned further, I've gotten rather cavalier about it.

So a few hours later there I was at the border where I temporarily forgot that my little black sports car gets profiled for a drug trafficker's about every third time I go through.

"What was the purpose of your visit to Canada?"

"Took my car to the dealer."

"DEALER?"

"Yes, to get an estimate to fix that gash on the front end."

"Oh, car dealer. And are you bringing anything back?"

"Some groceries. No beef or fruit."

"What kind of groceries?"

"Ham, cheese, vegetables and mmmmmm...oh, bread."

"What kind of vegetables?"

"Broccolini, snow peas, several types of lettuce, and some herbs."

"HERBS?" His face went into alarm mode. "Ma'am, turn off your engine, and hand me your keys. Stay in the car." Turn off the engine? Hand him my keys? This had never happened before. As I followed his instructions he made a signal and several loose agents approached the trunk of my car. He stayed with me. "Now pop the trunk lid from inside."

I complied. One of the agents reached forward to lift the lid. Then I heard "Eeeuuuuwwwww!" and "What the f***!" and "get the dog."

I told you that cheese was stinky.

So out came the dog, a drug sniffer I presume but maybe a bomb sniffer. Or can the same dog do both? Anyway, they removed my bags one at a time for the dog to sniff and once all had been removed he got to inspect the rest of the trunk and make a once-around the car. Of course there was nothing to find, but once around the car the dog made a beeline back to the groceries where he showed a decidedly unprofessional interest in the bag that held my pungenty little wheel of heaven.

"Ma'am, what IS this?", said one of the agents as he carried the cheese bag around to the driver's side. Oh crap, I thought, here we go.

"Cheese."

"What kind?"

"Le P'tit Rebla, from France."

"Is it supposed to smell like this?"

"Yes."

"And you like it?"

"Yes, I love it."

"Wow," he said, "I'll never understand you gourmets." He then turned to the other agent and said, "Are there any limits on cheese?"

And the other answered, "Well yes, but we don't enforce them. Especially when it smells as bad as that one. You want it in YOUR office?"

We all laughed then, and I (and my cheese) rolled on home.

For a true beef lover, there is really no substitute for dry aged beef, and I prefer the ribeye steak for grilling, and the prime rib for a family dinner. Allen Bros sells online to the masses and their dry-aged bone in prime rib is heavenly.

Great story Jenise!! Thanks for sharing it!

I have heard the horror stories from Canadians trying to get to/return from MoCool. After hearing those stories I can empathize with those that are reluctant to deal with boarder crossings and the associated headaches.

You know what, I'm American and not Canadian (Canada is more restrictive than America about what you can bring home with you), but the problem may be one of expectations--and listening to too many horror stories. I cross over on average once a week and have done so for five years, and I have literally no horror stories to tell.

Jenise,

Jody and I hosted several dinner guests on Friday night and the subject of conversation turned to planning a fishing trip to Canada. One of our guests mentioned that a collegue of his had attempted to go on a fishing trip to Canada but was denied entry into Canada at the boarder because he had a misdemeanor DUI on his record in the U.S. Have you ever heard of anything like that happening or know the rules when crossing from the U.S. into Canada?