RIP Chuck Blade Steak

[Jenise]

At the market today, I rang the butcher's buzzer and asked if they could slice me up three chuck blade steaks as there were none in the case.

No, they couldn't. "It's chuck is boneless now. And that's the way we get it. I can't even order it with the bone in from the processor." Then he shook his head and gave me a look of frustration and disgust, and added, "We're not real butchers anymore. All people want is that heat-and-eat stuff."

Jenise, I have heard that same comment from the meat guys at Raley's. They feel the frustration of the customers. Thank goodness we have a great butcher shop in Redding. Locally owned for over 40 years, excellent service, and a full blown old fashioned meat shop. They even hang the beef there for curing. You can order custom cuts, fancy cuts, just about anything one wants. They include in their glass cases, stuffed pork chops, meat loaf mixes, bbq tri-tips and ribs(done right there) sandwich meats, old fashioned franks, block cheeses that they will cut for you, raviolis, ham shanks, everything you can think of. Across town on my side is a locally owned market that cures bacon from organic pigs, makes their sausage, and smokes it, sells bison, organic beef, chicken, turkey, etc. His wife, makes tamale pie, spaghetti and meat balls, enchiladas, meatloaf dinners, etc. all packaged up so the construction guys can stop and buy a good, home made lunch. Every Friday, they bbq tri- tips, ribs, and half chickens for sale. At lunch time they are making big sandwiches from all this for anyone who wants them. They pile them up on the deli counter and you just grab what sandwich you want. It is full of local color, characters and oh, the food is so very good.

I've had this same issue with the 7-bone rib roast I buy every New Year. I can no longer get it on the bone. I can get it with the bone tied on, and then I have to make a special order for it. What's going on here? Who has decided that bone, in addition to fat, needs to be eliminated from the American diet?

I can't even get chicken with their feet on from the farmer at the market who grows them, sends them to slaughter, and sells them direct to the public. Well, maybe he can ask the slaughterhouse he tells me...

Costco only sells bone-in rib roasts in December -- for Holiday Dining.

Bernard, you could go to the Chinese market and buy some feet and tie them on before cooking?

F

Jenise, I looked for your seven bone chuck roast the other day at Ralph's and there was nothing even close. I wanted to make pot roast. They didn't even have a plain old chuck roast. I ended up with something I didn't recognize and it was awful. Thank goodness I had thrown in a slew of short ribs that came to the rescue.

[Jenise]

Jenise, I looked for your seven bone chuck roast the other day at Ralph's and there was nothing even close. I wanted to make pot roast. They didn't even have a plain old chuck roast. I ended up with something I didn't recognize and it was awful. Thank goodness I had thrown in a slew of short ribs that came to the rescue.

Let's all move to Redding. Karen's got it made.

I checked it out Jenise, and our meat shop has those all the time. In fact, one of my faves to do with it is to marinate in a lemon marinade. I actually think it is a recipe I got from Finedinings (Peggy Bucholz) and it may be on her website. You must have a local butcher shop up there somewhere, that you could special order that cut.

I checked it out Jenise, and our meat shop has those all the time. In fact, one of my faves to do with it is to marinate in a lemon marinade. I actually think it is a recipe I got from Finedinings (Peggy Bucholz) and it may be on her website. You must have a local butcher shop up there somewhere, that you could special order that cut.

Karen,

I find it a bit incongruous that anyone would have to special order a chuck of any ilk. IIRC the blade is the lesser of the chuck cuts and as such should not be difficult to find. At least anywhere outside of the million dollar plus per home neighborhoods. I saw once when I was looking for recipes using pork neck bones, that if my market did not carry them I was shopping is a too high class market.

Today I bought a bone-in chuck roast at the Farmers Market of all places. Locally pasture raised, grain fed, no hormones, no antibiotics black angus for $4.00 per pound. Tomorrow night's dinner.

Today I bought a bone-in chuck roast at the Farmers Market of all places. Locally pasture raised, grain fed, no hormones, no antibiotics black angus for $4.00 per pound. Tomorrow night's dinner.

Howie,

Have you ever had to special order a chuck roast of any kind? Would you?

Today I bought a bone-in chuck roast at the Farmers Market of all places. Locally pasture raised, grain fed, no hormones, no antibiotics black angus for $4.00 per pound. Tomorrow night's dinner.

Howie,

Have you ever had to special order a chuck roast of any kind? Would you?

I haven't, Bob. But, I have noticed they're getting thinner and thinner all the time in the supermarkets. Even at the market where I buy natural beef.

Howie,
Have you ever had to special order a chuck roast of any kind? Would you?

No Bob. I doubt it Bob. This is the most I've ever paid for chuck ($4), but I thought I'd give it a try.

Today I bought a bone-in chuck roast at the Farmers Market of all places. Locally pasture raised, grain fed, no hormones, no antibiotics black angus for $4.00 per pound. Tomorrow night's dinner.

Howie,

Have you ever had to special order a chuck roast of any kind? Would you?

I haven't, Bob. But, I have noticed they're getting thinner and thinner all the time in the supermarkets. Even at the market where I buy natural beef.

Chef, I sometimes buy whole muscle beef and trim it myself. I am looking at a "chuck eye roll" which is USDA choice and sells for $1.72 per pound. I think it would weigh around 10-12 pounds and would yield 3-4 pot roasts, which I can vacuum pack with my Tilia foodsaver IIRC the chuck eye is the most tender of the chuck cuts and as such make good roasts. I am going to try doing one in a largish dutch oven on my grill soon. Recipe available.

No Bob. I doubt it Bob. This is the most I've ever paid for chuck ($4), but I thought I'd give it a try.

Howie,

See my response to Chef. I have never been a big proponent of these claims we see in marketing foods. Stuff like organic, or Angus, or a slew of other labels that marketers put on foods, which seem to have a net effect of raising prices. Even Sam's Club is now marketing Angus beef all USDA choice, and so far at a better than decent price. IIRC Angus whole ribeye selling for less than $6 per pound after trimming. There is a (so called) lip of pure fat weighing about 2 pounds that has to come off the ribeye which has the effect of raising price about $0.40 per pound. Price starts at $4.45 and goes to about $4.85 each. The whole ribeye generally weighs from 12 to 15 pounds and I have that cut into 1.5 inch thick steaks. (had one last night, split between my wife and I) YUM!

[Jenise]

You must have a local butcher shop up there somewhere, that you could special order that cut.

No I don't. There are no butchers in Bellingham.

[Jenise]

IIRC the blade is the lesser of the chuck cuts and as such should not be difficult to find. At least anywhere outside of the million dollar plus per home neighborhoods. I saw once when I was looking for recipes using pork neck bones, that if my market did not carry them I was shopping is a too high class market.

Bob, you're right and you're wrong. If I want pigs feet, I have to go to the markets that cater to the immigrant farm labor--they'll have every every part of the pig, including the eyeballs. And when I want a whole pork shoulder that's exactly where I go. But as my initial post said the reason I can't buy a chuck blade steak is not because the store I shop at is too hoity toity (there's in fact no such thing in this town) to carry it, but because the meat packing plant they buy from doesn't even offer it. That's not a wealth issue, it's instead further evidence of how badly the supply chain for fresh and original ingredients is being compromised at all levels by the need to compete with pre-packaged and convenience foods.

Well said Jenise, hence the reason I suggested finding an old-fashioned butcher shop which caters to everyone and have any cut, or can cut it on site, somewhere near you. On the west side of Redding is another store that caters to million dollar homes as suggested by Bob. They will cut anything you want, but most likely they already have it sitting in front of you.

Years ago, Gene and I were in a little spot of a town and in an even smaller grocery store. I could not believe the sorry looking folks I saw in there in comparison to the high end meats they carried. When I inquired, I found out that a large portion of their clientle were drug dealers who demanded the best. Interesting ....you just never know!

You must have a local butcher shop up there somewhere, that you could special order that cut.

No I don't. There are no butchers in Bellingham.

Can you bring meat across the border? Lots of good butchers up here.

[Jenise]

Bill, yes I can! Not lamb (what's up with that, anyway?), and our beef can't come your way, but I can bring beef home and in fact there's a butcher in Surrey I've gone to a few times. I don't remember seeing the blade cut up there, but then I've not specifically looked for it, either. I should!

Bill, yes I can! Not lamb (what's up with that, anyway?), and our beef can't come your way, but I can bring beef home and in fact there's a butcher in Surrey I've gone to a few times. I don't remember seeing the blade cut up there, but then I've not specifically looked for it, either. I should!

I know our local meat shop ships, because I had some of their dinner franks shipped to a couple who moved from here to Ontario, OR. Want me to have them ship some blade chucks to you? Or you can call them directly....
R & R. Quality Meats - (530) 241-7770

I think it must be a regional thing. I saw chuck blade steaks at the local supermarket (Market Basket) just yesterday.

-Paul W.