Frozen steaks ordered through the mail

[Barefootgirl]

We like the idea of individually portioned, frozen, good quality steaks. We tried Omaha Steaks, not crazy about them.

Other suggestions? appreciated.

[jebmke]

We have sent steaks from Lobels as gifts and people have raved about them. Never tried them - we have a local Amish market that cuts his own angus beef and we don't eat enough meat to justify buying online.

[renue74]

We have a few local farms who sell whole beef cuts....various steak cuts...cut, wrapped in paper, and ready to freeze.

We don't eat enough red meat to justify that, but we have friends who actually go in together and split the meat. They rave about steaks and roasts.

You might want to source locally.

[retiredjg]

I had the same reaction to Omaha steaks. Pretty near awful. Don't know what the solution is though.

I now buy from my local "health" foods store. Fairly local, grass fed. Usually pretty good.

Aged beef from Whole Foods is very good, but not easily available to me in my present location. That is what I'd buy if it were convenient.

[gavinman]

Wegmans prime dry aged steaks if you live near a Wegmans. Expensive but good. If you can figure out when they put the marked down ones out during the week you can get a bargain.

[RudyS]

QVC has some good deals from time to time. Pretty good meat.

[neilpilot]

Costco is also good quality for the price. Just wrap and freeze?

We were underwhelmed by Omaha steaks.

[bottlecap]

Ordering steaks is not a good idea. Either you get not so great steaks or not so great prices. There doesn't seem to be an in between.

I would try them locally, beginning with your grocery store. Look for USDA Choice (at least) and research online to get a good eye for discerning the difference between high choice and low choice. Buy something else when the beef looks like low choice.

In our area we find that Publix has the worse steaks and that Kroger and Costco have roughly equal steaks, but most of Costco steaks are blade tenderized, so we have been sticking to Kroger.

The local, non-grocery store beef is very expensive and of widely varying quality.

JT

[sco]

I buy locally, cheap and delicious. I buy 1 side, (1/2 cow) although I've heard of people buying a whole or a 1/4

[jimmy]

+1 Costco
Great steaks including Prime if you want to pay extra. We have a FoodSaver and freeze anything we're not going to eat that day..

[pennstater2005]

I remember when I was little a guy was selling steaks out of his car trunk. I don't think my dad bought any. Definitely don't buy steaks out of anyone's car trunk.

[pshonore]

http://www.lafrieda.com/

They sell Prime Dry Aged beef. Shipped fresh overnight in a cooler with ice packs but packaged individually ready for the freezer. Ordered via email about 8pm on Tuesday and UPS delivered Thursday late afternoon. Just had one for dinner tonight (boneless strip). Great flavor and very tender.

[protagonist]

We like the idea of individually portioned, frozen, good quality steaks. We tried Omaha Steaks, not crazy about them.

Other suggestions? appreciated.

Nothing beats a high quality local butcher.
They can cut steaks to order- individual portions if desired. Maybe there is one near you.
And they would likely be much cheaper than mail order.

[Invest4lt]

+1 for Costco.

Currently Costco online has 100 off Japanese Wagyu (A4)
NY strip steaks. Still very pricey, but amazing.

https://www.costco.com/A4-Wagyu-Center- ... 44490.html

[Barefootgirl]

Thanks, we eat steak probably five times or less during a year, so was looking for a few to put in the freezer for convenience. The price for quality is offset by the cheaper food we eat the rest of the time (big fans of salads and soups)

That Wagyu looks amazing, I'd be afraid of cooking it the wrong way

I can vouch for the Vital Choice individually cut salmon portions - and discounts abound.

[barnaclebob]

Lol at the review for the wagyu steaks being too fatty. Ill put in another vote for costco usda prime. The best value is to buy the full roast and cut it into your own steaks. You need a vacuum bagger to store them long term in the freezer though.

[bottlecap]

Lol at the review for the wagyu steaks being too fatty.

Yeah, that's funny. But other review says they made it Chateau Briand-style, which is funny, too. Sad funny, but funny.

JT

[Broken Man 1999]

We grilled filet mignon steaks from Costco last night. Delicious! Very tender, very tasty.

We discovered the quality of Costco meats earlier this year, had never tried them before, now Costco is our go-to source for filet mignon, and beef loins.

Grilled steaks, grilled potatoes, grilled shrimp, sautéed spinach, along with a nice cab.... doesn't get much better!

Broken Man 1999

[jlcnuke]

I get mine at BJs, Sams Club, or Costco, depending on who has the best price at the time I'm stocking up. They cut them to order, I take them home, package them up using my Foodsaver vacuum sealer, then toss them in the freezer until I'm ready to eat them.

Smoking a tomahawk steak right now. Should be ready for a nice reverse sear here in about 20 minutes or so, then dinner will be served.

[spoco79]

Check for a local farm. We have one that does this. I buy them vacuum sealed and flash frozen and the cows were born 15 minutes from my home.

They may ship. Contact them.

http://www.remingtonlottfarms.com

[gasman]

Costco cuts their steaks too thick.
Lobels is awesome but very expensive.
Allen Brothers is slightly lower quality but a much better value.
Local Butcher can be awesome if you have a have access to one.

[windaar]

Meat is never the same after being frozen. Great advice above.

[SimonJester]

Costco cuts their steaks too thick.

I disagree, compare the thickness of a restaurant steak with how Costco is cutting. Its easier for us to get that perfect medium rare center with a ticker steak. With thinner cuts I almost always overcook trying to get a nice crust. I know I need a 1000+ temperature grill to sear the outside for that...

[jebmke]

Meat is never the same after being frozen. Great advice above.

Yeah. We generally try to avoid freezing meat. When we do, we try to use it within 30 days. Something happens in that freezer. Not sure what it is.

[The Wizard]

Costco cuts their steaks too thick...

1-1/2" is a good thickness for better steaks, same as a 2x6...

[golfer292]

http://www.lafrieda.com/

They sell Prime Dry Aged beef. Shipped fresh overnight in a cooler with ice packs but packaged individually ready for the freezer. Ordered via email about 8pm on Tuesday and UPS delivered Thursday late afternoon. Just had one for dinner tonight (boneless strip). Great flavor and very tender.

Has anyone tried dry aging steak at home in the frig?There is lots of info on the web about this. The meat is wrapped in cheese cloth, placed on a wire rack in the frig kept at a constant 37 degree temp. Some recommend no longer than 4 days. Most of the expensive steak houses dry age. They use special humidity and temp controlled coolers. I see a problem using the home frig at 37 degree because of temp drops when opened by family members. I am thinking of trying the at home method using a frig that is not used daily by family.

[mrc]

http://www.lafrieda.com/

They sell Prime Dry Aged beef. Shipped fresh overnight in a cooler with ice packs but packaged individually ready for the freezer. Ordered via email about 8pm on Tuesday and UPS delivered Thursday late afternoon. Just had one for dinner tonight (boneless strip). Great flavor and very tender.

Has anyone tried dry aging steak at home in the frig?There is lots of info on the web about this. The meat is wrapped in cheese cloth, placed on a wire rack in the frig kept at a constant 37 degree temp. Some recommend no longer than 4 days. Most of the expensive steak houses dry age. They use special humidity and temp controlled coolers. I see a problem using the home frig at 37 degree because of temp drops when opened by family members. I am thinking of trying the at home method using a frig that is not used daily by family.

Grew up in Omaha, relatives farmed black Angus beef. IMHO there is a world of difference between 3/4" thick grocery store steaks, and 1-1/2" thick fresh not frozen (say from Wegman's for a reference point). World of difference between prime and anything else. There is not that much difference between Wegman's and restaurant dry aged. Certainly not commensurate with the cost difference, especially if you cook any more done than med-rare. I would only bother with mail order if a local source isn't available. 3/4" thick Porterhouse/Strip/T-Bone should be against the law

[Iliketoridemybike]

Quickest way to make a steak taste better is to let it sit for a few minutes before cutting once you take it off the grill.

[c078342]

3/4" thick Porterhouse/Strip/T-Bone should be against the law

I certainly prefer 1.25 to 1.5 inch thick, but I'm not necessarily going to forgo a strip if I only have a thin one. Key is cooking it. I don't grill thin ones, but pan saute them -- better control I think. A generous dollop of butter in a cat iron skillet on high heat to char, and then on low heat to finish. It is hard to get an internal temp with a thin steak, so you need to acquire experience to judge doneness. Had a 1.25" from Whole Foods yesterday and it was delish. This was corn-finished and it is irritating that WF is selling so much grass-fed beef. Tastes like crap.

[pshonore]

http://www.lafrieda.com/

They sell Prime Dry Aged beef. Shipped fresh overnight in a cooler with ice packs but packaged individually ready for the freezer. Ordered via email about 8pm on Tuesday and UPS delivered Thursday late afternoon. Just had one for dinner tonight (boneless strip). Great flavor and very tender.

Has anyone tried dry aging steak at home in the frig?There is lots of info on the web about this. The meat is wrapped in cheese cloth, placed on a wire rack in the frig kept at a constant 37 degree temp. Some recommend no longer than 4 days. Most of the expensive steak houses dry age. They use special humidity and temp controlled coolers. I see a problem using the home frig at 37 degree because of temp drops when opened by family members. I am thinking of trying the at home method using a frig that is not used daily by family.

I doubt you'll get much from 4 days. Most places have a 30 day minimum. In a frig I think you may need fans as well for air circulation. Many Whole Foods stores dry age right in the store and perhaps they'll show you the process. I'd like to see how much they lose when they cut the whole strip or whatever into steaks.