Best beef in Austin?

[jimmyjazz]

Where do y'all shop for beef -- particularly steaks -- in Austin? It seems most of the larger stores sell either USDA Choice or an ungraded "choice" cut. I compared three the other day for price on ribeyes:

Omaha Steaks -- probably "choice", $24/lb
Whole Foods -- claims USDA Choice, $14/lb
CostCo -- actual USDA Choice sticker, $7/lb

I've had the Harrell Ranch beef from Portabla, and it was awesome at about $16/lb. I believe it's ungraded, but had to be in the vicinity of prime.

Any other recommendations? Central Market? Butcher shops?

 

[Fat_Bastard]

dude, central market is running a special for cowboy steaks (bone in ribeyes) for $9.99/lb. i was there yesterday and took a look at them and they were the biggest ******* things i've ever seen. made me hard. CM sells both choice and prime, and from what i remember their choice ribeyes have always been $9.99/lb. the prime ones are like $12.99/lb. go there. and pick up some prosciutto while you're at it.

 

[Jellydonuts]

Central Market is still the best I have found, although Costco is impressive for the type of store it is.

Most of the independent butcher shops I have been to have been low quality.

 

[Fat_Bastard]

btw, for the love of god, no matter what you do, don't cook any of them medium well please. if you're going to shell out the cash for some good meat, don't **** it up by burning it to a crisp, wifey's preferences be damned. i have faith in you.

 

[jimmyjazz]

Never fear. When I grill, I try to go just a hair past medium rare. I'll cover it up with foil on the plate for 5-10 minutes afterwards while the wife's steak or burger gets cooked all the way to well-done. (She's pregnant and won't touch anything less done than that.)

A steak will continue to "cook" off the grill for a few minutes, so mine usually end up with a warm, pink center. Does that meet your minimum acceptable standard of manliness, or must I gnaw on the live cow?

By the way, what's the difference between bone-in and boneless ribeye, taste-wise? I've never the "cowboy" steaks you're referring to. Then again, I only started eating beef six months ago after a 10-year abstinence, and I wasn't exactly in the steak tax bracket back in the day.

 

[Fat_Bastard]

most people who enjoy food will tell you that food w/ the bone in, be it chicken, beef, osso bucco, whatever imparts much more flavor to the meat than without. i tend to agree. bones have flavor, lots of them. mmmmmmmmm marrow.

 

[jimmyjazz]

Gracias. Heading to Central Market now.

 

[BIMECKS]

How were those steaks?

 

[jimmyjazz]

We had to postpone due to a "sudden family dinner out". (The Clay Pit was great, though.)

We'll try tonight. Steaks and football. Could be worse. Of course, Rice is gonna kick our ***, so maybe not.

 

[jimmyjazz]

Well, that didn't work out so well. I bought a 12 oz prime Angus ribeye at Central Market, along with a half-dozen scallops for my wife. I cooked the steak "perfectly" (for me), with a warm, pink center. Nice crosshatch from the grill, no burning. Problem was, the steak was a bit tough and not terribly flavorful. I'm not sure what I could have done differently. Granted, I was going with a very simple "recipe" -- a bit of salt and pepper, that's it. Works for me most of the time.

I've definitely had better luck with "choice" grade steaks from Whole Foods, CostCo, HEB, and even Central Market. At $16/lb, I'll think twice before going with Central Market prime again. (The scallops were great, though.)

 

[orngbld]

By the way, I'm disappointed that this thread has gone on this long and nobody has given the correct answer:

"In my pants."

 

[1990txgirl]

orngbld, that was pretty damn funny.

jimmyjazz, bone-in rules--it's the only way I'll eat a rib-eye. Give it a try!