USDA Prime - Is it worth the cost?

Truck 511 · July 2005

After spending far too many hours searching the internet to find out all of my meat purchasing options, I finally found a grocery store that sells USDA Prime and Dry aged beef,... Wegmans. I still have not made the trip to Wegmans, but everyone I talk to in N. VA says that there is no store like it.[p]I just called them and they have:
Dry Aged Strip $22.99 lb (I assume this is USDA- Prime?)
USDA Prime Ribeye - $16.99 lb
USDA Prime Filet - $22.99 lb[p]I'm probably going to get a little of each and do a taste test. Will vacuum sealing and freezing the dry aged beef diminish the flavor in any way or should I buy it the day I plan to egg it.[p]All of this is just to get me by until I try something I'm VERY excited about. With a lot of help from Steve at "askabutcher" I am planning on buying a primal cut of tenderloin and boneless ribeye roast form costco, wet aging it in the basement fridge, and cutting my own steaks.
I had the wife call me from costco today with the price. USDA Choice beef tenderloin in cyrovac (about 13 lbs) is $8.99 lb and USDA Choice top loin in cyrovac (about 7.5 lbs) is $5.99 lb. She didn't see any boneless ribeye.[p]I hope to post a photo essay on the process once it is complete.[p]Thanks to everyone on the forum and to Steve at askabutcher for all the help.[p]Matt.

Mark Backer · July 2005

Truck511,[p]They have lots of boneless ribeyes at mine, and they're $5.88 per pound lately.

Truck 511 · July 2005

Mark Backer,[p]You can't beat that price. I was looking at ribeyes 3 days ago at the local safeway and they were charging $11.99 on sale and none of the cuts were over an inch thick. I asked the butcher if they would cut some for me and he said yes, but then went on to show me all of the ones already cut and put in the case. He even picked one out for me. Nice, but not what I wanted. After reading the thread about meat quality and never buying steaks already packaged and on display, I decided to try to cut my own. Hope it turns out well.[p]Matt

fishlessman · July 2005

Truck511,
2 years ago i spent 9.99 a pound for lobster, im still kicking myself for it. i dont see 23 dollars a pound in my near future.the butcher near me sells a high grade of choice ribeyes for 6.59 a pound, and great tbones for 7.99 a pound. i would go for the cheap steak and the good beer.

mad max beyond eggdome · July 2005

Truck511,
i see you live in warrenton. .. .while its a hike for you, you may want to try union meats down at eastern market in washington dc (probably an hour drive for you on a saturday morning). . .i bought USDA PRIME bone in prime rib for 10.95 per pound there a couple of weeks ago (you can buy as many 'ribs' as you want. they pulled the 7 bone primal cut for me and cut off a 3 boner that i needed). .. . otherwise, the prices you quoted from a place like wegman's for prime is about right. . .the cryovaced stuff at costco is great. . .i buy whole tenderloins there all the time and cut them myself (the big end for tenderloin roast, 4 - 2 inch thick filet mignons from the center, and the 'tails' i save for chilis or other dishes). . . see attached link for a picture of how i butcher them. ..they are a great deal. ..
[ul][li]http://www.dizzypigbbq.com/recipesTloin.html[/ul]

Car Wash Mike · July 2005

Truck511,
Steve helped me out a bunch a few months ago. That man really knows a thing or 2 about meat. I got a CAB whole boneless ribeye for $4.99 and wet aged in the fridge for 30 days. Saved the small end for prime rib and cut the rest into steaks.
Good luck with your shopping. I wish I would have gotten a couple more. They went quick.[p]Mike

mad max beyond eggdome · July 2005

Truck511,
i have a lot of luck at my safeway. .. w/safeway card they often run deals on bone in prime rib at 5.99 per pound. ..i buy them in 2 or 3 bone roasts and either roast them, or cut them into 2 inch thick steaks. . .they also have sirloin sales a lot too. ..my safeway regularly has 2 inch thick steaks in the cabinet. ...

Car Wash Mike · July 2005

<p />mad max beyond eggdome,
I'm making a trip to McGonigles when I get my wash open. Wish you lived closer. I need a lesson on butterflying. Let alone enjoying some good company.
Nice tenderloin and going to try crab legs on the egg. Ever tried those?[p]Have a great weekend Max.[p]Mike

Truck 511 · July 2005

mad max beyond eggdome,[p]
thanks Max, I've been looking for the link you just posted for a while. It is what gave me the idea that I could cut my own "cuts".[p]My wife is always asking me to go to the eastern market so I can look at paintings a jewerly and stuff. She never said they had meat.[p]I'll be sure to give it a try.[p][p]

Mark Backer · July 2005

Truck511,[p]I bought, cut and trimmed my last one, and i may never let them do it again. I love cutting my own ribeyes, especially at under six bucks a pound. [p]I do ask the butcher to help me pick a nice one...

mad max beyond eggdome · July 2005

Car Wash Mike,
hey, looks just like the one you sent me. .. a sharp knife and a little patience is all it takes. .[p][p][p][p][p][p][p]butterflied, stuffes with pancetta/mushroom mixture, lobster tails, rolled, tied and t-rexed. . .yummy. . .

mad max beyond eggdome · July 2005

Truck511,
besides meat, there are great fresh veggie and fruit stands, poultry. .a great sausage guy, pastries, etc. ..you and the bride need to take a saturday morning field trip. ..its a great place. . .

Car Wash Mike · July 2005

mad max beyond eggdome,
I got twins that day. I forgot how great that looked. When you TREX, why the pan?[p]Mike

mad max beyond eggdome · July 2005

Car Wash Mike,
that was a GREAT hunk o cow. .. particularly with tenderloins i like to sear on cast iron, gives it that nice uniform crust we like.. .just a matter of choice, that's all . . .[p]i haven't tried crab legs yet. ..one more thing i need to do. .. .

TRex · July 2005

Truck511,[p]In my opinion there is a significant difference between Choice and Prime as far as taste and tenderness when you're talking steaks like ribeye and especially NY strip. Is it worth the cost? Well, that's a matter of personal taste and economics. For me, it is worth the extra few dollars. My wife as well has been able to tell the difference between a Choice steak and a Prime steak.[p]If I want to cook a steak at home, I want to make the best possible steak I can eat. Even if I buy Prime, I'm still going to get a steak that is both less expensive and more flavorful than any steak I could buy at a high-end steak house, simply because I've cooked it on the Egg.[p]Keep your eyes open, though. A lot of times the high-end Choice is just as good as the low-end Prime (the cutoff line in quality is not that clearly drawn). I've seen Choice NY Strips before that had great fat flecking and good color - they ended up being just as good as some of the Prime steaks I have cooked. I guess my point here is don't just look at the label, look at the meat.[p]Also note that dry-aged Prime is always going to cost more than wet-aged Prime, simply b/c you lose weight in the dry-aging process. I, quite frankly, like the flavor of wet-aged beef as much as dry-aged, but that's just a matter of personal taste. I would say that - for me - the cost of dry-aged beef isn't worth it. A lot of people would probably disagree, including my wife.[p]For reference, Prime wet-aged NY Strips are going for around $17.99/lb right now at my local HEB. Prime wet-aged ribeyes I think are around $14.99/lb (I might be wrong on that one). And two years ago, I was buying Prime wet-aged NY Strips from the same grocery store for $9.99/lb!!!! I didn't know at the time how good I had it. Damned mad cow.[p]By the way I think you will be very happy with your wet-aging experiment. [p]Sorry if this sounded like a diatribe, but it's been a slow day at work.[p]Cheers,[p]TRex

Citizen Q · July 2005

Truck511,
If you are handy with a knife and a food saver, you might want to call around to the meat packers in the nearest metro area and see if you can't purchase full cuts of prime beef at roughly the same price you would pay for choice from a wholseale club.[p]You can get fantastic results from dry aging choice rib roasts and sirloin strips in your home fridge also, Steve can walk you through that as well. I find additional wet aging of cryovac'd cuts lends nothing to the flavor and if you wait too long the flavor quickly deteriorates.[p]Cheers,
C~Q

Marvin · July 2005

Truck511,
Up here in Rochester, the home of Wegmans, the prices are about $2/lb less than you quote. The Wegman's in N. Va. caters to the high and, and they have an attitude that whatever they can get, they will.

The Reverand · July 2005

Truck511[p]I live about 8 minutes from Wegman's near Dulles airport and I shop there often. It is a great store in many respects.[p]Nonetheless, here are a few of my random, biased thoughts:[p]-There is a perception that those of us that live in Northern Virginia have more money than sense.[p]-beef quality can vary greatly, a Choice steak can be superior to a Prime one; beef is, obviously, a natural product and, as such, subject to variability, a la TRex's post.[p]-try to get to know a local butcher and get him/her to cut your steak (unless, of course, you cut your own...your thoughts, and other posters regarding Costco is right on...Costco sells Choice, you can pick, age, and cut your own much more cheaply AND you'll be happier).[p]-if you can't or don't put your trust in a butcher, learn how to pick out beef yourself (and look at both sides). This obviously means you have the butcher cut it or you cut it yourself.[p]-one of the best steaks i have eaten in years, a porterhouse which i TRexed and posted about a few nights ago, i bought at the Harris Teeter in Ashburn Village for $3.99 a pound, ungraded, i asked the butcher to cut one for me 2" thick...the steak cost less than $9.00 and fed 4 people easily and was fantastic!!![p]-the next day i bought another 2" porterhouse from Harris Teeter, butcher cut, also 3.99 a pound (total cost about $9.50). i cooked it exactly the same and it was very, very good, although not as good as the one the night before.[p]-save some money, enjoy yourself, and eat well.[p]Peace,[p]bob

clausenk · July 2005

mad max beyond eggdome,[p]Lee-Harrison Safeway?[p]Thanks,[p]Clausen

mad max beyond eggdome · July 2005

clausenk,
yep that's the one. ..ever since they remodeled, its been great. ..good thick cut steaks... . good cheese counter . . .i'm a very loyal customer. ... and they take good care of me. . .. its nice to have, even with a big chain store, a real neighborhood feel. ..i know most of the employeees by name, and they know me by name as well. ....

USDA Prime - Is it worth the cost?

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