How to Shop for Steak


Barbara Fisher, my peer at Paper Palate, sent me a link to this story at the Washington Post about choosing steak (free registration or quick search on bugmenot required). Author Candy Sagon consults experts throughout the meat industry and collects tips to help you get the most for your money.

Of course, I’d add that you should seek out beef from good producers who raise their cows outside of minimize the time their cows spend in feedlots and produce cattle devoid of hormones and massive quantities of antibiotics. Niman Ranch is one nationally available brand, and you can mail order from Prather Ranch.



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February 15th, 2006
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Comment Number:
1
Written by:
jen maiser
Posted on:
February 16, 2006 at 10:52 am

While I respect Niman Ranch for being a nationally recognized brand and doing more for getting “natural” beef to the masses than probably any other company, it should be noted that Niman Ranch beef is feedlot finished, and is not organic. It is not technically “grass-fed” because, while grown on pasture for the first 14 to 18 months, it is fed “a diet of barley, corn, wheat, soy, molasses and hay” for flavor after a weight of 900 pounds.

I point this out because people often associate Niman Ranch beef with organic and with grass-fed beef, but it is neither.

Prather Ranch is organic and grass-fed. Also, locally, Highland Hills beef is grass-fed, as well as Marin Sun Farms.

If you are interested in reading more about Niman Ranch’s beef, a good place to start is their beef protocols statement (pdf).

Comment Number:
2
Written by:
Derrick Schneider
Posted on:
February 16, 2006 at 11:40 am

Jen,

Thanks for the clarification. I didn’t know they weren’t organic, though I knew they weren’t grass-fed (at least not totally).

The other advantage to Prather Ranch is that they dry-age their beef for a full thirty days. Do you know if any of the others do that?

Comment Number:
3
Written by:
Barbara Fisher
Posted on:
February 17, 2006 at 6:50 am

There is always Laura’s Lean Beef–it is both grass and grain-fed but raised with no hormones or antibiotics: http://www.laurasleanbeef.com/

The advantage to Laura’s is that it is available in grocery stores, and having had it a few times–it tastes better than conventional grocery store fare.

That said–I will stick with the farmers at Bluescreek in Columbus. They do dry age for a full thirty days and it shows. Now, Zak and I will not bother going out to a steakhouse, because we can get beef that is just as good, and since I know how to cook a steak–well, we have no need to spend huge amounts of money for the beef experience anymore.

Glad you could use that article, Derrick–I saw it and thought of you right away.

Comment Number:
4
Written by:
jen maiser
Posted on:
February 17, 2006 at 7:54 am

Derrick - Thanks for pointing out the dry-age. As far as I know, Prather Ranch may be the only company locally that does that.

It’s always such a fine line about whether to point out the differences between these companies, as I don’t want people to get discouraged and give up!