How to Buy the Tastiest Steak
Many people find themselves standing in front of the butcher counter, looking at the various options of steaks, and feel completely overwhelmed. Most people simply do not know what to look for when choosing a steak, and what characteristics will ensure the meat will be tender and tasty.
In order to help with this issue, below are a few tips to assist with selection when buying a steak. These tips will explain the different types of cuts, along with what the best chefs look for when choosing their own pieces of meat. So, without further ado, here are the top tips for choosing the best and tastiest steak.
Tip #1: Talk to your local butcher and ask him or her for their personal recommendations. These people are meat professionals and will always steer you in the right direction.
Tip #2: Always buy the best cut of meat that you can afford. Even though it is tempting to purchase the cheapest option, you often get what you pay for when it comes to steaks. The grades are ranked in order from lower quality to higher quality. This ranking is as follows: prime, choice, and select.
Tip #3: Whenever possible, have the butcher cut your steak to order, and try to avoid steaks that are sitting out in the pre-packaged area of the store.
Tip #4: Feel the steak. You can easily do this through the package, but just verify that the steak is nice and firm to the touch, and has a good texture.
Tip #5: Color is definitely key. If the steak has a gray appearance, run the other way. That being said, the meat should be a light, bright red color, never a dark red.
Tip #6: Check for marbling. Marbling is just little bits of fat that can be seen running through the meat. This helps to flavor the steak, while adding great juiciness.
Tip #7: While it is up to the steak buyer, as a general rule, dry aging is thought to produce a better tasting steak than wet aging. Regardless of your personal preference, you should try to avoid meat that has not been aged at all.
Tip #8: If you have no choice but to buy pre-packaged steaks, make sure the meat you choose is not past the recommended date of sale, there are no tears in the packaging, and there is no excessive amount of moisture in the package.
Tip #9: Angus beef is not the same as “certified black Angus” beef. Just because it says Angus on the package does not mean you are getting a high quality piece of meat.
Tip #10: Experiment with different cuts of steaks. You may find you simply prefer one cut over another, which is a matter of personal preference.