OT: Omaha Steaks

[Danpisco12]

Does this mean milk steaks do exist?

http://www.comedycentral.com/video-...y-in-philadelphia-charlie-s-match-com-profile

Absolutely. Try pairing them with a side of jelly beans. Delicious.

 

[AJollyRancher]

Absolutely. Try pairing them with a side of jelly beans. Delicious.

Raw or cooked?

 

[Northbound]

Maybe.
Here's my advice - order a minimum order and try it. If you are a steak fan, you'll know.
Here at my place we raise, butcher, and eat all of our own beef. I've done many kinds of animals - Angus, Hereford, Scotties, milkers. What you get on the plate depends a good amount on genetics, a good amount on what the animal is fed, a good amount on how it was aged, and a substantial amount on how it was seasoned and cooked.

After many years, we have arrived at what we like, and what works for us. Here are my conclusions, in no particular order:

Angus is less preferred - it's popularity is a marketing scam more than anything.
Hereford is preferred for the beef breeds - tender and tasty.
Grass fed alone is typically not very good, and, even if fatted well on lush pasture, tends to have a poor flavor and often has a fishy flavor because of the omega concentrations that occur in the fat.
Animals that eat grass until 4 months or so before slaughter and then are grain fed or grain supplemented for the last 4 months are hands down the best.
Exotic breeds (highlander, longhorn, brahmin, etc) tend not to be very good.

2 weeks of dry aging in a cooler is best for flavor and tenderness, 10 days minimum, BUT, if you don't start with good beef, aging will not fix it, only make it marginally better.

Most beef that you can buy at Sams and so on is not good. Much of the ground comes from old milk cows. You can do well, however, if you buy "prime" (any of the three grades), and you can do okay if you buy "choice" (preferably choice +). Ignore sales pitches for "angus," as there is nothing about angus that makes it better, and many people who raise their own meat avoid angus because the breed has been compromised by the marketing.

This fact I know well - taste and tenderness is directly related to fat content. Well-fatted animals give you better meat, both in taste and tenderness. Maybe not the healthiest, but life is a series of choices.

BTW - the best animal we ever did was half hereford and half jersey (a milk breed). You don't see milk breed steaks ofter because they are slower growing and they produced less meat, but boy was that animal fantastic.

EDIT - BTW - freezing steak does not diminish quality at all, if it's done right - we've eaten beef 1 year old and it's as good as the butcher's tender I cut out of the carcass and cook 3 hours later. Better, in fact, because beef actually ages in the frozen state and becomes more tender. But be aware, that is ONLY well wrapped in a proper freezer, which is a chest freezer with manual defrost set at a nice low temp (about 0). If you have an upright that you go into 5 times a day to get a pop and it is auto defrost, your beef will lose quality rapidly. A good, extra large chest freezer uses about 4 bucks a month in electricity around here - well worth it if you have the space.

There are three points in there that I can't reinforce enough:

-You need to know what you're looking for, grass fed doesn't always mean grass finished. The grass fed and corn finished steaks are the flavor profile that suits most people. I happen to like grass/grass, but it is not a taste that mimics what you get at the store typically.

-Freezing does not diminish the quality or taste of meat. I get 1/2 cow, 2 lambs, 1 pig from a local farm every year and have a lay down box for that product, they do the butchering and wrapping and it's out of sight favor wise. My largest problem is what the hell to do with all the ground beef we get, it is overwhelming, I give it away to folks. As the OP states if you're putting something away for consumption later, put it away, meaning very cold consistent temperatures. For god sake, do not quick defrost it and let it warm up before you cook it,

-Fatted beef is good beef. My wife god bless her, won't get near anything with any fat on it, I on the other hand grew up with my father burning hunks of beef fat on the grill for us to eat. To say we come at this from different place would be an understatement.

 

[Danzz]

There are three points in there that I can't reinforce enough:

-You need to know what you're looking for, grass fed doesn't always mean grass finished. The grass fed and corn finished steaks are the flavor profile that suits most people. I happen to like grass/grass, but it is not a taste that mimics what you get at the store typically.

-Freezing does not diminish the quality or taste of meat. I get 1/2 cow, 2 lambs, 1 pig from a local farm every year and have a lay down box for that product, they do the butchering and wrapping and it's out of sight favor wise. My largest problem is what the hell to do with all the ground beef we get, it is overwhelming, I give it away to folks. As the OP states if you're putting something away for consumption later, put it away, meaning very cold consistent temperatures. For god sake, do not quick defrost it and let it warm up before you cook it,

-Fatted beef is good beef. My wife god bless her, won't get near anything with any fat on it, I on the other hand grew up with my father burning hunks of beef fat on the grill for us to eat. To say we come at this from different place would be an understatement.

What is the best way to defrost beef? Do you let it defrost on its own at room temperature?

 

[Northbound]

One of two ways for me, either a slow defrost in the fridge or in a plastic bag and run it under cold water.

 

[DogHouse]

I've read this thread with amazement at how knowledgeable yarders are about their beef. That being said, I am always pleased if somebody sends me Omaha steaks for Christmas. They aren't half bad if you're getting them as a gift. However, Strummer had me sold on beef from his place; all he had to do to close the deal was tell me where to send my money