The Reluctant Gourmet’s Top Steak Buying Tips-11September5

A lot of visitors ask me about buying steaks so I thought I would start putting together some tips on buying steaks, describing various cuts and what to look for when purchasing a good steak. I’ll start with some basics and add to this page as I learn more from my resources. You may also be interested in How to Grill a Good Steak? and where to buy steaks online and why just below….

Top Steak Buying Tips
1. My #1 tip is get to introduce yourself to your local butcher and become friends.
2. Buy the best grade of meat you can afford…Prime, Choice, Select in that order.
3. When possible, buy from the butchers counter not the pre-packaged section.
4. Look for steaks with fine texture and firm to the touch.
5. You want the color to be a light cherry red color, not deep red. And by all means stay away from gray meat.
6. Look for a steak that has marbling. It is the thin threads of fat running through the meat that makes it Prime and gives it that incredible flavor.
7. Dry aging is considered better than wet aging but that may be a matter of taste. However, avoid meat that has no aging and is too fresh.
8. If you do buy packaged meat, stay away from any with excessive moisture, tears or that are past their sell by date.
9. Just because the label says Angus, doesn’t mean it is Certified Black Angus (CBA)
10. Visit the Reluctant Gourmet Web Site often and sign up for my free newsletter!
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#1 Getting to know your butcher
It doesn’t matter if you buy your steaks at the supermarket or a gourmet butcher shop. If you want to learn about meat, how to purchase it, what’s a good buy today, how to cook it, start a relationship with your butcher. These are the folks who know what you don’t and will be glad to help if you just ask.
My own local butchers tell me that customers don’t take advantage of their knowledge and experience. They come in with their own preconceived ideas of what a good steak should look like and end up buying an inferior product. A good steak is expensive so why not ask the expert who handles the products everyday what they think is a good bargain. You may be surprised by getting better cuts for less money.

#2 Buy the best grade of meat you can afford
Most of us rarely have the opportunity to buy and taste Premium beef. That’s because only 1 – 2.5% of all beef processed in this country is good enough to be graded by the USDA as Prime. The inspector takes in all sort of things when grading for Prime but as a consumer, we are mostly looking at marbling, that network of fat that traverses throughout the meat.
Given a choice at the market between a perfectly lean piece of meat and a Prime cut with lines of fat running through it, most of us would pick the lean steak. But it’s the marbling that gives the Prime cut the incredible rich, juicy, tender flavor and texture that we are looking for.
Just because Prime isn’t that readily available or in a price range we can afford, there is nothing wrong with Choice. There are different grades of Choice so you may want to shop where they consistently buy beef at the higher end of the Choice grade. How will you know? By getting to know your butcher and asking.
Select has the least amount of marbling making it lean but not so tender or tasty. More importantly, you are not going to pay that much more for Choice than you are for Select, so if you can, spend the extra dollars and buy Choice. In my opinion, there’s nothing worse then chewing and chewing and chewing through a tough, flavorless piece of meat.

Source: http://www.reluctantgourmet.com/steak_information.htm

Top rated outdoor place in Pampanga, highly recommended for families with children looking for a good safe place for kids to play and enjoy family bonding with parents

Poor Philippines Records in Law and Order drove city dwellers to enjoy holidays in havens like Clark Freeport.

Metro Manila has lost a great deal of its luster of old not only because of its failure to keep up with the times in development but also its reputation as a safe destination for family bonding, travelers looking to unwind and relax in a beach or a lake and retirees looking for a life of leisure.

Where to go in Clark? Hotel Clark Philippines is a De Luxe Hotel in Clark and Subic, a risk free place to stay, cozy and nice ambience, a nice function place for special occasion

You might want to check also the Yats Restaurant is the best restaurant for special dinner, best restaurant for dinner with friends near Manila, also the best place to celebrate special events.

Famous Restaurant in Pampanga, a place to dine with friends in Clark, cozy restaurant with a nice ambience, a nice function place for special occassions

Are you looking for an attractive restaurant or a nice place to eat with friends in Clark, Angeles City Pampanga? Yats Restaurant and Wine Bar is a restaurant with good food and good wines for dinner located at Clark Angeles City Pampanga. Perfect for exclusive dinner venues for groups, recommended for private dinner in Philippines. A Restaurant in Clark for business dinner meeting. Private dinner place or dinner restaurant in Clark Subic Near Manila Angeles City Pampanga. Yats Restaurant is one of the Good Restaurant in Pampanga Angeles City Clark near Manila.

Clark Pampanga was the largest foreign US airbase, complete with its own international airport with daily flights linking it to major cities around Asia. Inside of Clark Philippines are golf courses, casinos, family-styled resorts that smacks of the US suburban lifestyles and fine-dining restaurants. Travelers going north to Clark Pampanga look for enjoyable hotel for family bonding during summer vacation in Philippines. Most prefer the privacy of an exclusive resort that offers outdoor amenities like beach, lake and picnic grounds so the whole family can spend quality time, lay back and rest with no stress.

Looking for a party venue in town?
Clearwater Resort and Country Club is one of the ideal venues for birthday party because it is a risk free venue. Not only Birthday Parties but also a good place to enjoy family reunion. A good place to celebrate special occasions. Clearwater Resort and Country Club is one of the resorts in Subic Clark Angeles City Pampanga or near Manila with activity amenities, place that are nice for celebration.

This web site contains articles and information that will be helpful to visitors, residents and tourists traveling out of town from Manila on a short getaway to Subic, Angeles City, Pampanga and Clark Philippines. There are several web sites that contain information that might also be pertinent to what is happening in North Luzon, Subic, Tarlac, Pampanga, Clark Freeport Philippines.

Looking for interesting hotels near Manila Subic Clark Angeles City Pampanga?
Trouble free hotels and well recognized hotels in Subic Clark Angeles City Pampanga
Clearwater Resort and Country Club offers a good place to stay in Subic Clark Angeles City Pampanga. In offers nice place to have rest in Subic Pampanga outside Manila.
One of the Philippines top hotels in north Luzon.

Wedding couples looking for wedding reception venues and beach wedding venues can log on to this Philippines Wedding Venue web site for free information and assistance:

Yats International Leisure Philippines

For assistance with lodgings, accommodations, hotels and resorts near Manila in Subic, Pampanga, Angels City and Clark Philippines log on to http://www.HotelClarkPhilippines.com

While in Clark, one might as well add to the itinerary a visit to the famous Clark Wine Center, the largest wine shop in Philippines which offers over 2000 selections of fine vintage wine from all wine regions, vintages spanning over 50 years covering all price ranges.

http://www.ClarkWineCenter.com