Are some of these things just advertising gimmicks?

Rib roast-
Which would you choose and why?
"Certified Angus" $7.99
"Choice beef" 6.99
"USDA Choice small end" $8.99
"USDA Choice large end" $8.49
"Taste Of Inspirations Angus Beef Small End Rib Roast " $9.99
"Taste Of Inspirations Angus Beef Large End Rib Roast " $8.99
"Usda Choice Whole Trimmed Beef Rib " $8.49
"Bone in Prime Rib" $10.99
"Boned and tied Prime Rib" $11.99

I know a kid in the shop that sells the first 2. Would a choice
piece that is selected by someone who knows what they're doing be
likely to be as good as a prime piece 'off the rack'? [I *am*
familiar with lumber grading practice- and what is available. In
lumber I'd go with a guy who knew what he was looking for over the
'grade' every time.

I doubt that I've ever gotten Prime, if current ads mean anything. The
only local store that offers prime is a brand new "Meat House". They
were giving out samples of 'prime rib' at their grand opening a week
or two ago & I wasn't impressed. It had been marinated beyond
recognition and was still pretty chewy.

I can't imagine a better grade of meat than what I've been getting----
but 'curious minds', and all that.

Jim

"Jim Elbrecht" > wrote in message
...
| Are some of these things just advertising gimmicks?
|
| Rib roast-
| Which would you choose and why?
| "Certified Angus" $7.99
| "Choice beef" 6.99
| "USDA Choice small end" $8.99
| "USDA Choice large end" $8.49
| "Taste Of Inspirations Angus Beef Small End Rib Roast " $9.99
| "Taste Of Inspirations Angus Beef Large End Rib Roast " $8.99
| "Usda Choice Whole Trimmed Beef Rib " $8.49
| "Bone in Prime Rib" $10.99
| "Boned and tied Prime Rib" $11.99
|
| I know a kid in the shop that sells the first 2. Would a choice
| piece that is selected by someone who knows what they're doing be
| likely to be as good as a prime piece 'off the rack'?

.........

Absolutely. There is an additional variable called "ageing" that has
significant effect on the end product. If you get a top level Choice
roast that has had a few weeks of ageing it will probably taste
better than a USDA Prime roast fresh off the hoof. One of the
give-aways is that the fat should show a very slight yellowing,
pure white fat is unaged. There is a somewhat raw taste to a fresh
cut of beef, whether it is USDA Select, Choice or Prime. You want
to avoid that and a knowledgeable butcher or meatcutter can be
your best source of this information.

BTW beware of the word "Prime," as it can legally be used to
describe a rib roast, so make sure the beef is stamped "USDA
Prime."

As far as Angus beef vs. Choice beef, similar thing: the term
"Angus" has been broadened to include almost anything on
hoof that might once have looked black; it is not today an
indicator of quality but rather that the meatpacker chose
to pay extra to use the seal.

Expect all sorts of arguments on this subject, btw. It
usually is our normal holiday blowoff disagreement.

pavane

In article >,
Jim Elbrecht > wrote:

> Are some of these things just advertising gimmicks?
>
> Rib roast-
> Which would you choose and why?
> "Certified Angus" $7.99
> "Choice beef" 6.99
> "USDA Choice small end" $8.99
> "USDA Choice large end" $8.49
> "Taste Of Inspirations Angus Beef Small End Rib Roast " $9.99
> "Taste Of Inspirations Angus Beef Large End Rib Roast " $8.99
> "Usda Choice Whole Trimmed Beef Rib " $8.49
> "Bone in Prime Rib" $10.99
> "Boned and tied Prime Rib" $11.99
>
> I know a kid in the shop that sells the first 2. Would a choice
> piece that is selected by someone who knows what they're doing be
> likely to be as good as a prime piece 'off the rack'?

Some are advertising gimmicks, and for some of those, you are paying a
lot for bones and fat.

> I doubt that I've ever gotten Prime, if current ads mean anything. The
> only local store that offers prime is a brand new "Meat House". They
> were giving out samples of 'prime rib' at their grand opening a week
> or two ago & I wasn't impressed.

The following applies to the US. Prime rib is a cut of meat, not a
grade. The term was invented long before there was USDA grading. We
have this argument at least once every year on this group, so Victor put
it in the FAQ:

http://vsack.homepage.t-online.de/rfc_faq.html

Section 3 - Glossary

"PRIME RIB - In the USA, a popular term referring to a standing rib roast
of beef. "Prime" in the term refers to one of the primal cuts of beef
and not, as is often incorrectly assumed, to the USDA grade of beef.
This usage precedes the establishment of the US beef grading standards,
which explains the confusion. This is explicitly acknowledged by the
USDA in its publications. The USDA technical name for the cut is "beef
rib roast.""

If you want USDA Prime, be sure the label says "USDA Prime". If you
want the top grade of prime rib, look for "USDA Prime prime rib".

--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA

On Sat, 18 Dec 2010 11:26:34 -0500, Jim Elbrecht >
wrote:

>Are some of these things just advertising gimmicks?
>
>Rib roast-
>Which would you choose and why?
>"Certified Angus" $7.99
>"Choice beef" 6.99
>"USDA Choice small end" $8.99
>"USDA Choice large end" $8.49
>"Taste Of Inspirations Angus Beef Small End Rib Roast " $9.99
>"Taste Of Inspirations Angus Beef Large End Rib Roast " $8.99
>"Usda Choice Whole Trimmed Beef Rib " $8.49
>"Bone in Prime Rib" $10.99
>"Boned and tied Prime Rib" $11.99
>
>I know a kid in the shop that sells the first 2. Would a choice
>piece that is selected by someone who knows what they're doing be
>likely to be as good as a prime piece 'off the rack'? [I *am*
>familiar with lumber grading practice- and what is available. In
>lumber I'd go with a guy who knew what he was looking for over the
>'grade' every time.
>
>I doubt that I've ever gotten Prime, if current ads mean anything. The
>only local store that offers prime is a brand new "Meat House". They
>were giving out samples of 'prime rib' at their grand opening a week
>or two ago & I wasn't impressed. It had been marinated beyond
>recognition and was still pretty chewy.
>
>I can't imagine a better grade of meat than what I've been getting----
>but 'curious minds', and all that.
>
>Jim

With your knowlege of beef I suggest SPAM.

"pavane" > wrote
> As far as Angus beef vs. Choice beef, similar thing: the term
> "Angus" has been broadened to include almost anything on
> hoof that might once have looked black; it is not today an
> indicator of quality but rather that the meatpacker chose
> to pay extra to use the seal.

Maybe, but is some cases, it really is better.

A few years ago, I saw two steaks in the supermarket. They were NY Strip,
about 3/4" thick, very close in size. The difference was that one was
Certified Angus, the other was Plain Old Cow, choice grade. I bought one
of each. Seasoned them the same, cooked them the same, side by side. The
Angus was sure better than the other. My wife and I split both of them and
she did not know the origins, but definitely liked the Angus better than
POC. It was about $1 a pound more and worth it.

On Sat, 18 Dec 2010 11:26:34 -0500, Jim Elbrecht wrote:

> Are some of these things just advertising gimmicks?
>
> Rib roast-
> Which would you choose and why?
> "Certified Angus" $7.99
> "Choice beef" 6.99
> "USDA Choice small end" $8.99
> "USDA Choice large end" $8.49
> "Taste Of Inspirations Angus Beef Small End Rib Roast " $9.99
> "Taste Of Inspirations Angus Beef Large End Rib Roast " $8.99
> "Usda Choice Whole Trimmed Beef Rib " $8.49
> "Bone in Prime Rib" $10.99
> "Boned and tied Prime Rib" $11.99

Anything "Certified Angus" is just a buzz word. The quality is all
over the board. Look for USDA graded Certified Angus (Choice or
better). Much of the Certified Angus is still not graded, and
would actually grade out to USDA Select if it were. They started
allowing grading of Certified Angus after their assurances that is
was at least USDA Choice turned out to be false.

Large end is my preferred cut. It comes from closer to the chuck
(shoulder) end of the moo and has a smaller eye and the larger
portions of the "flaps" which surround the eye (which are the best
part of a ribeye, IMO). But the large end has slightly more waste
in the form of fat and bone.

"Taste of inspirations" is an awfully corny name used to describe
pieces of a dead cow. Make of it what you will.

"Choice Beef" means USDA choice. This is the grade that is
preferable for a decent rib roast.

"Boned and tied" means you get the flavor and meat of the bones and
the ease of carving. They're not worth any more than their bone in
counterpart. You can easily remove the rib rack after it's been
cooked, plus you have the option of serving thick cuts of bone-in
prime rib.

> I doubt that I've ever gotten Prime, if current ads mean anything. The
> only local store that offers prime is a brand new "Meat House".

Meat House is not all it's cracked up to be. You're much better
off shopping at CostCo for the same grades or about 40% cheaper.

> They
> were giving out samples of 'prime rib' at their grand opening a week
> or two ago & I wasn't impressed. It had been marinated beyond
> recognition and was still pretty chewy.

Same with their over-marinated lamb. And the "fresh" sausage I
bought was rotten. I wrote corporate with a picture of the
sausages, the receipt, and specifically _telling_ them to refund my
money and never heard a damn thing back from them. So I wrote them
a really nasty Yelp review instead. The Meat House is for people
who have no sense of food value. Some of the branded items were 5x
more than if you bought them at a regular grocer.

-sw

On Sat, 18 Dec 2010 12:20:47 -0500, pavane wrote:

> Expect all sorts of arguments on this subject, btw. It
> usually is our normal holiday blowoff disagreement.

"Prime Rib must be USDA Prime to be called Prime Rib"

Somebody had to say it.

-sw

On Sat, 18 Dec 2010 10:03:40 -0800, Dan Abel wrote:

> http://vsack.homepage.t-online.de/rfc_faq.html
>
> Section 3 - Glossary
> ...The USDA technical name for the cut is "beef rib roast.""

That is incorrect. The correct technical names for bone in prime
rib we see at the retail stores a

Item No. 109D - Beef Rib, Roast-Ready, Cover Off, Short Cut
Item No. 109E - Beef Rib, Ribeye Roll, Lip-On, Bone In

In it's most simplest form, it is "109: Beef Rib, Roast Ready".
But the roasts we see at retail are prepped well beyond this simple
cut that has a huge layer of fat and longer rib bones. These are
not sold retail unless you ask for one. And even then it would be
difficult to obtain. We do have one store in town who sells this
cut as steaks and labels it as "Value Beef" (at about 40% less than
regular rib roast/steaks).

There is no technical USDA name "Beef Rib Roast".

Technically, of course.

-sw

Jim Elbrecht wrote:
>
> Are some of these things just advertising gimmicks?
>
> Rib roast-
> Which would you choose and why?
> "Certified Angus" $7.99
> "Choice beef" 6.99
> "USDA Choice small end" $8.99
> "USDA Choice large end" $8.49
> "Taste Of Inspirations Angus Beef Small End Rib Roast " $9.99
> "Taste Of Inspirations Angus Beef Large End Rib Roast " $8.99
> "Usda Choice Whole Trimmed Beef Rib " $8.49
> "Bone in Prime Rib" $10.99
> "Boned and tied Prime Rib" $11.99
>
> I know a kid in the shop that sells the first 2. Would a choice
> piece that is selected by someone who knows what they're doing be
> likely to be as good as a prime piece 'off the rack'? [I *am*
> familiar with lumber grading practice- and what is available. In
> lumber I'd go with a guy who knew what he was looking for over the
> 'grade' every time.
>
> I doubt that I've ever gotten Prime, if current ads mean anything. The
> only local store that offers prime is a brand new "Meat House". They
> were giving out samples of 'prime rib' at their grand opening a week
> or two ago & I wasn't impressed. It had been marinated beyond
> recognition and was still pretty chewy.
>
> I can't imagine a better grade of meat than what I've been getting----
> but 'curious minds', and all that.
>
> Jim

Angus is a breed, not a grade, but Angus is usually tastier than
non-Angus. Prime, choice and select are grades, but really only refer to
the fat marbling in the meat which has some correlation to tenderness
and flavorfullness, but nothing hard and fast. Grain fed and grass fed
are more options beyond the grading, just like Angus. Non-aged, wet aged
and dry aged are further qualifiers that make a significant difference
irrespective of grade. You can also find meats that have never been
frozen which is yet another variable.

Basically it's a big convoluted mess. You really need to find a source
of quality dead cow staffed by people who know their products and try
the various options to see what you prefer.

"Jim Elbrecht" wrote

> Are some of these things just advertising gimmicks?

Some are but like all cuts of meat, there are no truely bad ones, just
cooking adaptions that must be used to get proper results.

On Dec 19, 7:41*am, "Ed Pawlowski" > wrote:
> A few years ago, I saw two steaks in the supermarket. *They were NY Strip,
> about 3/4" thick, very close in size.

For 20 years now I've been seeing references in this newsgroup to New
York steaks (is NY Strip the same?). Finally, I ask, what IS a New
York steak?

I am familiar with sirloin and porterhouse, fillet and scotch fillet/
ribeye, and rump, but the New York steak is unknown here.

Come, enlightenment, without the cluebat.

LW

"Lyndon Watson" > wrote in message
...
> On Dec 19, 7:41 am, "Ed Pawlowski" > wrote:
>> A few years ago, I saw two steaks in the supermarket. They were NY
>> Strip,
>> about 3/4" thick, very close in size.
>
> For 20 years now I've been seeing references in this newsgroup to New
> York steaks (is NY Strip the same?). Finally, I ask, what IS a New
> York steak?
>
> I am familiar with sirloin and porterhouse, fillet and scotch fillet/
> ribeye, and rump, but the New York steak is unknown here.
>
> Come, enlightenment, without the cluebat.
>
> LW

Strip Steak (aka NY Strip) comes from the same section as the porterhouse.
It's basically the top loin portion of the tenderloin. They're a much
better buy than a T-bone steak because you get two in one. Why not ask your
butcher?

Jill

Dan Abel wrote:
>
> The following applies to the US. Prime rib is a cut of meat, not a
> grade. The term was invented long before there was USDA grading. We
> have this argument at least once every year on this group, so Victor put
> it in the FAQ:
>
> http://vsack.homepage.t-online.de/rfc_faq.html
>
> Section 3 - Glossary
>
> "PRIME RIB - In the USA, a popular term referring to a standing rib roast
> of beef. "Prime" in the term refers to one of the primal cuts of beef
> and not, as is often incorrectly assumed, to the USDA grade of beef.
> This usage precedes the establishment of the US beef grading standards,
> which explains the confusion. This is explicitly acknowledged by the
> USDA in its publications. The USDA technical name for the cut is "beef
> rib roast.""
>
> If you want USDA Prime, be sure the label says "USDA Prime". If you
> want the top grade of prime rib, look for "USDA Prime prime rib".

So technically we could have USDA Choice prime rib roast or a USDA Prime
prime rib roast. In practice if the USDA grade is listed the
grandfathered use of the word prime is not listed.

USDA Prime rib roast - It's both meanings of the word prime.
Prime rib roast with no listed USDA grade - It's probably graded Choice
or Select and the grade is not listed for marketing reasons.