You can purchase nearly anything online in the year 2012. Jeans and vintage watches, virtual assistants, unicorn head costumes for Halloween (a guy we know) — even brides, though it’s a rather complicated transaction (again, a guy we know). Beef is no exception. From traditional mail-order companies like Omaha Steaks to farm-direct sellers like Crystal River meats, the digital beef bazaar is an option-rich environment.
Since there’s nothing like coming home to a beautiful wife and a box of USDA prime after a long day at the office, we’ve graciously rounded up the top steak shippers as part of our Month of Beef series to help you — at least on the beef front — discover the best cuts and deals for your kitchen.
Check out our selections on the next page and make sure you bring a napkin to clean up the drool.
Editor’s Note: Follow us throughout the MoB as we test beef from these mail-order companies.
Lobel’s of New York
Meat of it: The Lobel family has been in the business of producing world-class beef for over 160 years. Their Manhattan-based store sources cattle from farms stretching throughout America’s heartland. Their USDA Prime Beef comes from cattle raised on corn, their Natural Prime Beef comes from cattle fed on a mix of all-natural grains, their American Wagyu Cattle have a 100 percent vegetarian diet, and their Piedmontese Beef is pasture raised. All of these are dry aged for four to six weeks for extra taste and texture.
Cut to the Chase: Consumers have the choice of any cut of USDA Prime Beef, Natural Prime Beef or Wagyu Beef. In need of a recipe or cooking techniques? Lobel’s offers that too.
Buy Now: lobels.com
Creekstone Farms
Meat of it: The beef program at Creekstone Farms is comprised of only USDA-certified Black Angus beef, all American-born; most spend their lives grazing on verdant Midwestern pastures, though they also source from Montana, Wyoming and elsewhere.
Cut to the Chase: Premium USDA-certified, American-raised Black Angus beef.
Buy Now: creekstonefarms.com
Greensbury Market
Meat of it: All the beef that Greensbury Market sells is bought from small farms who pasture-raise their cattle without synthetic growth hormones or antibiotics. Each is fed a 100 percent grass diet, resulting in a meat that’s less fatty, less acidic and more tender.
Cut to the Chase: Organic and completely grass-fed beef.
Buy Now: greensburymarket.com
Omaha Steaks
Meat of it: An industry stalwart, Omaha Steaks has been slinging beef for almost a century. The mail order biz started in the middle of the 20th century after the company found success selling steaks on the Union Pacific Railroad.
Cut to the Chase: All manner of grain-fed steaks, especially filet mignon. Pick up some lobster tails, cheddar cheese, hash browns and carrot cake while you’re at it.
Buy Now: omahasteaks.com
Crystal River Meats
Meat of it: The inverse of big box beef outfits, Colorado-based Crystal River Meats is a vehemently local operation. Everything from breeding the animals to growing the hay to processing and packaging the beef happens within a 200 mile radius of the HQ in Carbondale. They’re also upping the local meat game by supplying ground beef to the RE-1 school district in Colorado.
Cut to the Chase: It’s all grass-fed, antibiotic- and hormone-free, Hereford-Angus beef. Try the NY strip, rib steaks, and the ground beef… all the kids are doing it.
Buy Now: crystalrivermeats.com
Niman Ranch
Meat of it: Niman was one of the original name-brand ranches to appear on locavore restaurant menus. It was originally 11 acres just north of the Bay Area; now it’s a network of more than 700 farms and ranches throughout the States. All of the beef is 100% Angus, free of hormones and antibiotics, and raised on a vegetarian diet.
Cut to the Chase: Top sirloin, strips and rib-eyes. Niman is also known for its superior pork and lamb, so don’t be shy about the non-beef products.
Buy Now: nimanranch.com
DeBragga
Meat of it: DeBragga is a member of the old guard of New York butcher shops, around since the 1920s. Their business was solely butchering and supplying high-end restaurants in the tri-state area with meat until 2007, when they launched an online store. DeBragga carries all the good stuff, from dry-aged American Wagyu to grass-fed ground beef to marrow bones (we’ll show you how to use those next week).
Cut to the Chase: American Wagyu dry-aged rib chops, dry-aged prime rib roasts, Wagyu brisket.
Buy Now: debragga.com
Allen Brothers
Meat of it: Allen Brothers is HQ’d in America’s other great steak city: Chicago. They’ve been running their wholesale operation there since 1893, dealing largely in USDA prime grade beef and supplying restaurants like Morton’s and Lawry’s with their Prime Rib. The mail-order biz also includes pork, game and other products, but the main draw is beef — dry-aged, wet-aged, Wagyu.
Cut to the Chase: Tenderloin roasts, Wagyu rib-eye, prime strip steaks.
Buy Now: allenbrothers.com
Heritage Foods USA
Meat of it: You know a bit about Heritage Foods USA from our profile of their butcher shop in Manhattan. HFUSA deals exclusively in meat from heritage breed animals — Wagyu, Piedmontese, Dexter — all of which comes from a network of small American farms. Online you’ll find a unique selection of pasture-raised beef, along with detailed information about where it came from. Follow along with their “American Beef Road Trip” to sample a variety breeds from different parts of the country every three months.
Cut to the Chase: Piedmontese whole boneless rib-eye roasts, Wagyu burgers, Akaushi strip steaks.
Buy Now: heritagefoodsusa.com
Pat LaFrieda Meat Purveyors
Meat of it: LaFrieda is the “it” meat purveyor at the moment. They’ve got a Food Network TV show, Meat Men, restaurateurs name-drop them frequently, and they’re the guys who cooked a 1,000 pound steer at Meatopia. The family-owned business has been selling tier-1 meat for the better part of a century, and now it’s available online.
Cut to the Chase: Famous for their original blend burgers. Stay tuned for the recipe.
Buy Now: lafrieda.com
via GEARPATROL.COM
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