I know that buying in bulk is supposed to save money. Safeway is always running specials if you purchase mass amounts of meat at once. I used to buy the discounted meat until I realized that 80% of the meat would stay in my freezer so long that it would develop freezer burn and I’d end up tossing it. That meant that if I wanted to have a great steak meal, I would have to plan it out one or two days ahead of time and run to the store for the steaks. That would also mean that I absolutely had to cook the steaks that week – regardless of how tired or busy things became.
What I need is a way to have great quality beef that is convenient and that I can freeze without it developing ice crystals, and I think I found it through Meyer Natural Angus. Meyer Natural Angus is a USDA Prime Grade steak vendor that delivers premium steaks that can be conveniently and safely stored in the freezer until ready to cook. I love that the word ‘natural’ is in their name, which for them means their Angus cattle were naturally-raised on vegetarian diets and their steaks have no hormones or antibiotics.
Meyer Natural Angus ships the steaks directly to your door frozen, which means when I got home from work one day I had a Styrofoam container holding a re-usable thermal bag, with four steaks in it, sitting on a block of dry ice. I have no clue when FedEx left the steaks at more door, but I do know that each piece was still 100% frozen. The steaks are individually vacuum sealed to help preserve freshness when frozen. Now, I’ve had some experience with some frozen beefs from when I worked at Dream Dinners and I developed an eye for telling when we were shipped pieces of meat that weren’t 100% up to snuff (don’t worry – those pieces got returned and NEVER went to customers.) I inspected each steak I received from Meyer Natural Angus and noticed that 1) there were not any air pockets or ice crystals in the vacuum-sealed packages (if there were, it suggests a non-air-tight seal/package job), 2) there wasn’t a lot of extra icky blood in the packaging, 3) the meats were of good quality, without any odd green tints on the meat, 4) the cuts of meat were thick with neither too much nor to little fat.
Two days before steak night, I threw the four steaks into the fridge to thaw out. After they were thawed, the steaks still smelled fresh and looked as if they had never been frozen.
After rubbing various marinades and spices on each of the steaks, they were thrown onto the grill and cooked up. The end result was that I ate the most perfect piece of steak I’ve ever tasted – a perfectly seasoned, sauced and cooked piece of Meyer Natural Angus USDA Prime Ribeye. I wish I could show you a picture of it, but the entire 10oz was gone before I remembered to grab my camera. So instead, here are some pictures of the delicious filet mignon and top sirloin. All four of the steaks we tried from the Meyer Natural Angus Jr. Sampler were tender and juicy, with great flavor and texture.
Meyer Natural Angus is currently running a great special on their steaks, which is 25% off any order PLUS free shipping off your entire order. They have three gift packages that are under $50 (currently on sale for $37.50 or less) and you can even purchase a package that includes 2 8oz Prime Filet Mignon Steaks AND 2 16oz Prime Ribeye Steaks for under $75! Just out of curiosity – I decided to compare these prices to my local steakhouse. They offer a7 oz. filet for $19.95 and a 14oz ribeye for $21.95. That equals $83.80 total (or $8.84 more than the Meyer Natural Angus sale price) for ~1/3 lb. less meat. Now, I understand that at the restaurants they do the cooking for you, so one could say that they’re costing more for convenience. But also consider that there’s tip (15% = $12.57) and sales tax (6% = $5.03) on your restaurant bill. That’s quite a bit of money (over $25 more) to pay for someone else to cook meat that you could cook yourself.
I’m not saying that Meyer Natural Angus is the perfect steak solution for everyone. If all you need is a whole lot of OK quality meat, then you can buy it cheaper from your local grocery store. But what I am saying is that if you want an affordable and VERY convenient way to get USDA Prime Steaks that can taste as good as (if not better) than what restaurants can give you, then Meyer Natural Angus steaks are something to consider.
If you get a chance, now is the perfect time to try them out. Their steaks are available for purchase online at www.meyernaturalangus.com. The Meyer Natural Angus Jr. Sampler Package, which includes 1 (5 oz) USDA Prime Filet Mignon Steak, 1 (10oz) USDA Prime Ribeye Steak, 1 (8 oz) USDA Prime New York Strip Steak, and 1 (6 oz) USDA Prime Top Sirloin Steak is also part of the What’s Cooking at DD Holiday Gift Pack Giveaway!
Disclaimer: No compensation was given for this review/giveaway. I did receive a Meyer Natural Angus Jr. Sampler Package to cook and eat for the purpose of writing this review. This did not influence my opinions.
Great article on pitfalls of bulk purchases of beef. I find that La Cense is consistently dependable on its high quality grass fed steaks that don’t get freezer burns. I feel grass fed steak is the healthiest type of beef to buy. I can be assured of meat that is antibiotic and pesticide free, as well as hormone free. A great place to get grass fed steaks delivered is LaCense Beef. While I work for them, the reason I order from them time and again is that their meat is really high quality and is much healthier than the alternatives. I would definitely recommend them.