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For a long time, people have wondered what it is about steak that makes it so irresistible. To answer that, we’d say, “isn’t it obvious enough already?”
Steak is a meat cut which is usually sliced off the muscle fibers of a cow or a steer. It can be grilled, fried in a pan, or smoked over open coals with a drizzle of barbecue sauce.
What makes steak so special is flavor. A good steak combines that with tenderness, aroma and a “juicy effect” at first bite, which you just can’t help but get lost in.
Oftentimes, it’s a battle finding the best steaks to buy around you. Lucky for you, this grocery guide has been designed to extensively point you in the right direction.
Which supermarket has the best quality meat?
It’s hard to pick just one when they’re lots of prominent grocery stores to buy steaks from. But we managed to narrow our selections down to the top three stores with the best steaks to buy.
Whole Foods Market
Whole Foods Market has the best steaks to buy if you’re trying to maintain a healthy diet. They have different kinds of fresh beef, pork, lamb, chicken and turkey in their Meat department, all of which are Animal Welfare Certified.
As far as we know, some of their meat comes from Meyer Natural Angus, which is one of the top producers of natural beef.
Their cattle are purely fed with grass and grains.
Trader Joe’s
Trader Joe’s sells all kinds of meat, including chicken, pork, frozen organic meat, and even marinated meat stocks.
We don’t advise you to buy Trader Joe’s marinated meat as they’re heavily salted. They’re also price. But the good thing is that their meat is also organic and antibiotic-free.
Kroger
If you want the best steaks to grill, and you’d like to buy them cheap, then Kroger is your plug. They get their meat from Simple Truth Organic, which has been certified by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) as organic.
Also, they raise the cattle in Uruguay, which has a conducive grazing environment.
How do you pick a good steak at the grocery store?
It’s easy to get greedy when picking good steak at the grocery store.
You might aim for the biggest portion, but that isn’t always the best choice.
To pick the best sticks to grill or add to your recipe, here are a few factors to consider:
Clean meat grain cut
The meat grain is simply the direction where the muscle fibers lie in a meat cut.
They run like parallel lines down the meat, so you’ll want to watch out for steaks that have been sliced in the opposite direction.
For butchers, this technique helps to break down the meat fibers and shorten them.
That way, the meat is easier to chew through.
So if you buy steak that has been cut with the direction of the meat grain, you’ll only end up with tough meat and a sore jaw.
Less connective tissue
When looking for the best steaks to buy around you, always pick the meat with as little connective tissues as possible.
Those are the white fibrous tissues that surround the muscles, and you’ll want to avoid them.
That’s because they’ll always stay chewy and rubbery, no matter how long you cook them for.
Low amount of fat marbling
It’s almost impossible to avoid fat in meat, but it’s best to watch out for fat marbling.
High intake of such unsaturated fat can contribute to raising your blood cholesterol and giving you heart disease.
So you’ll want a meat cut that has enough fat to create that juicy effect after grilling, but not enough to land you to the ER.
But don’t worry. Fat marbling is very easy to spot.
They look like white flecks of intramuscular fat that run around the steak.
What kind of steak should I buy at the grocery store?
You should definitely buy Prime Grade beef. Prime beef stocks are produced young and well-fed.
However, it’s going to be a huge task finding Prime beef at the grocery store as it’s got low demand, due to the hefty price for the quality.
But you can check Wegmans, Albertsons and Costco for it. You can also check Sam’s Club and Costco.
FAQs:
What is the best steak to barbecue?
The best steak to barbecue is the rib-eye steak.
Not only is it tender, but it’s got a moderate level of fat marbling.
For this reason, it’s the number one choice in most cook-off competitions.
If you’re looking for where to buy the best steaks, you can try Omaha steaks.
Is it cheaper to buy meat from a butcher or supermarket?
It’s cheaper to buy meat at the supermarket, but it’s better to buy from the butcher.
Though he’s expensive, your meat guy has fresher and higher quality meat stock than the supermarket.
So you don’t have to worry about your meat being clogged up with preservatives or antibiotics that could be harmful to your health.
Enjoyed our juicy piece on the best steaks to buy? We also have grocery guides to help you find your way around supermarkets. You can check them out below:
- Where to find brown rice in the grocery store
- What are the different sections of a grocery store & common aisles?
- Where to find hot pepper sauce
Irene is a Freelance content writer who helps professionals and startups build an audience with original content online. She has written over +100 articles, and is backed up by 3 years experience. She loves gaming and listening to music, while she’s not tapping furiously on her laptop.