A subject I can sink my teeth into. I consider myself to be a bit of a "beef snob."
I will concede at the beginning that there are some fine eateries that buy custom grown steers. They closely monitor the producer to see that the meat they are providing is grass fed, at least two years old, butchered properly and the meat dry aged for at least 20 days or so, and delivered, usually as primal cuts to be broken down by their chefs, and that the fat is thick and the right color. You'll pay a premium for a steak in such a place and it will taste nothing like the usual fare at the local restaurant.
Since we Americans have decided that beef should be tender enough to cut with a fork and fairly bland in flavor, hence the use of sauces and rubs and other such truck a restaurants, I look for range beef that is strictly grass fed and at least two years old, preferably older, three to five years. I try to recreate the flavor and texture of the great beef I grew up with, no hormones or feed lots.
I find the best beef these days generally, is Argentine, Australian (Safeway now carries a line grass fed Australian beef, slaughtered a bit two young but still tasty, unfortunately no bone-in cuts), and Irish beef. The Safeway beef is great for cooking at home if you are looking for beef that tastes like beef.
One has to find ranches that are family owned that, while trying to turn a profit, take pride in steers that have great flavor. Then you usually have to buy a box of mixed cuts. For me there is the additional cost of shipping to Alaska, FedEx or UPS, lots of dry ice, etc, runs up the costs. The texture and flavor still make it a better deal than what is usually available at the market.
You young ones, under age sixty or so, probably have no idea what real, unadulterated beef tastes like. There's a "grassy" flavor that is distinct. I know a couple of chefs that swear they can tell where in Ireland a steer was raised by the taste. They say that the difference is in the grass which varies from region to region. Of course finding a cut in a butcher shop, in the US, with a good amount of fat is nigh impossible as the local butcher usually doesn't get primal cuts. The abattoir reduces the primal cuts and closely trims the fat before shipping now a days, since the average customer sees fat as waste, not a source of flavor, The preference seems to be closely trimmed and boneless. I look around the meat department and find that most markets guarantee their product to be tender, never a mention of flavor.
Beef from older steers is somewhat tougher (more walking and grazing) and need a bit, only a wee bit if properly hung, more cooking to break the tissue down a bit or it can be a bit tough. Still, I eat beef for the flavor and if properly aged the meat will still be reasonably tender. If I order a steak at the run-of-the-mill steak houses I always order the sirloin as I find that it has the most beef flavor. I have any sauces held or on the side.
I apologize as this missive seems to have turned into a rant. Mea culpa. Beef is one of the few things I feel passionate about. That and my pipes. Well . . . pulled pork sandwiches served with anything other than a vinegar based sauce is simply an abomination. Only tugging your chain a bit, those of you who grew up with and prefer tomato based sauces, I don't want to highjack this thread. No offense meant, just a personal taste.
