You want to know how to pick the best steak from the store? How important is it for the meat to be well marbled? Maybe you have company coming over and they prefer a type of steak you are not accustomed to? Or maybe you want to impress a date or client with a killer steak meal? We have got you covered! Picking the perfect steak is something you can learn with a few simple tricks.
Skip the Plastic Wrapped Choices
Go to the meat counter and choose your steaks if at all possible. For starters this will let you talk with your butcher who will likely love to help you out. Second, you can ask to see both sides of your steak before purchasing it to check for freshness and that it is well marbled. You can also smell the meat, check to see how firm it is, look at the grain and check for dark spots. All of these things are important in picking the best steak.
Don’t buy Meat that Smells Sour
A great steak will have a meaty smell. If it smells off in any way, skip it. If it smells stale, or possibly has an ammonia odor it is not a piece of meat you want. Premium steaks are pricey and you do not want to risk buying bad meat. If you bought prepackaged and it smells off when you get home make sure to let them know immediately!
Avoid Meat with Brown Spots
Your steaks should be bright red, think cherry red. You want it to be as fresh as possible, yes a lot of great steaks are dry aged. But for those they will still be bright red after being properly trimmed. It may be tempting to grab steaks on special because they are about to go off. By all means feel free to do so but not when aiming to impress.
Look Carefully at the Marbling
A well marbled steak is where it is at. This goes for all steak types, the marbling helps add flavour and keep the meat moist. How well marbled a particular steak is will vary on the cut, the way an animal was raised, and even based on the breed. Also, different people want different levels of marbling. If they prefer a lean steak, go with less marbling. But still, in the end even with leaner cuts you want a fairly well marbled option.
Now armed with this information, you can boldly go forth and choose steaks for your next big event. It is best to know what kind of steak your company will prefer. Don’t forget a good marinade and you will be set!
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