Steak for cooking at home

[cimui]

Where can I pick up the lowest-priced, high-quality steaks for home cooking? I know I can find good steaks at Citarella for a certain price. Can I improve on the quality to price ratio? How is Lobel's?

I'm a bit of a neophyte when it comes to buying steaks, so any tips on what to look for would be great, too (well marbled is probably good, right?). Is grass fed significantly tastier than non-grass fed?

[The Chowhound Team]

Pardon the interruption, but we've split off a discussion about cuts of beef to the General Topics board, which you can find here:

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/484276

We inadvertently butchered our splitting and split off some Manhattan specific recommendations, for which we apologize. You can find those here:

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/484279

But please continue the local discussion on this thread.

Thanks!

[slewlew]

this is all great information - thanks everyone!
Question - does anyone know of a good butcher in the east village/LES? i have been to essex market but haven't really formed an opinion about the butchers there yet....

[MMRuth]

I thought the meat looked very nice at the Essex Market butcher (Jeffrey's?) but didn't buy any.

[RGR]

It's a bit north of the East Village, but you might want to try the Gramercy Meal Market, on 2nd Av., b/t 22nd & 23rd Sts.

[mahalan]

While certainly not cheap, I prefer buying my meat at Ottomanelli's in the West Village. They have dry aged, prime beef that's excellent and they'll also dry age beef for you for longer than their standard period if you wish.

Additionally, their black pig pork is to die for. It's not the standard, low-fat pork you find in stores that has no flavor and the consistency of cardboard. It's marbled, has a wonderful flavor and texture and is what pork is supposed to be.

[cimui]

Thanks for all the good information, folks. You've provided some much-needed help!

[scoopG]

cimui - Lobels is good but more expensive than anyone else. Any good local butcher in your area should be able to get you Prime beef as marye says. Schatzie's Prime Meats at 1200 Madison (87th-88th) will have the same cuts and be cheaper than Lobel's. Supermarkets like Food Emporium and such do not carry Prime beef - only lower grades like Choice, Select or Cannery (I think it's called.)

[marye]

Find a local butcher, I use smchtick (sp) on !st btwn 55th and 54th. I have found that steak unless they come from a butxher are starting to lose flavor

[RCC]

Agree on both counts.

I found butcher-bought steaks to be more flavorful; and I also buy quite often from Simchik.

BTW, there's a terrific butcher in the Bay Area, California who will personally take your phone orders and ship them. Brian Flannery has very good steaks, all cuts and aged for different amount of time. I have found it worth the splurge to order from Brian, but be forewarned that the shipping costs add up.

[il Trifulau]

Newport steaks from Pino's on Sullivan St.

[cimui]

Ah, is this the one?

Simchick Meats Inc
[phone]
944 1st Ave
New York, NY 10022

It's actually somewhat convenient to my work place, so I'll have to check it out. Any particular cuts you'd recommend? (That's my cop-out way of saying: I have no idea what cuts are delicious to people who really enjoy steak, so tell me what your favorite is, please!)

[fgf]

Lobel's is more expensive than Citarella and probably about the same quality to price ratio. Fairway is cheaper (but you pay extra with your humanity) and once again about the same quality to price ratio. You get what you pay for I guess. If you're on the UWS I'd stick with Citearlla, and to improve on the quality to price ratio I'd stay away from the NY Strips and Rib Eyes and instead get something to braise.

[cimui]

Thanks, fgf -- that's really helpful.

Maybe I should revise my question, then, since I am willing to dish out for the really good stuff: Where can I purchase the best steak in Manhattan?

Any thoughts on Ottomanelli's?

[JeremyEG]

I think the best butcher shop in NYC is Florence Meat Market on Jones in the Village. Yes, well-marbled is good. The prices at Florence are lower than both Lobel's and Citarella. I do think Citarella has great meat though. Lamb at Florence is also great.

Happy cooking!
Jeremy

[MMRuth]

I bought some nice Australian ribeye steaks at Citarella on the UWS before Christmas that were wonderful. Lobel is amazing, but as others have mentioned, prices are stratospheric. Florence Meat Market has a lovely cut call the Newport, by the way.

[cimui]

I like Citarella, but it'd be nice to branch out a little since i know so little about steak. Also, I don't think I've seen grass fed at Citarella and I'd like to try that at home. (I've only had it once, on vacation, and I don't really remember what it tasted like.)

MMRuth, when you say Lobel is amazing, is it noticeably better than Citarella and other high end butchers?

And could you tell me more about this Newport cut, please? What is it and what makes it wonderful?

Thanks, JeremyEG and MMRuth -- I will look into Florence. Sounds like my kind of place. (And plus, I'll have an excuse to pop into Murray's Cheese Shop and Blue Ribbon Bakery, too!)

[MMRuth]

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/321943 - about Newport steaks.

If I were you though, I would at least check out Lobel's website if you haven't yet.

Edit - And I do think that Lobel's is noticeably better, but I'm not an expert on beef, and have only gotten meat from them a couple of times. Great hotdogs too.

[cimui]

Thanks so much, MMRuth. Good info!

[JMF]

I agree about Florence. Florence is cheaper but excellent quality. I would take them over Lobel, Citarella, etc. I don't think that Lobel is all it's cracked up to be.

[winemonkey]

Ottomanelli's is solid, but watchout they close relatively early.

[cimui]

Eek -- they close at 6 p.m. That's a bit prohibitively early, actually. Thanks for the heads up.

[MMRuth]

Lobel's closes at 6pm too - but they do deliver, which of course would just make it that much more expensive! I think most butchers (not Citarella etc.) close pretty early. By the way, I think the meat at Jefferson Market is very good as well.