Steak frustration - untrimmed vs trimmed

[fldhkybnva]

My local Whole Foods just started carrying grass fed meat and as a steak and grass fed meat lover I have been in heaven. I usually get the NY strip steak and it seems that nearly 1/3 of the weight measured in the store is gristle and silverskin that has to be removed - my yield today was 75% of original weight post-trim. Is this typical? Is it OK to ask them to trim it before weighing as it's somewhat frustrating to pay for 1/3 of a product that's not being consumed.

[Puffin3]

Strip steak is pretty good but frankly I prefer a rib eye.

[Brandon Nelson]

As a butcher let me throw a couple of industry standards at you. A piece of meat that has been cut, fabricated, and put up for sale should have no more than 1/8 inch of fat. Greater than that that and you are doing sub standard cutting.

That being said there isn't a cut of beef I handle that has has the amount of fascia that you describe. Strip loin has a fat cap. Beneath that cap is a thin tough layer of fascia/ silverskin/ gristle. Are you describing both the fat cap and fascia when discussing your trim loss?

A properly cut strip steak should have minimal waste.

[fldhkybnva]

Yes, I am speaking of both the fat cap and the silverskin beneath. It's not a lot of fascia, but I really can't stand to chew the thin film of silverskin, however getting rid of it does require loss of most of the fat cap. I guess I should just cut around the silverskin and keep the glorious fat cap :)

[Brandon Nelson]

That particular piece of gristle is really hard to get through. I can understand the frustration.

You shouldn't be losing the mass you describe though.

[robt5265]

Whole Foods does something similar with Salmon filets. About an inch of fat at the belly end of each filet is left on. When asked to trim it off they say that 'this is the way we sell our filets'. It sort of adds up when you are buying 8 8oz. filets..........

[paulj]

99Ranch trims off the belly fat, and sells it to discerning buyers.

[Brandon Nelson]

There is lean filet under that thin sheet of white. I don't trim that off of my salmon filets either.

[Zalbar]

Get yourself a good local butcher and quit buying meat from chain stores.

[1POINT21GW]

Why? Costco rules when it comes to high quality beef and their prices cannot be beaten.

[NonnieMuss]

Unfortunately that's not the answer for everyone. I'm fortunate to live in a city with one butcher shop - just the one for a population of 250,000+, and we're really lucky that it's a great shop. For many, it's chain grocery stores or nothing.

[redfish62]

I'm sure they will trim it after weighing but probably not before because it would reduce the profits, they would have to adjust the price upwards to compensate for weighing it post-trimming.

[fldhkybnva]

Right, not sure if it's worth the cost if so much is wasted because of all of the "extra," oh well, back to Wegman's for grass fed beef

[letsindulge]

Silverskin on NY strip? Fat cap yes, but silverskin?!

[fldhkybnva]

Silverskin beneath the fat cap, no?

[scubadoo97]

Yes there is a thin silver skin beneath the fat. I've cooked it with the fat cap and without. I just did a reverse sear on a well marbled NY strip and removed the fat cap. Didn't miss it and the steak was delicious

[letsindulge]

Silverskin is a pearly, white translucent conncective tissue that surrounds the muscle. Commonly found on tenderloin, and ribs. Your silverskin is just gristle to me.

[scubadoo97]

I removed the fat and there was not grizzle but a thin layer of silverskin which is usually found between muscle groups

[fldhkybnva]

same here

[iluvcookies]

There is a local-to-me grocery that has a good meat selection, especially steaks. At regular price, the steaks are well butchered and trimmed. I've noticed that when they go on sale, the trim suffers. This makes me wonder how good of a deal the "sale" really is.

[Crockett67]

I have to admit, I have never bought a steak that I had to then "trim" and to pay Whole Foods pricing and then trim 25% away would upset me greatly.

But I don't purchase steak monthly and never from Whole Foods.