USDA Prime vs Choice

PRIME, that's not even a serious question. It's more expensive for a reason.

Go to a well regarded butcher in a supermarket or a well regarded butcher shop. They will sell you honest value and taste.

In terms that only a DLer can understand:

Prime: Messi

Choice: Ronaldo

[quote]PRIME, that's not even a serious question. It's more expensive for a reason.

You obviously didn’t read what I wrote. I bought a Prime steak 🥩 for the first time and it was chewy and tasted like shit, hence why I’m wondering what’s so great about it.

Someone sold you shitty meat. As I said, if you are interested in consuming quality meat, you have to find yourself and honest and expert butcher. It's not even a question of buying the most expensive meat. The butcher will will sell you great tasting meat for your needs and budget.

R5 I bought it from Walmart if that makes a difference.

Yes it does make a difference. Walmarts in general do not give a fuck. Yes, they will sell shitty meat at any price price point.

Ask around and do some research. There is a place to buy good meat honestly priced somewhere near you. Go there and spend your dollars wisely.

As I said, the official grade of the meat isn't a guarantee of any quality, freshness, or taste.

Try a "chuck steak". Cheap and delicious.

R7 Wow, thank you for that link! Here I was thinking Prime meant Prime regardless of where you buy it from.

A butcher could sell you hamburger that will impress you.

By the way I'm not a butcher but I know my way around the meat quality in my town.

(including the cock meat, too!)

It's unusual to find USDA Prime in regular supermarkets -- usually restaurants snap it up. But I've seen it occasionally at Costco.

[quote]It's unusual to find USDA Prime in regular supermarkets -- usually restaurants snap it up.

That’s why I was so surprised to see it in Walmart. There were only a few packages so I bought one for the hell of it. Now I know to just skip it.

How you cook the steak matters. Don't bother with prime if you like your meat well done, you'll have just cooked out the extra marbling you paid for and wasted the money.

What R13 said.

Assuming you have a good quality steak, how you cook it is how it will turn out.

I can't cook steak properly to save my life -- that's why, when I want a good steak, I go to a steakhouse. Perhaps you should do the same, OP.

[quote]How you cook the steak matters. Don't bother with prime if you like your meat well done

I don’t like my steak well done and I know how to cook steak. 80% of the time my Choice steaks turn out fine.

I made the best steak in my life last week. Dry aged ribeye from Whole Foods (some stores dry age in house). I followed Gordon Ramsey’s recipe, which was very simple.

Reverse sear a prime rib eye, or even choice- takes time but worth it.

Prime has better marbling and comes from younger cattle. But that's no guaranty of a good steak since other factors like ageing and feed come into play. Not to mention how it's been stored and whether frozen or not.

In general, you don't go to Walmart if you're looking for beef that's been carefully selected and handled.