Steak: Prime vs. Choice
The other day I spotted USDA Prime steak at Costco. If you're a habitué of steakhouses, or wish you were, you know that it takes a well-marbled slab of beef to make a remarkable steak.
Most of us have never tasted that beef. Steaks stamped "prime" by the USDA make up less than 2 percent of our entire beef production, and until recently, Prime steaks weren't even available to the general public; they were scooped up by the best restaurants and steakhouses in the country.
But no longer. As better restaurants close or serve fewer people every day, they need less beef. So USDA Prime is being sold to regular folks, and I found it at Costco. Was Prime really worth the additional price, $2 more per pound than Choice?
First off, it's useful to know that the USDA grades our beef into five categories, with Prime the best grade of meat and Choice the second best. USDA stamped Prime meat has the most fat running through it, leading to a more flavorful steak.
The best way to judge, I thought, would be a side-by-side taste test. So I bought two packs of boneless rib-eye, one Prime and one Choice. Even without their USDA stamps, you could see that one set of steaks had far more marbling than the other.
My husband cooked both steaks at the same time outside on a charcoal grill. It was easy to taste the difference. Even my 10-year-old picked the Prime over the Choice. The Prime had a bigger, more buttery flavor that grew even more intense as you chewed.
For my family, it was easy to come to a unanimous decision. Prime was worth the cost, especially if we could have steakhouse meals at Costco prices.
ae on June 12, 2009 at 07:46 AM
"As better restaurants close or serve fewer people every day, they need less beef. So USDA Prime is being sold to regular folks, and I found it at Costco." Is this really true? I was under the understanding that most restaurants are choosing to purchase choice now instead of prime because the difference in USDA standards between prime and high choice is so little and they can save money by purchasing choice cuts.
I do agree with your choice of prime over choice tho.
Tracy Schneider on June 12, 2009 at 02:34 PM
Thanks, ae. I'm just got off the phone with Jim Sinegal, Costco co-founder and CEO. He's snagging USDA Prime now because of the economy, but would carry it all the time if he could get it.
As you suggest, Jim thinks that some of the restaurants that served USDA Prime before the recession may be cutting their costs by buying USDA Choice. But he believes the main reason he has access to Prime is because restaurant attendance is down at the upscale establishments. Anecdotally, he was at a steakhouse recently that could have held 150 people, but there were only 15 or so patrons that night.
It is true that if you're a savvy shopper, you can find some great USDA Choice that is almost as good as the Prime. But if you get great Prime, you can't beat it. We're grilling this weekend!
Karen on June 13, 2009 at 05:05 AM
I am a huge fan of Costco and have always recommended their beef. Last weekend, we grilled some particularly good rib-eye, and now I am wondering if I could have bought Prime without being aware of it. Is it clearly labeled Prime or distinguished in some obvious way besides price? Do we know if Costco is distributing Prime beef throughout the country or only in certain regions? Thank you for this information!
Tracy Schneider on June 14, 2009 at 12:03 AM
Thanks, Karen! Costco's USDA Prime steaks are clearly marked, but if you regularly pick up beef from their cases, you may not have noticed the Prime sticker. I don't know if every Costco carries USDA Prime, but I do know that it is available in many regions. If you tell me which Costco warehouses you frequent, I'll check to see whether or not they have access to Prime.
Karen on June 14, 2009 at 06:02 AM
Great info, Tracy. I shop at the Costco in Charlotte, NC. I'll check next time I'm there but if you have the opportunity to check I'd greatly appreciate it. I really enjoy the blog!
Tracy Schneider on June 15, 2009 at 12:18 PM
Karen, the Charlotte Costco occasionally gets USDA Prime meat, but your best bet is to order it in advance. Orders are by the case, and you have a choice of either Prime rib-eye (4 to a case) or Prime NY strip (six to a case). Get grilling!
The lemonade master cleanser on June 15, 2009 at 10:15 PM
Nice comment Tracy.
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John Assam
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Carlos on June 22, 2009 at 03:20 PM
I just picked up some USDA Prime Rib eyes over the weekend at COSTCO in Tracy,California. When I found it I was in shock because all I ever see is the Choice meat. The Prime comes in blue packing, look for the blue ! If you know steak you can tell the difference right off the bat because of the marbeling. I have only seen pictures of Kobe beef and the marbeling of the Prime I picked up resemebeld Kobe marbeling. This was the juciest most tender steak I have ever grilled myself. It proves some people do capitalize in a down economy and in this case the consumer wins !