Is it me or is Costco not that much less expensive in selling their meat's?
(versus the other major supermarket chains)
I'm thinking Pack 'n Save maybe the way to go?

I dunno.

Can any of you guys maybe rate the best place(s) for price
and quality of meat(s)?
Many thanks to those with constructive critism.

Cheer's and happy BBQ weekend!

Alex

Costco meat isn't any cheaper than supermarket meat but its better quality meat. I know a gal who is a caterer and she buys all her meats at Costco because of the consistent quality.

I live in SF. I consider Golden Gate Meats in the Ferry Building the best. Quality? Lots of prime, house dry-aged beef. I believe its all natural meat with plenty of organic (IMPORTANT) selections. Local spring lamb when in season. Selection? Besides the usuals (beef, pork, chicken, etc), they have, rabbit, elk, buffalo, ostrich, venison, sweetbreads, tons of housemade sausages, foie gras. Helpfull butchers? Not the best I've seen, but nice enough and they know where all the meat comes from (IMPORTANT). Price? Expensive. But thats going rate for quality meat.

I go to Bryan's on California, Whole Foods, Real Foods, and my local Vietnamese market in the TL for meat too. I'd never think to buy meat at a Safeway or Costco. I don't get why you would want to look for the cheapest beef. If feel like I want beef for dinner, my mindset is, "where can I go to buy the best skirt/filet/strip/ribeye steak money can buy"

Good topic after I just cooked an American Kobe steak tonight...

If you really want the best that money can buy, then order grass-fed beef from Alderspring Ranch or Lasater Grasslands beef. Grass-fed beef is much more flavorful and lower in fat than corn-fed beef.

http://www.alderspring.com/
http://www.lgbeef.com/

Or better yet, hop on a plane to Buenos Aires where you can get the best steak on the planet for dirt-cheap prices. A steak dinner with salad, side, wine, and coffee is less than $10 USD. All beef in Argentina is grass-fed.

LW

I like Smart and Final for my brisket as they carry packer cuts at reasonable prices. AND, the store in San Mateo usually has plenty onhand so when I want to cook up 6 of them some weekend, they got em.

For Butt and Ribs I like Costco. From what my BBQ brothers around the country tell me, we seem to get a pretty decent quality of butt here.
And Costco is the only place that carries full untrimmed rib slabs which is my preferred cut. No St. Louis cut for me thank you very much. I can do my own damn trimming, and I like the flap and ends.

Tonight is grill night with some bone in home aged rib-eye. Might get some blue cheese to go with that.

And don't forget the best damn hardwood lump in California is available in Brisbane:

http://www.lazzari.com/

The hardwood lump is mostly oak, a nice sweet smoke. Screw that Texas weed, hardwood is it, and only direct from their D.C., and one hardwood store in S.M.

Gotta have em bone in.

But..thats the _only_ issue.

Fujiwara tofu rocks!

1) Costco meats and relative pricing. Quality and cuts of meat are not bad for such a large scale production. They offer up both prime and choice as already mentioned. If you're going to compare pricing you need to take that into account and quite often you'll fine that Costco prime is similar in pricing to a choice cut in your major supermarket which is IMO not an apples to apples comparison.

2) The BBQ itself is independent of the quality and cut. I meat if you overcook a prime and slow cook a choice cut to perfection, which is better. Furthermore, a London Broil or Tri-tip may not be the best cuts of meat but with proper marination and cook/smoking can be just as tender as a steakhouse filet or rib-eye.

If shopping for price, make sure you take into account if prime or choice or other option.
If BBQing, make sure you've got your temp right and you know how to cook up right.

In my choices when cooking at home, I certainly don't mind a Costco option for steaks or chops. However when looking for something special, I'll go with an Andronicos or better a butcher shop like Pape meat in Millbrae.

Right now, I have 6 2" thick USDA PRIME ribeye's I purchased from Costco yesterday dry aging in my fridge in my garage. I had one of the butchers cut them from a bone in prime rib roast. They'll be grilled up at 1000 + degrees on my grill Monday, then served with fresh picked salad and veggies from our garden, roasted corn on the cob, beans, baked potatoes and a bottle of Don Julio 1942 Anejo Tequilla!

Happy Labor Day!

Product
The Margaritas are being made with Kirkland Brand tequilla in my Costco bought Vita Mix!

"We're here to fuck shit up!"

_____________

FriscoJack

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