For the uninitiated, choosing a truly good steak at the grocery store can be a difficult undertaking, as there are many tricks utilized by grocers to make their meat-based merchandise look better at the butcher counter than it actually is.
One barbecuing expert—a representative for Knotty Wood BBQ (@knottywoodbbq on TikTok)—has taken to TikTok to provide a quick crash course in buying good steak at Costco and other grocery stores.
Based on conventional wisdom, and the tactics used by some grocery chains and butchers, some shoppers may not be picking the best steak that they could at the store, he says.
“We’re at Costco and we’re just checking meat out, and check out all these different New Yorks,” he says in the video. “But all of them are not created equal. I would not be going for these ones here that are the darker color. That’s an indication that they were stressed when they were killed and blood retained in the meat. So there’s a lot more retention in there. What comes with that is adrenaline, which makes it tough and a little more gamey. You’re also looking for, obviously, marbling and connective tissue.”
Shoppers should look for thicker steaks with less connective tissue and good marbling, he says.
“These look great,” he says. “You’re going to want to go for these because they’re big and they’re thick and they look good, but they’ve got a lot of connective tissue in them, so I would stay away from those. These ones here that I would gravitate to here: good marbling, fairly clean, nice and trimmed on the outside, nice clean pieces of meat, with the exception of this guy here. Might have a little bit of connective [tissue], but this is the pack I would go for, or this, or that one back there, but that’s got some connective [tissue] in it, or these here if you like ’em smaller.”
Choosing a thicker steak can allow a home chef to have greater control of how they cook their steak, he says.
“These here are nice steak. I like the way they’ve cut them, inch and a half thick so you can really grill them, keep them nice and rare in the middle, and eat them,” he says. “Happy grilling.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to @knottywoodbbq via TikTok direct message regarding the video, as well as to Costco via contact form.
@knottywoodbbq The RIGHT Way To Choose A Steak 🥩 . . . #costcofinds #costcodeals #costcodoesitagain #costcohaul #costcobuys #costcowholesale #costcoshopping #costcofood #costcomeat #costcobeef #beef #newyorksteak #steaklover #steak #steaksofinstagram #knottywoodbbq #steakvideos #steaktime #howto #howtochoose #costcofind #costcolove ♬ original sound – knottywoodbbq
Why should I look for marbling in my steak? Is it not the same as connective tissue?
Marbling refers to the fat deposits seen as stripes of white or cream throughout the steak, whereas connective tissue is a transparent ligament, tendon or collagen fiber that holds the meat together. Similar, but different.
Connective tissue can affect the texture of the meat, while marbling impacts flavor. More heavily marbled meat tends to be more flavorful, as the fat melts when cooked and soaks into the meat.
Is there anything else I should look for?
Some grocery stores will use methods of butchering steak to give customers the impression that they are getting a better deal for their steak than they really are. For example, some have been noted as providing cuts of steak that have more fat on them that is normally trimmed off, increasing the weight of the steak but ultimately reducing its value, as the fat will cook off.
Meat available on shelves at the grocery store is also often injected with saline, water and other fluids to increase juiciness and improve appearance, increasing the weight of the packaged meat and reducing the value to customers, who then receive less meat per pound than if they were to buy meat that was not injected.
Viewer input
Several viewers shared that they had often been told very simple methods of choosing steak, based on color or other qualities that the poster did not mention, though few were in agreement.
“Good to know, as I always thought the redder the better,” one commenter wrote.
“Nothing to do with age,” another commenter wrote. “They are grown and processed roughly same age for retail. The color actually has to do with how long it is direct exposure to flourescent lighting. Been in meat 15 yrs.”
“I’ll take them darker ones. no stress hung on hook longer before cut,” a commenter wrote. “Darker = aged.”
Some even took issue with the poster’s handling of the steaks, touching them over the plastic wrap.
“I can’t stand people walking into stores and pushing and touching all the meat… like why?!” one commenter wrote.
“So why you are there poke holes in the wrapping while you’re touching all of them,” another commenter wrote. “good job!!”
“Now that you’ve poked every package!” a commenter wrote.
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