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by Editors of Cook's Illustrated
by Editors of Cook's Illustrated
by Charles Passy
Reviewer Charles Passy orders fresh porterhouse steaks from seven companies and brings in a butcher to help assess them in a blind taste test. All the steaks reviewed for this article cost more than $100… for a package of four. Two companies -- Niman Ranch and Ceriello Fine Foods -- delivered shipments late. Of those that delivered on time, Rube's Meat Co. fared worst: the raw steak was gristly and chewy when cooked. Lobel's "juicy," "tender" steak is declared best overall. A steak from Stock Yards earns the best-value rating. As with other Catalog Critic articles, Passy pays close attention to the ordering experience.
by Mark Schatzker
Grass-fed beef from Alderspring Ranch wins this tasting of five steaks. Marbling proved to be a poor indicator of quality. Mark Schatzker isn't shy about revealing the losing steaks, which include two rib… eyes from Allen Brothers (one is aged wet; the other dry). Other than Schatzker, we're not sure who the judges were. If Schatzker had pan-seared the steaks instead of grilling them, we'd give this testing a higher ranking: for many people, grilling is a summertime-only activity; and grilling gives steaks a robustness that can overwhelm more subtle flavors.
by Editors of Consumer Reports
by Editors of Cook's Illustrated
by Editors of Cook's Illustrated
by Charles Passy
For this older article, Charles Passy ordered the same type of steak -- New York strip -- from five suppliers. Lobel's was "the steak of our dreams" that "could have been cut with a butter knife." Omaha… Steaks "were barely above restaurant quality." Although this article is dated, we appreciate Passy's attention to crucial aspects of mail-ordering, such as return policy, shipping cost and "phone attitude."
by Russ Parsons
Russ Parsons offers his impression of four steaks, which range from flank steak to New York Strip. A Wagyu chuck steak from Mitsuwa Marketplace had a "mouth-filling flavor that seemed to last forever," but… it was somewhat chewy. The Wagyu developed the best crust. A Bristol Farms steak was "so tender it cut like butter, with a flavor that was subtle but complex." A New Zealand grass-fed rib-eye from Whole Foods was "very lean," with "the intense gamy character of lamb married to the deep bottom notes of beef." We would have given this review a higher rating if Parsons has discussed his methodology.
by David Rosengarten
by Charles Passy
Charles Passy (who sure seems to have eaten a lot of steak over the years) reviews Wagyu steaks from five vendors with the help of a beef expert. Lobel's wins best overall and Morgan Ranch earns the best… value rating. The Lobel's steak wins raves for its melting tenderness, while Morgan Ranch is declared nearly as flavorful as Lobel's, but not quite as buttery. Steaks from KobeBeef.com, which are panned for having a liver-like aftertaste, are rated in last place.
by Robb Walsh
by Editors of Kiplinger's
by Paul Lukas
by Ed Levine
Veteran food writer Ed Levine recommends two steaks: Lobel's and Peter Luger. Lobel's Wagyu is "absurdly expensive but worth every penny," and Luger's porterhouse is the "finest steak money can buy." Levine… doesn't reveal how many steaks he tasted before he picked these two winners, nor does he say who did the tasting. Levine is a highly credible reviewer, and with a little more disclosure, we'd have given this review a higher ranking.
by Marian Burros
by David Rosengarten
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