Specialty Steaks

Specialty steak cuts and types

Steaks that claim to have health benefits or minimal impact on the environment are growing in popularity, as is the super-premium category known as Kobe-style, or Wagyu.

According to Marian Burros of The New York Times, the number of grass-fed beef producers increased from 50 in 2002 to over 1,000 in 2006. Grass-fed beef's main selling points are its nutritional value and sustainability. Burros writes, "Research suggests grass-fed beef is likely to be lower in total fat, contain higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids useful in reducing the risk of heart disease and have a higher level of C.L.A., conjugated linoleic acid, which, in animal studies, reduces the risk of cancer." The downside to grass-fed beef is its leanness and slightly chewy texture. Grass-fed steaks don't show up as frequently in reviews as grain-fed steaks do, but rib eye steak from Alderspring Ranch (*est. $30 per pound) was the overall winner in Slate's tasting of several varieties of steak, including traditional grain-fed, dry-aged steak. Although the meat doesn't have as much marbling or cook up quite as tender, every tester declared it the best.

Niman Ranch (*est. $23 per pound for strip steaks), a purveyor of "natural" steak, scores some prominent mentions in reviews from Cook's Illustrated and Slate.com. Although the government hasn't settled on a definition of "naturally raised" or "all natural," Niman beef is raised on pasture, without hormones. And the company waits a year longer than is customary to slaughter cattle, on the theory that steaks from older cows are more flavorful. Interestingly, Bill Niman has opted out of the government's rating system, believing that marbling isn't the best indicator of quality. His idiosyncratic approach seems to be working: a Niman Ranch rib eye was the second-place finisher in Slate's tasting, earning comments like "mouth-filling," "full-bodied" and "rich -- holy cow!" The L.A. Times tried a Niman beef cut -- a flank steak -- and called it "deep and beefy," if a little dense. Niman Ranch ships steaks, but they can also be found at some Trader Joe's stores.

Like Niman Ranch beef, Coleman Natural (*est. $15 per pound) claims to raise its steaks humanely, with access to open fields and a 100% vegetarian diet. Coleman Natural steaks, which are available at Whole Foods Markets and other natural-foods stores, earned a "highly recommended" rating from Cook's Illustrated -- the only publication that has reviewed them. Editors call these steaks "rich" and "meaty." Lobel's steaks were more consistently tender, but Coleman Natural steaks cost far less. For this reason, we've included Coleman Natural in ConsumerSearch Fast Answers as a value alternative.

If there's such a thing as a "cult steak," it has to be the ultra-expensive Wagyu, otherwise known as Kobe-style steak. This is beef raised according to methods developed in Kobe, Japan. The best Kobe-style beef review comes from David Rosengarten, who devotes several thousand words to the subject. Although its tenderness is unsurpassed, Kobe-style beef isn't for everyone: some tasters find its richness off-putting, and it's frequently referred to as the "foie gras of beef." Rosengarten's top three Wagyu picks are Lobel's (*est. $160 per pound for boneless strip steak, plus shipping), Jimmy P's (*est. $50 per pound for strip steak) and Allen Brothers (*est. $120 per pound for strip steak). The average consumer, Rosengarten says, needn't splash out on expensive filet mignon or strip steaks; less desirable cuts, such as Jimmy P's Kobe-style London broil (*est. $9 per pound) are also tender and full of flavor.