I live in NY and have an abundance of stores close by. I have plenty of butchers and other locals that provide fresh meat.
I am wondering if the mail order houses (e.g. Porter Road, Snake River Farms, etc) are worth the money. They all seem expensive compared to the local purveyors, PLUS shipping. Is it possible that freezing tenderizes the meat?
Bottom line - what are the pros and cons of the mail order houses?
This isn't exactly what you asked, but something I think everyone looking at mail order meat should consider right now. Look at the area it is coming from, and through. It is record hot in a lot of the country (we have heat advisory in Tampa this afternoon, and that rarely happens. It's usually hot.) Shipping, even if frozen, might be an issue (although most reliable mail order purveyors should hold shipping to the affected areas.)
The primary advantages of ordering online are quality (prime, a certain BMS score, wagyu etc.) and cuts (Denver, inside skirt steak, beef belly etc.) you cannot find locally. In your case, it sounds like you have ample availability of meats at the desired quality and cut, so it would make sense that you wouldn’t be ordering online.
I order online very often. In fact I received an order from Wild Fork Foods yesterday. For me it’s all about quality, convenience and selection of available cuts. Prices are competitive usually. Not always though.
This time of year watch out ordering anything that is heat sensitive! I ordered some aquarium plants from DFW area that were shipped on 6/21. I received them 6/26. Steamed and slimey from 5 days in hot trucks and warehouses. I'm only 6 hours away from shipping point.
Large Big Green Egg, Weber Performer Deluxe, Weber Smokey Joe Silver, Fireboard Drive, 3 DigiQs, lots of Thermapens, and too much other stuff to mention.
The pro is quality. The con is price. The thing that will separate the vendors is service.
Is it worth it? The short answer is, “Sometimes.”
The longer answer depends on what you’re looking for, and what your local sources can get you, and what relative value you place on disposable income (as if there is such a thing these days, lol).
If you want a Wagyu brisket, you’re gonna pay. But… you’re getting a Wagyu brisket! SRF Gold grade (let’s not screw around here) is $209… hell, pick a 20lb brisket and get free overnight shipping. So, $259. Enter code GRILLINTHEUSA and pick a grill pack at checkout (4 burgers or 8 hot dogs. The burgers are pretty good, the hot dogs are just okay). And $25 off your first order!
A 20lb prime brisket at my local Sam’s is $4.48/lb, so your incremental cost is $259-90, = $169, -25= $144, and you’ll get about $20 worth of ancillary product. So, figure $125ish.
Next question has to be, what’s $125 worth to you? When I was working, Pffft. We don’t drink much, we don’t smoke, we don’t buy expensive cars or clothes, the house has been paid for 10 years, no kids at home… sure, why not? Now that I’m retired…. Uh, nope. You decide the value, though. It really is a moving target.
Within that equation, though, you can still find deals, legit deals that can beat even supermarket commodity grade beef. Creekstone Farms runs specials on whole primals: that’s whole rib roasts, tenderloins, and strip loins. You’ll have to learn how to butcher them yourself, but that’s pretty easy (tenderloins are a pain in the ass, though). I think my last rib roast worked out to $12/lb, for steaks that were fully trimmed and are some of the best I’ve ever had.
This time I was smart. This time I ordered it before I posted about it here.
16-18lb whole prime rib, $230. Free shipping.
I ordered this once before, this beef is OUTSTANDING. You can’t go wrong.
https://www.creekstonefarms.com/collections/specials/products/usda-prime-whole-ribeye-special-while-supplies-last
Do not fear frozen. It doesn’t make the meat better, but it doesn’t make it worse, either. Sometimes it arrives partially thawed; that’s no big deal if you’re using it soon. If you’re not using it soon, hit it with the IR thermo, and if it’s 45° or less, just refreeze it. YouTuber Guga did a blind comparison of frozen vs fresh, and no one could tell the difference. I held a rib roast frozen for over two years and it was great. I’ve held $200 Wagyu steaks for two years.
(Edited to add): Freeze fast, thaw slow. If you’re going to cut a frozen roast into steaks, partially thaw it. Work fast. Then put it in a chest freezer set to -15°, so it freezes as fast as you can get it to in a non-commercial environment. If you’re thawing it, thaw it in the fridge so it comes to temp slowly. The faster it thaws, the more purge (loss of moisture) you get. Purge is bad.
Most vendors will replace ruined product, but what acorgihouse wrote cannot be stated too emphatically! During a heat wave, product that is in shipping for more than two days has a high probability of failure. Be smart. Don’t lean into a pending problem. It can wait.
I have two local sources for pretty high quality beef. My supermarket (Wegman’s) has a GREAT butcher counter. But, it’s limited. I can still find deals, but the price on the really good stuff (top prime, dry aged prime, Wagyu cross) is starting to separate from top choice and Black Angus. My other source, a guy I used to work with who opened his own butcher shop, is also pretty good; he gets Wisconsin Heartland Prime. But it’s a PITA getting to his place, and I never know what’s going to be in stock. And if I order, I don’t know the price until it comes in, and then I’m obligated to buy it because it’s special order and I know him… too much social stuff for what is essentially a business transaction. But he’s a nice guy, I like him. But.
There is a topic under Internet Retailers where members have listed vendors that we felt were worthwhile.
These are companies I've had good dealings with. That means not only that the product has been good, but the service has been as well.
Allen Brothers. Meathead was right to give them props. The product is excellent, and so is the service.
Snake River Farms. I've probably spent the most money here. Although its fun to browse
That’s dated somewhat, but I think it’s still probably pretty reliable. As I said back at the beginning: Price. Quality. Service. Pick two. As one of them becomes more advantageous, another will not. The choice of ordering online is a decision for quality, and the separator among vendors is going to be the service, so that list can be pretty important.
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Value depends on your access to good meats. If you have a lot of it locally then you're not needing to rely on mail order. I used to not be able to find briskets anywhere nearby so for a few years that was my only option, still can't find tri tips so Internet is my only option. I like using CreekstoneFarms.com. They offer free shipping if your order is $150+, mine usually is because it's a stock-up thing. They run great sales on things I like, and it's often cheaper or at least on par with my local supermarkets' prices for comparable meats. Their free shipping is 2 days. It always arrives frozen or 99% frozen in a foam cooler with ice packs all over. Never had an issue. They do not ship orders placed after noon on Weds (for 2-day anyway) until the following Monday so that the shipments don't get stuck in a warehouse all weekend. They're really on top of it. WilldFork stuff arrives COLD- they use dry ice and man those items are almost too cold to handle. Great stuff from them too and great prices.
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