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Report: D’Artagnan grass fed Australian beef

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    Report: D’Artagnan grass fed Australian beef

    There was some discussion generated when I first posted the deal from D’Artagnan. Well, the product arrived today, and it looked pretty doggone good, so I decided to cook one up for lunch and make a report!

    The deal was... I don’t remember. Shipping was delayed a couple times because of the weather. But I remember it came out to less than $20/lb including shipping, which is good for premium product. Four each filets, ribeyes, and strips. Product arrived frozen and in good condition. The packaging is really nice.

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    I picked a strip, I love strip steaks! These are lean, but not unreasonably so. The color is dark red, much darker than a typical American steak. Australian grass fed cattle are harvested much later than American cattle; US cattle are slaughtered at about 1 year, in Australia it’s 5+ years.

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    The strips are pretty thick, about 1 1/2”. I decided to sear first, then put it into a 250* oven until it hit 125-130. I pulled at 127* and basted it with butter.


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    On the plate. The side is cheesy mashed potatoes.

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    The verdict: INTENSE. EXTREME.

    This is absolutely the BEEFIEST steak I can remember. It’s like the flavor of two steaks in one. It’s mineral-y, iron-y, and packed to the hilt with umami. The texture is chewier than prime, but not tough at all; in fact, with every bite EXPLODING with beefiness, the extra time between the teeth is actually a good thing.

    I’ve had grass fed beef that has matched what others have described: tough, chewy, watery, flavorless. This ain’t that. If the deal comes around again, and you have the wherewithal, spring for it. You will not be disappointed. I’ll let the crowd know if I get the email.

    #2
    I don't think I have ever been disappointed with anything from D’Artagnan.

    Comment


      #3
      Looks fantastic. I am one of those who think that grass fed is tough. What was the tenderness like on this in comparison?

      Comment


      • Mosca
        Mosca commented
        Editing a comment
        Comparable to supermarket choice, I think. But it was a benefit, every chew was like fresh beef bubblegum.

      #4
      Looks great! I have tried grass fed from Whole Foods and I wasn’t impressed. Maybe I’ll splurge next time D’Artagnan has a sale.

      Comment


        #5
        Originally posted by klflowers View Post
        Looks great! I have tried grass fed from Whole Foods and I wasn’t impressed. Maybe I’ll splurge next time D’Artagnan has a sale.
        What I liked about this steak, when I probed it with the Thermapen it had "bounce". I could tell it was springy and juicy.

        I’m not going to sit here and write "better". It’s more like, you know how when you get a bunch of different heirloom tomatoes, and each one tastes different, but they all taste great and they all taste like tomatoes? It’s like that. It’s great like prime, but in a different way.

        Comment


          #6
          They are an above average purveyor of all types of meat, even some exotics. Glad you enjoyed it. That said, I just don't like grass fed as much as corn finished. I'm just a midwestern boy at heart, grew up with the stuff.

          Comment


          • Mosca
            Mosca commented
            Editing a comment
            I’m firmly in the "give me both, as long as they’re quality" camp. Just last week we had terrible supermarket steaks, they were like eating beefy cardboard.

          • Troutman
            Troutman commented
            Editing a comment
            Mosca I think we've all gotten a bit jaded but I agree, buying supermarket steaks is a crap shoot sometimes. I like sourcing good quality beef but even then have gotten terribly disappointed. Every cow is different and sooner or later you're gonna get a clinker.

          #7
          Glad to see some of our home grown being appreciated. I quit buying the feed lot supermarket red meat a long time ago. Couple local butchers specialise in grass fed and do great business. I personally put taste over texture and won't have anything else, if I can't afford it I'll go fish, chicken or vego, but that's just me

          Comment


          • Troutman
            Troutman commented
            Editing a comment
            Stuey1515 I've had some really killer Australian Wagyu. Are you able to source that in NSW on a regular basis? You all are producing some quality beef. Oh and I still tilt a Fosters every now and again mate !!!

          • Stuey1515
            Stuey1515 commented
            Editing a comment
            Troutman Yeah Wagu is pretty freely available in it's many forms. I have one local butcher that supplies killer sirloins. On the subject of beer, It's getting all hipster craft breweries popping up around the place. Me I have Tooheys New as my staple cause I'm a simple man. Must admit to be dabbling in the home brew field again just for kicks

          #8
          They are having a promotion right now. Promo code SOULMATE gets 10% off plus $25.00 off if the order is over $200. The steak package ends up being $205.00 plus shipping with that code. Sale ends today Feb. 10.
          Last edited by 58limited; February 10, 2021, 04:02 AM.

          Comment


          • Mosca
            Mosca commented
            Editing a comment
            This prompted me to look up what I paid. It was $192, with free shipping. I also got a coupon for $25 off my next order. Subtracting that coupon, it came to $20.88/lb. That’s a fair price for premium beef IMO. I’ve paid more, I’ve paid less.

            Correction: $25 off my next order of over $125. I am definitely going to order from D’Artagnan again. The charcuterie looks fantastic.
            Last edited by Mosca; February 10, 2021, 11:43 AM.

          • klflowers
            klflowers commented
            Editing a comment
            I am glad I didn’t see this yesterday. Both my wife’s car and my truck were on the fritz this week and the repair bills were a little steep. I would have been trying to figure out how to get some anyway.

          #9
          25% off freezer sale.

          I can’t buy any more meat. My freezer is stuffed to the gills.


          https://www.dartagnan.com/buy/freeze...zer-Purchasers
          Last edited by Mosca; February 11, 2021, 04:21 PM.

          Comment


          • klflowers
            klflowers commented
            Editing a comment
            Nope, not going to do it

          #10
          I put this in SUWYC, but the shot belongs here, too, because it’s part and parcel to the grass-fed information.

          My friend Justin gave me a USDA Prime grain-finished strip steak.

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          This steak was AWESOME. So tender! Beefy, juicy, just bite after bite of beautiful flavor!

          But it wasn’t better, it was just different. Both were spectacular.

          I think next time I’ll make one of each. Then I’ll cut half-bites off them, double fork them, and eat both at the same time.

          Comment

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