Cutting Your Own Steaks ?

[billt460]

I was just wondering if any of you guys have done this sort of thing? I love my steaks, but as you all know the price of good meat has gone through the roof lately. Economically this looks to be a good alternative to overpaying for pre cut meats. We have a couple of freezers, so I've got the room.

We don't have a Costco here, but our Walmart has a very good meat section. And they always have very large briskets, Prime Rib roasts, along with various other large cuts. For you guys that have done this, what sort of cuts do you look for? It doesn't look all that complicated, but I'm no butcher.

And I don't want to pay well into 3 digits, and end up with a bunch of shoe leather, and gristle. I'm just wondering what to avoid, as well as to look for?

 

[jetman]

I'm getting geared up to cut my own ribeyes. Bought a nice knife set and a 3' x 2' cutting board. I plan to by the ribeye roast from Costco. Lots of content on utube showing how to butcher the various roast types.
Enjoy.

 

[Patman]

When I have bought large amounts of meat it’s always been either a prime rib or a giant tenderloin. Both of those are tender and delicious and easy to cut as well

I used to put the entire tenderloin on the BBQ and cook it for an hour, flipping it every ten minutes and then cutting it into individual steaks after. That giant tenderloin from Costco would make at least 15 thick steaks (and we used to be able to get it for about $60 back in the 2007-2010 era)

 

[SC Maintenance]

I agree with @Patman that you might be able to cut a tenderloin or other highly graded roast, but you’re not going to cut a non graded roast into a prime steak. There is a reason the butcher didn’t cut it. YouTube fiction.

Just buy the roast, portion as needed, and cook an oven roast.

 

[billt460]

When I have bought large amounts of meat it’s always been either a prime rib or a giant tenderloin. Both of those are tender and delicious and easy to cut as well

I used to put the entire tenderloin on the BBQ and cook it for an hour, flipping it every ten minutes and then cutting it into individual steaks after. That giant tenderloin from Costco would make at least 15 thick steaks (and we used to be able to get it for about $60 back in the 2007-2010 era)View attachment 317580View attachment 317579

The whole tenderloin is what I would most likely get. But one of the things you have to look for, (and this is shown on several of the videos I've watched), is to be sure to get all of the "silver skin" off of it. Otherwise it can be really tough if you bite into a section that has any.

 

[JayhawkRoy]

You can cut nearly any large piece of meat into steaks. Any odd pieces left over can be used/frozen as stew meat, particularly in the winter.

I have noticed in my area Walmart has very high prices for beef and pork meat, so I don't buy there. Dillons (Kroger affiliate), and the two wholesale clubs are have cheaper and better meats. They all do USDA choice as a minimum whereas Walmart doesn't always advertise that fact. I also have access to a military commissary at Ft Leavenworth, and they have really good butchers and meat prices. The distance to go there and time spent shopping generally isn't worth the extra trip, though.

Based on input from this board, meat sales seem to be better back in the South than here in my area.....

 

[billt460]

Just buy the roast, portion as needed, and cook an oven roast.

The problem for us with cooking the whole tenderloin, or any other large cut in one shot, is there is only the 2 of us, and my wife eats like a bird. We'll wind up getting sick of eating the same thing until it's all gone. Where by cutting it into individual steaks, is you can spread out the consumption when and how much you would like.

 

[GSCJR]

Yes, I come from a family of butchers!

 

[RhondaHonda]

When I have bought large amounts of meat it’s always been either a prime rib or a giant tenderloin. Both of those are tender and delicious and easy to cut as well

I used to put the entire tenderloin on the BBQ and cook it for an hour, flipping it every ten minutes and then cutting it into individual steaks after. That giant tenderloin from Costco would make at least 15 thick steaks (and we used to be able to get it for about $60 back in the 2007-2010 era)View attachment 317580View attachment 317579

I got a 5.5 pound tenderloin for Xmas for $200 this year. It was delicious but it’s borderline too expensive to make sense of cutting steaks now. Maybe a bit cheaper if not around the holidays and it came from a local grocer, not Costco.

 

[Geekhead]

I like to cut tenderloin in about 1.5" steaks as well, but it used to be on sale a lot more than it is now.

 

[jetman]

The problem for us with cooking the whole tenderloin, or any other large cut in one shot, is there is only the 2 of us, and my wife eats like a bird. We'll wind up getting sick of eating the same thing until it's all gone. Where by cutting it into individual steaks, is you can spread out the consumption when and how much you would like.

Us too,
and the wife likes hers cooked and seasoned differently than me, so individual steaks work best for us.

 

[crashz]

Around here its all about getting beef locally. We still have a few independent butcher shops as well. You pay more, but you get exactly what you want, when you want it.

This year I will be buying from a local farm. My parents and I both have stand-up freezers, so we can comfortably purchase a half cow, butchered to our request (ie XX of steaks cut the way you want them, XX roasts, XX ground beef, sausage, etc.). The biggest difference is that the meat is not aged and not preserved in anyway, so it cooks a lot faster and the taste can be a bit off if overcooked.

If its just the two of you, I would look into that option. IF you go the route of cutting your own steak from a Prime Rib or Tenderloin, at least factor into the cost for a vacuum seal machine. Freezer burned steak is pretty nasty.

 

[billt460]

The individual high grade cuts, (like Filet Mignon), are sky high here. Like 2 "petite" Filet Mignon packaged for around $55.00.... And that's at Walmart. The other grocers in our area are even higher. And no way I'm paying that much for a steak that I could eat 4 of before getting my fill.

I'm really not seeing how people are going to continue accept, let alone pay for these current meat prices. It's not so much the "affordability" that everyone is complaining about. As much as it is principal. It's not like there aren't other meats or fish to consider.

If cutting your own can drop the price by well over half, then it's worth it.

 

[dlundblad]

My brother in law did this with some New York strips or strip steaks.. whatever the cut is technically called. Ended up paying $9 a pound from Costco and was able to cut them to his thickness. Got 6 steaks out of it.

 

[Astro14]

My wife has been butchering Costco Tenderloins into Filet Mignons for years - not because of cost, but because they are, frankly, superior to filets that are bought anywhere else.

We went out to Ruth’s Chris steakhouse for my daughter’s med school graduation dinner - the filets were excellent, as you would expect.

But nowhere as good as my wife’s home butchered filets.

 

[Hermann]

Recently bought 2 appox 6 ox filets at Wal mart for $25.99 lb. The package was about $21 IIRC They were good but a bit dry. I didn't cook them and the lady friend tends to cook steaks pretty done. Mine was still a heavy pink throughout, it was flavorful and chewed easily. Just didn't swallow easily.

 

[Patman]

The whole tenderloin is what I would most likely get. But one of the things you have to look for, (and this is shown on several of the videos I've watched), is to be sure to get all of the "silver skin" off of it. Otherwise it can be really tough if you bite into a section that has any.

I never ran into that issue with the ones I had. They were very high quality cuts of meat. I miss those days, for a few years my friends and I would have “steak night” every single Friday and have one of those tenderloins. There would be 3 other couples who would each chip in $20 to pay for it and whoever was hosting the party at their place didn’t have to chip in that week.

 

[Cujet]

I agree with @Patman that you might be able to cut a tenderloin or other highly graded roast, but you’re not going to cut a non graded roast into a prime steak. There is a reason the butcher didn’t cut it. YouTube fiction.

Just buy the roast, portion as needed, and cook an oven roast.

100%.

I was a meat cutter after High School. Just a kid really, but cut up a lot of beef! The idea that a big slab of beef saves 'a lot of' money is wildly in error. At best, 'some' of it is epic good, and the rest is perfect for the meat grinder and will prob
make great hamburger!

Take a good look at the Costco beef. At least around here, it's not cheaper per pound once you cut the fat off. In fact, the price is identical per pound for quality beef.

 

[shortyb]

Only rarely do I cut my own steaks unless I get a really good whole piece and want something a bit thicker than I can get already cut. Or, on occasion, get a nice whole tenderloin at a good price that I slice into some delicious filets. Did, however roast a 5lb. top sirloin to perfection for Christmas dinner, and then cut into thick slabs afterwards. Fresh horseradish sauce and my mouth is still watering.

 

[TacoFergie]

I don’t know the grocery stores in your area? In my area we have Fareway and they have an awesome meat market that will sell whole Ribeye loins, NY Strip loins and tenderloins if you ask. We also have some butcher shops that sell the whole loin. I typically only get steaks as a whole loin since precut steaks are usually 50% higher that cutting your own. I simply cut it to my liking and vacuum seal what I won’t be using right away. Lately in my area NY Strip is $11.99lb, Rib-eye $1.99 for choice grade at the butcher shop, the grocer is about $1-$2 more per pound for the same grade. You can do this with pork as well buying a whole pork loin and cut it into chops, though the savings aren’t as much typically.

I typically get about 10-12 steaks out of a loin depending on its size and thickness I cut them. I buy a lot of meat being on a carnivore diet. There are also other cuts that IMO blow a NY or Rib-eye out of the water if they are available in your area. Pichana and Tri-Tip are phenomenal cuts and typically about $12lb locally and absolutely worth a try.