The ham specialities of the Rhineland and Westphalia taste particularly good with a slice of pumpernickel, or equally with a less strong variety of bread like Paderborn farmhouse bread. I never knew how many types of beef there were! We do have a local producer. I highly recommend Oliver Ranch! In need of quality steak tonight… Those pictures looked so good. ok, I’m “game”/Just returned home from Kansas City without eating any brisket or steak though I’m certain it’s the bomb there. What a unique and interesting post! Steak tasting is a fantastic idea! 400 g Fleisch am Abend. What a great event. You get to do some of the coolest things, Jaden! Oh, please, please, please – pick me! Fantastic writeup, thanks! Sign me up for a beef overdose (as if there could be such a thing)! am getting tired of eating lobster every nite, (husband a lobsterman, and price is very low these days) how about i try those contest steaks? While we help them sell their beef (overall and in our home tasting kit), they also have it available in several CO farmers’ markets and other locations. Wow! Could it get any better? James is in the background stealing bites of steak. Does that make me cheap and easy?? Would LOVE a taste test! Probably not as thorough as yours, but fun for sure. Oh man! You were so lucky…Fort Morgan, CO is not far from me, I want to check some of their beef out. Maybe with my winnings from the drawing? Give me some rice to sop up the juices and we’re good to go! My mouth watered looking at the pictures, for sure! Oh my! http://dianasaur.blogspot.com/2008/11/get-fabulous-steak-tasting-experience.html, http://twitter.com/nandita/status/979142184, http://blackirondude.blogspot.com/2008/10/attention-vegetarians.html, http://thecesspit.livejournal.com/132995.html, http://www.kpbs.org/radio/these_days;id=12929, Breed: 100% Black Angus, dry aged minimum 14 days. Great article! The steak looks great. This was a very informative post! I’ve tasted Kobe beef once and it was good, but I’m with you… I like my steak to have a bit of “chew” to it if you know what I mean. Steak tasting parties, a great new reason to fire up the Primo Oval XL, which we call Big Daddy. have learned so much. Wow! I may now know why! I’d love to win that pack… my husband would be especially pleased. I’ve had buffalo, and it’s lean and juicy and seems to be almost more available than organic, grass fed beef. Just as each vineyard has it’s micro-climate and soil characteristics, each ranch has the same attributes of live stock, grass, feed and water. I found your blog on a link from Pioneer Woman. Makes me a cheaper date. It makes me wonder what other types of tastings would be worthwhile. People will agonize over the smallest of details. Wow, who knew there were so many choices. This was a great post! I’m off to try the eggs with oyster sauce and chilis. 1. Yea, I’m not a kobe beef gal either. It will be interesting to see if the beef industry can learn from this, and provide a win-win situation for them and the consumer. Oh my, a steak taste tester? Please enter me. The beef is delicious and the novelty of the beef tasting makes it all the more festive. I’ve never heard of a steak-tasting. I think it would be cool to add our two favorite rib-eyes that we get locally to the tasting should we have one. Oh, that was an awesome post!! and then sells it out of a retail shop. nice photos!) This is an amazing and it looks soo yummy…. i thought i’d had a steak or two I have been thinking about having a wine tasting party but you have put an entirely new idea into my head! Don’t know too much about steak, so would love this opportunity Thanks for your post! I would have to hide this stuff or it wouldn’t make it to the tasting! I want those steaks!!!! If you have any questions, you can ask them here in the comments, or email Carrie at carrie@oliverranch.com. . I’m curious as to how one would go about finding the origins of steaks purchased in the grocery store. Artisan Tasting pack! We’ve virtually stopped eating beef because of processing problems in the US, however I’d love to give local/small producers a try! New recipes, reviews, and giveaways every week! A steak tasting will have to go on my list of things to do. I am new to your site and like what I see, Ah beef and comment number 447. Jaden, Obviously, our choices in San Diego are much different. I feel so deprived after living on mere Angus all these years. I am a steak snob. I had a chance to try wagyu last year, but like you I think I enjoy steak that has more of a bite. Mmmmm….I am all about the grass-fed beef! Oh I would love this! oh, and the contest…great prize! . I am excited to try these myself, I am giving these as a gift. Very interesting! by the way your no knead bread piece inspired me and i am on loaf number 5. your helper convinced me i could do it also! If I’m lucky to get one that are nice and thick then I can actually grill on the other side and get a good crust on both sides. For me this represents a great opportunity for a Texas gal to experience tasty beef from other areas of the country. steak from Gregory’s, a fabulous restaurant not too far from school. Steak tasting is a brilliant idea. Very entertaining and informative article… I’ve been wanting to try to find some different sources for steak. Meg. Thank you for the crash course on beef sources..breed, etc. You have the coolest job I can’t wait to have one of these on my own. Oh, it has been soooo long since I have had a great steak! Interesting! can’t wait to try some of your recipes. Beautiful photos. Cooking method is so important too!! Yum….my mouth has been watering just looking at all of the photos. I’d love to be entered in your steak tasting giveaway, Wow, I’m envious *drools* This is just more confirmation that I could never become a vegetarian , i’m insanely jealous…that’s like the meatfest to crown all meatfests…. That is a great pic of Greg and Laurent. My best to you always. How fun! Over the weekend I ordered filet mignon while hubby ordred the sirloin, to my surprise I actually preferred the sirloin because it’s beefier in taste. The Elliott/Ferris team is great. He now sells wine and I have a small dessert bakery. thanks for offering a chance to win these awesome steaks. And all you other vegitarians out there. And of course, I adore a great steak – the next best thing to nirvana as far as I am concerned! Thank you for the chance to win such lovely beef. Too many of my friends around here are vegetarians, so I would have to invite people from work , I went back and read your salting steak post. Salting????? This sounds like so much fun!! i’m not much a fan of kobe beef either – i like it on the chewy side. But, then I started to discover good beef…not too hard here in Northern California. This sounds like an incredible dinner party waiting to happen! A steak tasting sounds good too. I’m veggie, but the hubby would love to taste test some steaks! Treat your taste buds: Explore Ahaus restaurants. What could be better? We eat too much at one sitting. It’s really a superb meat, but personally not my favorite. I would love to win this prize package. … and most of all for sharing your salting technique. Heh. Well done. I love it! I’ve been to glass tastings (the type of glass will change the taste of the wine, really). Robin. I’m with you. Meat that’s too mushy is definitely worse than tough to me! Sounds delicious. Yum! Fantastic job! This sounds so interesting! I’ve love to win the tasting package!! I had the opportunity to enjoy Kobe beef in Kobe this spring. Nice! 4 to 5 min of the first side, flip over and turn the grill off. I love steak and would love to try this. Fun stuff, alot better than an olive oil tasting party for sure. look good for the camera. Congrats on your meat shots – they look so juicy and succulent. What an interesting idea. . This sounds very intriguing. If you’d like to listen, you go to http://www.kpbs.org/radio/these_days;id=12929. if germany have not done this kind of event, give it a year or two, maybe it will happen. On my way to buy a taster pack right now! Tweet Tweet ~ http://twitter.com/momof2dancers. I have in fact had better luck in finding bison. by Jaden | Oct 26, 2008 | Beef, My Favorite Recipes, Recipes | 478 comments. Went back through my notes to confirm, all of the styles we tasted, whether grain- or grass-finished, were considered tender. Thanks for the chance to win! these things sounds (and look! Steak-Tasting Die Geschichte hinter dem Steak! The race is on to create lab-grown meat products. Gonna have a load of people over for a tasting. My brother in law and husband would love this! I tried your salt steak method and the steak was incredible. Did somebody say Steak??? P.S. BamBoo! OMG! If you're looking for THE most comfortable, made in USA face mask, come check out my other business! Especially with lots of fabulous wine…. It is very grassy, reminiscent of lamb when the fat hits the grill. Even if you don’t, we still think you do. I wish I knew where tge beef comes from if I buy it at a regular grocery store! A steak tasting is a brilliant idea… I wish someone would do that here. Sounds like it was a fun evening! We LOOOOVE steak of any kind, as long as it’s done medium rare, of course. How divine they look! Maybe Publix no more! that’s very interesting. I had a chance to try wagyu in Aust this past summer. . Steamy Kitchen is our family blog. Would the employees at the meat counter know? Thanks Jaden, always enjoy your posts! Gee, I kinda like meat. I would love to do a side by side by side tasting, and with wine, wow. What a wonderful post, steak can be almost as complex as wine! Mmmmmmm…Beefalicious…aaauuuuuggggghhhhhhh. This was the most thourough post I’ve ever seen about beef. Even on the Internet it can be hard to compare and contrast. Bei unserem Steak Tasting zeigen wir Euch wie vielfältig Rindfleisch eigentlich sein kann und was für Besonderheiten es besitzt. I will put it out of my mind!! I’ve ordered grass fed beef online and really couldn’t tell the difference. Opening the floodgates with beef information would have completely overwhelmed me and knocked me over. I love steak! As a carnivore, I feel that this is the best idea ever ^_^. Where are steaks like this generally available? I’m going to try and find that Bakersfield steak,I want to support local, but I would love to try them all. hi alexander! My husband would have like to taste the beef. Nothing better than a good steak! Very nice article Jaden! But it wasn’t until I decided to try one of Carrie’s Oliver Ranch taste packs that I felt ok about eating meat again on a regular basis. I’ve always pushed for quality in beef over quality, but Las Vegas, NV doesn’t give us many options. Kobe is good but sometimes a little mushy, not exactly buttery. An interesting concept – one I hadn’t really considered before. Although Im cheap so i normally go for the cheap ones. Flavor had so much to do with region, climate, diet and care. Oh dear, I am so glad I moved to NY!! What a difference in the taste . You’ve made even — ultra rare! Love the post, especially the language chart. that would be raw — steaks look mouth-watering, Jaden. can’t wait! This looks like such an awesome experience. I must say that after my hosts implored me to “Try Alberta beef” every night with I have come to a personal conclusion that grass-fed beef is indeed much tastier than grain fed. *whimper* A steak tasting kit? I hope I can still join the raffle for the steaks. One complaint people have about grass-fed beef, of course, is the expense. Thanks for sharing all this great info with us, and for the giveaway. Wow, you’re one lucky duck! Wow – what an incredible experience – the tasting looks like it was fabulous and fun!! Hard to know what drove the beef in your tasting to be tougher. I must try that next time I have some funds or win a certain prize . I hate not having the words to describe how something taste in a somewhat intelligent way. I still need to try your Gucci cooking steak method. I am totally a melt in your mouth steak kinda of a gal.. especially if I’m beer fed and belly massaged like that wagyu! Good I am hungry now. Live close to Fort Morgan!..Any contact numbers for the Elliot&Ferris beef? . That is a great idea — way more exciting than cheese or chocolate or another tasting. Thanks. I have often wondered why people don’t seem to care where their meat comes from. In the foreground, food writer Greg and Ritz Carlton restaurant manager, Laurent, discuss changing their careers to become professional steak tasters…as host Laura slices the next round of steaks. The word wa-gyu translate to “Our (meaning Japanese) cattle”. I would have been in heaven at that event. I think you’ll be really surprised with what you’ll experience. Loved the education on different beef sources. It is actually more affordable than my grocery store and the quality is so much better. The event sounds like it was a blast. I’ve been to wine tastings. Very cool, love a good steak with a bit of a chew, but lasting flavor! I had never met one before! this is so yummy , My mouth wa watering!! Jaden, how fun that you and Carrie met! And this is perfect timing: I’ve been curious about how grain fed compares to grass fed, and how the different types of aging affects the flavor. Overcooking can be a problem, but sounds like you had pros at the grill. Why didn’t I think of that. What a delicious contest! I know wine can be lovely with steak. I’m not melt-in-mouth steak girl – I’d rather have a beefy good sirloin instead of a buttery filet mignon. Come on back, too, we plan to introduce new ranchers and styles. I’m in for this contest. I would be interested in trying some of the grass fed steak. @Davidsrecipesite – As SteamyKitchen said, we held back the wine until we’d done at least one pass with each beef style. Reading your entry and looking at the photos made my mouth water. i turned my BF onto grass fed, not only for its leanness (is that a word?) Was it paired with the meat? (x-posted here as well : http://thecesspit.livejournal.com/132995.html). Congrats on hostessing a great idea in a steak banquet…with primo steaks…nice work! The tasting chart is off the wall helpful; I knew steak differed based on feed type and type of cow, but I had no idea how other factors, like seasons, mattered. Probably one of your best posts, after the Gucci steak one. Was every steak the exact same cut of meat? Great pictures, Jaden. Lately, I’ve been increasingly preoccupied with how the meat I eat is raised and the channels by which it gets to consumer- moi. What a great prize! I decided early on during my trip (first night there!) I would love to compare the artisinal beef to the “prime” beef that is available at our local grocery store. http://twitter.com/nandita/status/979142184, I never knew there was a whole Steak Tasting Language! You lead a delicious life. What’s next…, That’s really interesting Jaden. great post! http://www.naturalbeef.com/ is their site and 1-303-449-8632 is their number. Thanks for sharing the idea. Methinks I’ll be headed to the store for some steaks tonight. Re: the wagyu-black angus cross — it would be nice to know what type of Japanese cattle was crossed with Angus. Knowing where your beef comes from is important – wouldn’t you rather support a small artisan rancher who takes pride in their beef? Keep all those wonderful cows grazing on the grass up there as long as possible. I’m a steak girl, give me a big juicy chunk of meat any day! My husband really, really, really, loves steak. After reading this post, I’m craving steak like never before. MMM, if only I can convince the wife that steak is great! with some maggi sauce, vietnamese style! My favorite part of the site is the pictures and terminology. My husband and I love to eat steak, never tried some of the ones you have offered in the giveaway. Sounds like a dream job!! This would definately be a prize in our household! thank you! Steak me, baby! I would love to try some new meat to compare and contrast with what i have already tasted. I would love to win this I love steak and my fiancee is a executive 5 star chef…all the different ways he could cook this yummy. How’s the book going? The poultry industry, unfortunately never really followed on and developed the micro branding approach. Hope I win! Too bad. life is good. This is the best article on beef tasting…I’d steak my reputation on it! wow, what an amazing experience!!! What an event! But guess what…these were some of the very best steaks that I had ever tasted in my life. Zusammen mit der Fleischerei Haag dreht sich der gesamte Abend um das Thema Beef! exciting. But my biggest revelation was yet to come. 4.0. That is, like, a billion times more exciting than a wine tasting kit. Last Thursday, Carrie flew down from Toronto and treated a group of 15 of us to a fabulous artisan steak tasting. Best moo cow I’ve ever had! and on that note – I really DO like the organic ground beef at Costco!! Do you think this would work on lean meats like elk or buffalo? Those sound so yummy! I apologize to my dear international friends, this contest is only for U.S. and Canada residents, as international shipping of beef would be too difficult. I can’t imagine a better way to spend an evening. Ihr gehört auch zu Diejenigen, die sich als Fan des reinen Fleischgenusses bezeichnen? when growing up in mexico, the beef was delicious and never tasted quite as good in later years, stateside. But there are different breeds of cattle in Japan, and Japanese foodies are hyper-interested in every detail of what-where-when-how about their beef, so much so that, in restaurants serving high-priced beef, diners are shown the certificate which accompanies each beef carcass as assurance of authenticity. G8R Dan. I love steak!! As a former resident of Venice, FL I am very envious of your opportunity to attend a steak tasting in Tampa. Enjoyed reading the results and hope that I get the chance to taste them. I am interested in trying dry-aging beef at home, looked around and found your blog. So, I spent a lot of time (and money) buying various grass-fed beef steaks, as well as Kobe-style beef and conventional steaks to test against. Wonderful! I’d love to get my hands on that tasting pack, but I guess that they don’t ship international customers. I guess I’ll have to try it out on my free steaks! The drawing is on my birthday! The last time I was faced with eating that much beef was my freshman year of college. I would have prefer tasting the wine because I don’t eat beef. Wanna change my mind? . Wow, this is really interesting to me. My husband and I love steak and he was a meat cutter for several years (twice in his lifetime). Jaden, I am so down for some artisan steaks. Unfortunately, I’m also an uniformed steak snob – I haven’t got to experiment much outside of different cuts of steak (I love my NY Strip). Thanks for having a contest. A steak tasting is a great idea. . mmm the steaks look soo good, Send some steaks my way! I’m totally tweeting this…. For a rare steak, cook to 125 degrees F, Medium Rare to 135 degrees F, Medium to 145 degrees F, Medium Well 155 degrees F, Well Done to 160 degrees F. Place the steaks on the resting butter. . Were the suggestions on how to cook these and I just missed it in the post? We get our beef from a local rancher here in AZ and it is UNBELIEVABLE how much better it is than store-bought. Steak tasting!!! Lodge is a giant in the cast iron world, and for good reason. Thanks for posting this unique event. to do a taste test of my own. (Keep reading for a free drawing of an Artisan Steak Tasting Pack). What a great idea. Crossing my fingers! Amazing. Thanks a millon! K-BOB'S Steakhouse, Ruidoso: See 301 unbiased reviews of K-BOB'S Steakhouse, rated 3.5 of 5 on Tripadvisor and ranked #21 of 69 restaurants in Ruidoso. Select cows. Really interesting to see the grass-fed steaks. Simply slice a garlic clove in half and rub the cut part over the steak, including the sides. I’m intrigued and want to taste steak! I’m with you … sirloin over filet any day. Anyone knows anyone doing that in Germany? I retweeted the link for you! So, definitely, our in-person and home tasting kits are definitely geared toward the individual meat lover, I honestly believe we collectively have the power to change the industry for good. Each steak only seasoned with kosher salt and was quickly grilled rare. A steak and wine tasting. If you needed us to jump through a few hoops for this contest, I probably would! Some girls have all the luck! I’ve never been a big fan of steak, but that could be because I’ve never had one that actually tastes like anything. Strip steak is my current favorite, but I am easily swayed by filet…or anything with herb butter on it. This was an awesome article and hope we will be able to host a steak tasting of our own in the near future. What a fun party this would be with my Sunday Night Friends. I hope i AM not too late for the drawing . Also curious about the influence of aging on the meat. Hope I win!!! I’m so that I’m not a vegetarian. Very cool. As a naughty Buddhist, I still eat lots of fish and on rare days, other meat, usually cooking for others. New Zealand Lamb picked up on it somewhat, but what the Oliver Ranch folks are doing is fantastic. lol. Dig the blog post @ http://blackirondude.blogspot.com/2008/10/attention-vegetarians.html. good to see my birthplace Nebraska cow can still hold it’s own! I didn’t realize steak tasting was almost as complicated as wine tasting…but then again, I should’ve known. I wish I could taste that Wagu! We used similar terminology and, as with this test, explained it during training to people joining the panel using a similar wine and/or cheese analogy. Gregory’s can be found here: http://www.gregoryssteakhouse.com/. Now if I could only find the best source…. I’d love to do that one time. I’d watched a documentary about grass fed beef and was really interested in trying some of those steaks! My favorite steak is pretty much any cut of steak cooked by my dad in a wok. Steak Doneness Chart. Those look fantastic I would love to do a tasting! The steaks were seasoned only with kosher salt. I haven’t been able to afford meat lately, so this would be a real treat if I win! pack normally sells for $84.95, you get a 8-12 ounce NY Strip cut of each style. I wonder if that’s what restaurants use as well!….will surely try it this week-end!!!!…rain. I’m always looking for other great steaks though. This sounds cool. and i kiss the bread good night just like cutie does. Medium Well – Cooked to 154°F or 68°C, with a light-pink center and a browned crust. They have a LOT of land up there and what isn’t being drilled and scraped for oil, is used for cattle. Dry-Aged Charolais-Cross, Front Range Region, CO, Elliott & Ferris Family Ranches Excellent €€ €€ • Steak • Ahaus. Expand your Outlook. Remove the steaks from the grill and set each steak on the dollop of prepared compound butter. I’ve always wanted to try Kobe Beef. A steak tasting event with my hands. How funny. If you’re interested in having your own artisan steak tasting, Oliver Ranch Company has a Taster’s Pack that includes 4 steaks, each from a different rancher. Fabulous post. I’m glad to see the Colorado steak comes from a family business, not the huge conglomerate of Montrose Beef. Retailers aren’t set up to manage the complexity or for that matter inclined to do so. sigh. awesome that you got to participate in this — what a cool thing. Restaurant list; Ahaus Restaurants. What i wouldn’t give for a steak to magically appear in front of me. Hey Jaden, I linked here from my blog. Carrie led us through tasting six different steaks from small ranchers. I have been in Argentina 5 times, and served some outstanding Parilla and Bife Chorizo….all from grass fed beef who live out their lives on the rich Pampas grass, have normal sex lives. hey jaden, great post! I used to be a vegetarian. How dare I ever think I could be come a vegetarian…. thanks for the rundown on everything Great post Jaden! I love your posts! Great piece on Steak, we can definitely use it. Cotntail in S. GA. Looks delicious – I’m curious as to which cut was your favorite in the end? The tasting sounds like something fun to try. Great blog and great recipes. Win or lose, I will pass along the link to this article. Breed: 50% Wagyu, 50% Black Angus. As usual, your photos are amazing, Jaden! Your post is a fascinating read — I never knew steaks would have very complex flavors and personalities that there is specialized Steak Tasting Language for Artisan Steak! (I’m wishing!). i’d be the first in line! The coolest thing about this dish was being able to taste the progression from grass fed to the prime dry aged. . BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I never knew what I was missing until I had grass fed beef from a small local producer. Melts in your mouth, hands down the group’s favorite. Wow, I wish I could do a tasting like that! If you want to Tweet or blog about this contest, I’ll give you an extra entry – just come back and comment again for your bonus entry! This is pure foodie geek heaven. Tweeted: Vegetarians ignore – Meat eaters make sure you check out Steamy Kitchen’s steak give away before tomorrow: http://tinyurl.com/54s2k8 I’m glad I already had lunch. Interestingly enough, I don’t really prefer prime since it tastes a bit too oily for me. I will definitely pay more attention to the beef I eat now. Oh Wow! I really appreciate the handy guide to “know your beef.” It’s nice to know both that the grass fed beefs stack up to the top cuts, given that I mostly hear about it in connection with more ethical concerns. I would love to do a steak tasting with my friends and family. I’d love to do a steak tasting! Ooh! TFS….gina. sounds like a great way to spend an evening! How much would Shane have LOVED to go with you???!!! (Keep reading for a free drawing of an Artisan Steak Tasting Pack) Artisan Steak Tasting. This sounds like a really fun date night!