Okay, I left the post name a little sexually ambiguous because that is how I am so send your "I like meat" comments right away. For being one of the meat capitals of the world we have a woeful number of choices when it come to buying great quality beef to prepare at home. One of my regular readers inspired me to put together my list of places I like to buy high quality steaks for grilling at home.
If you read last week's post on steakhouses in Johnson County you'll know my feelings on choice versus prime. Most of what you'll find at area grocery stores is choice and select and while I've seen some nice options on the fly at Hen House over at 135th and Metcalf you are still talking about USDA Choice. Even Costco and Sam's who some say they really prefer for beef sells Choice grade. If that is good enough for you then by all means go for it and call me when you find your dream home in Wyandotte County.
I'm not sure if it is lack of class, education, or taste but most Johnson Countians for all their wealth, mcmansions, fancy cars and clothes will normally put any kind of crappy quality beef down their gullets.
I suppose it is not be the time in this economy to be talking about buying things that are more expensive and more, er, luxury but in these times, I'm thinking more about less but better. Oh screw it.....it is Johnson County.....the rules don't apply to us anyway do they???
There are surprisingly not that many awesome retail butchers in Johnson County proper so I had to expand the list to places close to JOCO. When I lived in Chicago we had a favorite place called the Paulina Meat Market. It was more like a museum of meat. It was awesome. We bought some absolutely incredible meat, center cut filets, at Straub's over in St. Louis one evening with friends. I haven't found that place in SOJOCO yet that is just around the corner.
This is list has nothing to do with value. This is about the best steaks you can get in these parts but not in any particular order.
1. Bichelmeyer's: In KCK but certainly an institution in these parts.
2. Steve's Meat Market: In Desoto and many people's favorite.
3. Rancher's Gourmet: Not an onsite butcher but they sell Prime Grade and is near the 119th and Metcalf corridor.
4. Dean and Deluca: You can always fall back on these guys if you are in a pinch for a dinner party. The have Prime grade and you will pay dearly for it. Always great quality.
5. McGonigles: Actually in Missouri but very close to the state line. I had a bad customer service experience there once that kind of soured me on them but I've bought fresh turkeys there for probably the last 8 years.
6. Omaha Steaks: Of course they have a retail store (119th and Roe) in the area from the folks who made selling mail order steaks famous. I've had some really nice steaks from them. Much like Rancher's Gourmet.
7. Kansas City Steaks: From local guy Ed Scavuzzo this is an internet shipping operation but they offer Prime grade and if you were to order from the internet this is guy I'd do it from. I wish they had a retail operation. http://www.kansascitysteaks.com/.
Now, the new trend is the 100 mile diet or the slow food movement where you try to source things close to where you live. Where we live it makes total sense since we practically live in the country. The best of these are also organic or free range. We try to buy local when we can. We've found local eggs and we buy produce from a local co-op during the growing season.
I haven't bought my meat yet this way but I'm seriously thinking of trying it......I'm suspicious though because most of it is grass fed but I like the fact they aren't using hormones and antibiotics.
If you are interested the closest thing seems to be the Merriam Organic Market on Tuesdays. Their web address is http://www.merriamorganicmarket.org/ and they feature a couple meat producers and everything else. They also have lots of links and information.
Big addition thanks to a reader!!!
Amy's Meats. I remember reading about her in the paper some time ago and I thought at the time I should try them. They look like a family business that is doing it right in Lawrence. Rock Chalk. I like that they are establishing some distribution. Best of luck to them. You can find their site at www.amysmeats.com.
It isn't always the steak....it is the sizzle!! Enjoy.
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11 comments:
"I'm not sure if it is lack of class, education, or taste but most Johnson Countians for all their wealth, mcmansions, fancy cars and clothes will normally put any kind of crappy quality beef down their gullets."
LOL, and you Republicans call us Dems "elitists". Ever consider the fact that not everybody is as obsessed with meat as you are? I assume you only drive the finest cars, wear the finest clothes, have the most landscaped lawn in town and wash that meat down with the finest claret as well, right?
De gustibus non est disputandum, blockhead....
What about Amy's Meats? http://www.amysmeats.com/
You have McGonz way to far down on your list. That place is #1 without a doubt.
Also what about Nick & Jakes on Thursday nights?
First anonymous person....I am a snob about food, no question about it. Yes, I do look down at people who eat at McDonalds, sorry. It can barely be called food. If the shoe fits, wear it. For the record and since you asked, I drive a Ford that costs less than most of the cars Blue Valley students drive, I buy my clothes mostly at Rick the Tailor and sometimes Dillards, and my yard is sadly a diaster mostly because I refuse to dump gallons of chemicals on it so your typical assumptions about us "capitalist pig, environment hating, wall street type" republicans is just as silly, knucklehead. You would be wrong about that. I am blessed to live in a pretty fucking nice house though!
I wrote the post because I thought perhaps somebody else was as obsessed with meat as I. I am obsessed with quality food, I admit it. There might not be disputes about taste (ie I like red roses and you prefer white) but there are disputes about quality and people's understanding of it. If one conducted a tasting of select and prime beef and they said they had preference for the select that would be "De gustibus non est disputandum". Only some Demcrats are elitist....clearly I wouldn't put you in that category. LOL.
Now I must also admit that I drink wine like Robin Leach but I'm a snob about that as well. However, I don't order Iranian caviar and Tete d'Cuvee champagne from room service when I travel like Michelle Obama.
Interestingly, I thought you picked up on my best line of that post and most will think of it as a throw away line. Thanks for that.
Thanks for commenting. I hope you come back. I always get the best comments on food....why is that?
Amy's Meats? Never heard of it. I'll check it out. Thanks for the suggestion.
-JE
SOB.....you have to read carefully. I said IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER. But, beyond that my brother. One of those McGonigle boys was really crappy to me once and I've never forgiven him (Mike) so if I did put them in order they wouldn't be at the top. However, I do recognize they have nice product.
Always nice to hear from you, you SOB.
-JE
"First anonymous person....I am a snob about food, no question about it. Yes, I do look down at people who eat at McDonalds, sorry."
Um, there's a big difference between Choice beef and McDonalds. Next.
"For the record and since you asked, I drive a Ford that costs less than most of the cars Blue Valley students drive...[etc]"
You missed the point, unsurprisingly. The point is that we're not all obsessed about the quality of the same things.
Thanks for taking the time to compose for little ol' me, who apparently you could care less about, an even longer diatribe defending your smugness towards others. I'm glad to have wasted your time letting you defend your obvious insecurities.
As us elite Dems like to say: Ta-ta!
Well, if I misunderstood perhaps it was your precision with the english language??
Indeed, McDonald's in not Choice....who are you the President of the USDA Choice Club? You defend it like it has feelings.
Oh, you aren't just "little ole me". You matter and I love you. Do you hear me, I LOVE YOU. You didn't waste my time. I enjoy it. I like to write that is why I have a blog. It isn't a job it is just for fun and people can read it if they enjoy it and find it remotely interesting and if not.....
See you might miss the point about blogs.....I can write what I'm obsessed about AND what I'm insecure about. Why would I write about anything else???????
I'd actually prefer you not eat
better meat. It leaves more for me. Prime aged beef....get in my belly.
"Ta-Ta"?? sounds like a effeminate Democrat! Do you guys really say that? I thought it was the fist bump now?
Hmmm...I'll have to take a little trip west and visit Amy's Meats...
Don't H8 on the Dotte just because you have have inferior meat in JoCo.
heh.
I assure you, the meat in the Dotte is CHOICE.
ok, i feel gross now.
thanks for the opportunity to sick myself out.
Hey, welcome. Glad you like it and I hope you come back and post more comments.
-jocoeveryman
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