Our Beef

USDA grade is generally considered the key determinant of taste and quality.

The simple truth: as wines vary by region, grape variety, winemaker, and aging technique, so does beef. And as top vintners produce superior wines, there are ranchers and butchers who create signature style beefs.

Unfortunately, this natural variety gets mixed together at shelf. The result? You experience inconsistent taste and quality, and top-notch ranchers are left un-rewarded for their efforts.

We offer you the unique opportunity to choose from a selection of connoisseur quality beef styles crafted by some of the world’s very best natural or organic producers. Each represents a different breed, region, diet, and aging technique and has been purposely selected to appeal to different individual palates or priorities.

Compare Ranchers or discover your favorite style in a home taste test. This is a win-win for all of us. You may never go back to generic beef again.

The same things that influence wine also influence beef, what we call our THATS Principles.

Terroir

Here’s an exciting little secret: there are as many breeds or crossbreeds of cattle as there are varieties of grapes or apples. Vary the breed or growing conditions and the flavor and texture will differ, sometimes subtly, sometimes a lot.

The best producers carefully consider the breed or crossbreed, growing conditions, diet, and harvest dates knowing that beef, like wine, can take on the flavor of the land.

Husbandry

There are health, moral, and environmental reasons to choose natural or organic beef over commodity beef.

Gentle handling of livestock and land can also noticably improve quality. In particular, stress can have a negative impact on tenderness. Concientious producers and processors will at minimum demonstrate a commitment to low-stress handling, avoid the use of steroid implants, and create environments in which livestock can be kept healthy without the use of preventative antibiotics.

Aging

Connoisseur beef is by definition aged as it plays a crucial role in tenderizing beef and can also bring out nuances imparted by terroir, breed, and diet. Unfortunately, due to its high cost, only the most discerning restaurateurs or retailers age beef for more than a few days in transit (we call this zero-aged beef).

By varying technique and time of aging, one can craft distinctly different tastes and textures. Some people will prefer the more adventurous personality and concentrated flavors found in Dry-Aged beef. Others will prefer the juicier, more straightforward taste of Wet-Aged beef. For others, it might depend on the recipe or occasion.

Transparency

When you know the style and source of your beef, you can enjoy a more predictable, consistent, even personalized experience. With full transparency, including the ability to compare each producer’s specific protocols, you have the power to make a purchase based on what’s most important to you, whether flavor, origin, producer, or third party certifications.

Storage

To enjoy a single style or harvest over time, flavor and quality must be locked in and maintained at their peaks. The best purveyors wrap each item in a vacuum-sealed package and professionally flash-freeze it. At home, this means you can easily keep steaks or other connoisseur beef items frozen in peak condition and enjoy at your leisure.