Tips on How to Buy Steak

Steak is an all-time favorite food whether it is for simple family dinner or celebration of special occasions. When you buy steak, it is important to choose your best possible option to ensure that you will have the best quality cut within the span of your budget.

Fortunately, it does not take a professional chef to be able to determine the right steak to buy. You just have to be a little pickier to be able to identify which ones are good and appropriate for you.

Buy Steak Online

It is never wrong to buy steak online. In fact, this has become a popular option for people who are always on the go and barely have time to drop by the local butcher or meat shop. Just make sure that you are ordering from a trusted dealer who can provide you with fresh meat and would ensure that it remains in good condition even during shipping and delivery. If you have never tried ordering from a particular online store, it is best to purchase minimal orders first and see how the transaction will go.

Check the Color

Even if you have an option to buy steak online, the ideal way to go is to drop by the local meat shop or butcher. This will allow you to personally scrutinize the meat before paying for it. Examine the amount of fat layer that the cut has. It is also important to see the color of the meat. It should have a rich reddish color. Make sure you would not buy those which have a pale color, gray spots or other types of discoloration because these are signs that the meat is no longer fresh.

Odor Test

Another great way to determine freshness when you buy steak is to pay attention to its smell. It should not have any foul odor or a stingy scent. The texture should be excellent too. If you notice that the strands of the meat seams to be loose or easily breaks down when you touch it, the steak you are buying is no longer fresh. It has to be solid and firm when you hold it.

Buying in bulk to save money

If you intend to save money when you buy steak, you might want to buy in bulk. These are often much cheaper and ideal for preparing meals for several people. Do not worry about the need to exert so much effort in cutting them. Usually, once you have chosen the chunk that you want to buy, the butcher can do the chopping for you at no extra cost – you can also test your knife skills if you intended it that way.

How to Store Steak

You can place steak inside the fridge (inside the meat drawer or cover it with something) for a few days. This can add more taste because this process is somewhat the same as dry aging.
It is okay to store steak in your freezer too. This will save you from the constant need to go out and buy from the market or meat shop. If this is what you want to do, make sure to place them in vacuum sealed packaging to keep the freshness of the meat. When thawing, it is best to avoid using hot water, putting it inside the microwave oven or directly soaking the steak in water. If you need to thaw it quickly, keep the steak inside the plastic packaging and immerse it in water.