OT: Prime rib roast question

[nitanee123]

I plan on having prime rib for Christmas. I've been calling around to get prices and here are some of my options:

Giant Eagle - bone-in, Prime - $19/pound
CostCo/Sam's club & several others - boneless Choice - $9.00/pound

Now I called another grocery store nearby and they told me they have bone-in, Prime for $8/pound.

How could these guys charge $8/pound when choice is more expensive at some other places (and prime is 2x at Giant Eagle)? Would you go with the cheap roast?

 

[step.eng69]

I plan on having prime rib for Christmas. I've been calling around to get prices and here are some of my options:

Giant Eagle - bone-in, Prime - $19/pound
CostCo/Sam's club & several others - boneless Choice - $9.00/pound

Now I called another grocery store nearby and they told me they have bone-in, Prime for $8/pound.

How could these guys charge $8/pound when choice is more expensive at some other places (and prime is 2x at Giant Eagle)? Would you go with the cheap roast?

Is Shkreli the CEO of Giant Eagle? Could explain the large difference in price.

 

[Art]

I plan on having prime rib for Christmas. I've been calling around to get prices and here are some of my options:

Giant Eagle - bone-in, Prime - $19/pound
CostCo/Sam's club & several others - boneless Choice - $9.00/pound

Now I called another grocery store nearby and they told me they have bone-in, Prime for $8/pound.

How could these guys charge $8/pound when choice is more expensive at some other places (and prime is 2x at Giant Eagle)? Would you go with the cheap roast?

The root of your problem is that Prime Rib (Roast) is often used to refer to the cut, which is simply (beef) rib roast, as opposed to the grade. Think the only way you will find out if the grocery store is selling true prime, the grade, at $8, which I doubt, is to go in and look at it. Sellers generally put a USDA sticker on the roast identifying the grade. If there isn't one, you can tell by looking. Prime has a high degree of marbling i.e. thin strands of white fat running through the meat, whereas choice has less.

 

[nitanee123]

Art - when I asked the woman, I asked if it is 'Prime Prime' and she said yes but I'm guessing she was incorrect. I think I'll bite the bullet and go with the USDA Prime from Giant Eagle. Unless you tell me that my guests won't be able to tell the difference between USDA Prime and USDA Choice...

 

[Art]

Art - when I asked the woman, I asked if it is 'Prime Prime' and she said yes but I'm guessing she was incorrect. I think I'll bite the bullet and go with the USDA Prime from Giant Eagle. Unless you tell me that my guests won't be able to tell the difference between USDA Prime and USDA Choice...

Again, I would be skeptical of a market selling prime at $8.00/lb.

Will your guests be able to tell the difference? Most people won't. They've been served choice grade rib roast when they order "prime rib" in restaurants for years. Some will. There is a discernible difference in both taste and tenderness.

That being said, there is a fair amount of meat graded "choice" that is pretty darned close to "prime" i.e. it's well-marbled, but not quite enough. If you have the time and inclination, go into Costco and see what they're selling as "choice." Costco also sells other beef that is "prime." Compare the marbling. If the Costco roast is simply red throughout the eye and you're set on serving your guests "prime" then bite the bullet and go to Giant Eagle.

 

[wslee1]

No way is Prime going that cheap right now, something doesn't sound right. But law is, as long as you don't say USDA in front of it, they can call it whatever they want. Not saying he's doing that but wouldn't surprise me. Good example is Ruth Chris advertises their Steaks as "Prime"' not "USDA Prime", so technically, they can serve you choice or select if they desire, instead of prime. Some places sell as "house choice", that's not guaranteed to be choice either. I always tell my sales force, if the price sounds to good to be true, it probably is.

I would recommend you go with the boneless choice, that definitely is right on with what choice is going for right now, and 99% of the best restaurants serve choice, like the Tavern, State College, And boneless is the way to go, easier to trim and not locked into size, you can do a big or small to cuts.

Hope that helps.

 

[4INSBU]

No way is Prime going that cheap right now, something doesn't sound right. But law is, as long as you don't say USDA in front of it, they can call it whatever they want. Not saying he's doing that but wouldn't surprise me. Good example is Ruth Chris advertises their Steaks as "Prime"' not "USDA Prime", so technically, they can serve you choice or select if they desire, instead of prime. Some places sell as "house choice", that's not guaranteed to be choice either. I always tell my sales force, if the price sounds to good to be true, it probably is.

I would recommend you go with the boneless choice, that definitely is right on with what choice is going for right now, and 99% of the best restaurants serve choice, like the Tavern, State College, And boneless is the way to go, easier to trim and not locked into size, you can do a big or small to cuts.

Hope that helps.

Well I dropped $150.00 for an actual PRIME cut rib roast at Wegmans the other night. This was for 6lbs.

 

[Art]

No way is Prime going that cheap right now, something doesn't sound right. But law is, as long as you don't say USDA in front of it, they can call it whatever they want. Not saying he's doing that but wouldn't surprise me. Good example is Ruth Chris advertises their Steaks as "Prime"' not "USDA Prime", so technically, they can serve you choice or select if they desire, instead of prime. Some places sell as "house choice", that's not guaranteed to be choice either. I always tell my sales force, if the price sounds to good to be true, it probably is.

I would recommend you go with the boneless choice, that definitely is right on with what choice is going for right now, and 99% of the best restaurants serve choice, like the Tavern, State College, And boneless is the way to go, easier to trim and not locked into size, you can do a big or small to cuts.

Hope that helps.

I would be disinclined to go with a boneless rib roast. Less flavorful and easier to dry out, particularly in choice grade, when cooking. The only advantage I see to boneless is that it's easier and less of a mess to carve. If you want to avoid the fuss of carving a roast on the bone, simply have the butcher cut the bones away and tie the roast back onto the rack.

 

[Art]

Well I dropped $150.00 for an actual PRIME cut rib roast at Wegmans the other night. This was for 6lbs.

At Wegman's, no surprise.

 

[Peetz Pool Boy]

Giant Eagle - bone-in, Prime - $19/pound
CostCo/Sam's club & several others - boneless Choice - $9.00/pound

The $8.00 / lb seems about right for "Roast Beast".

As others have suggested there is a noticeable difference between "Choice" and "Prime". The Prime at Costco is usually better than what I can find at the market.

 

[wslee1]

The $8.00 / lb seems about right for "Roast Beast".

The problem with some grocery stores is that retail sometimes uses cow instead of steer because of price. Even though both are graded choice, as grading considers marble, fat, etc, not breed, sex, or tenderness, the buyer would not know. Doesn't mean cow is bad or not acceptable, it's just inconsistent, sometimes chewy and fat, other times just as good. So sometimes it's hard to tell, sometimes easy, even for an expert.

But to your point same, choice to prime, if all things equal, a good choice to prime should be fairly close, with prime just a little more tender. Few restaurants really serve prime, just because it prices them too high. For the difference in quality, just not worth it.

 

[yeahtoasty]

If you're in Pittsburgh, I highly recommend DJ's Butcher Block in Bloomfield. I've found their prices to be competitive and the quality to be excellent. If I'm cooking for guests, I go out of my way to get the meat from there.

 

[m.knox]

Again, I would be skeptical of a market selling prime at $8.00/lb.

Will your guests be able to tell the difference? Most people won't. They've been served choice grade rib roast when they order "prime rib" in restaurants for years. Some will. There is a discernible difference in both taste and tenderness.

That being said, there is a fair amount of meat graded "choice" that is pretty darned close to "prime" i.e. it's well-marbled, but not quite enough. If you have the time and inclination, go into Costco and see what they're selling as "choice." Costco also sells other beef that is "prime." Compare the marbling. If the Costco roast is simply red throughout the eye and you're set on serving your guests "prime" then bite the bullet and go to Giant Eagle.

I'm with Art here. Prime is not all together common. A visual inspection will suffice. Needs to be extremely well marbled.

Secondly, you can take a choice cut and cook it wonderfully. If you have Kamado grill (aka "big green egg" or Kamado Joe) you will rock that thing.

 

[Agoodnap]

Here's what you should do. Look-up Beef grading on the web and study what the three grades, Select, Choice, Prime, look like. Then go out and find a USDA Choice grade that looks like Prime. The entire cow gets graded, yet there are usually pieces within that should be Prime. I often find Choice meats that look better then the Prime that is sitting right nearby. In general, if it doesn't look like Prime I'm not buying it regardless of price.

 

[Ranger Dan]

There is no way you are getting "prime" grade rib roast for $8.00 a pound. If you can afford it, get prime rib roast as it will be markedly better. Also, get the bone in, but get the butcher to cut off the bone and tie it back in place. That way you will get the flavor and thermal benefit of the bone, but once it's cooked you can cut the butchers twine and carve it without the bone.

 

[wslee1]

Good points Art.

I buy my meat at Costco because in my professional life I know the leverage that they have with suppliers and I know that the are very demanding regarding quality.

They have Way more leverage than a regional chain such as GIANT Eagle.

IF any one is considering paying big money on USDA Prime, I would reconsider. If I were going to lay out that cash I would seek out a local artisanal butcher and buy local, preferably grass fed. You won't be disappointed. Most artisanal/grass fed beef is not going to be graded by the USDA. USDA grades are for bulk beef that is mass marketed.

ALWAYS buy bone in for a rib roast...FLAVOR.

For all of you meat lovers and/or aggies. You have to see this documentary on Netflix.

"Steak Revolution"

View embedded media

It's a great film. Lots of husbandry, economics, butchering and flat out good beef talk. I gaurantee you will be "jonesing" for a steak by the time it's over.

Enjoy!

Don't agree with you on "Costco's is buying differently than others." We only have 4 major suppliers of Boxed Beef(primal cuts) in the US; IBP(owned by Tyson), Excel(ConAgra), Swift(Cargill) and National Beef. Those three control the US market(a whopping 82%), so pricing and specifications are virtually the same. I relate it to Gasoline, where pricing differs only slightly between brands. And whether it's a corporately owned gas station, or single local franchisee, wherever you go, the price difference is minimal...very competitive, Same with whether I'm a local meat wholesaler buying a truckload of beef a week, a national cooperative, supermarket, or a Costco's, Sam's, or, whatever, their costs vary only minimally, typically only around .25ct a pound or less. Of course if you're selling millions of pounds a beef a week, those cents add up to big bucks on bottom line profit.

Now markups between retailers can differ much more based upon their strategy, so Costco's could have a lower markup on their meats than some others. FYI , Eastern Atlantic wholesale cost on IBP brand USDA Choice Rib Eye's Lip Off(that's what you're typically buying for Prime Rib) running around $8.05 this week, USDA Prime going for $8.45, that's my quotes anyways. An usually small difference between Choice and Prime right now, Normal is a couple bucks a pound. Again that's wholesale costs.

And there ends my lesson on beef today.

 

[Rip_E_2_Joe_PA]

Just bring them all to my house...I will provide whomever brings the rib with our new Elderberry Lager or our Pecan Smoked Porter....and prepare them ....after which we will have a taste and tenderness test.

Merry Christmas guys!

 

[sluggo72]

the little I know, there is very little USDA prime for sale to the consumer, true prime (the grade, not the cut) is usually sold to the restaurants. Not way prime the grade is $8 per lb. I would take some time and review this board, www.askabutcher.proboards.com I have found this information accurate and very helpful.

 

[Rip_E_2_Joe_PA]

the little I know, there is very little USDA prime for sale to the consumer, true prime (the grade, not the cut) is usually sold to the restaurants. Not way prime the grade is $8 per lb. I would take some time and review this board, www.askabutcher.proboards.com I have found this information accurate and very helpful.

I own a restaurant... Microbrewery.... Some other retail and hospitality facilities.... Sluggo is pretty much spot on. However....you can often get Prime grade beef quality at your local butcher shop. We buy Charolais... Angus... And Hereford cavs ...have a neighbor raise them on his farm... The last few months of which they are barn fed and groomed with a strict diet and regimen . The resulting quality cuts are prime grade. There are many farmers and butchers that can sell prime grade meats to you directly. Bon Appetit!

 

[rudedude]

Just bring them all to my house...I will provide whomever brings the rib with our new Elderberry Lager or our Pecan Smoked Porter....and prepare them ....after which we will have a taste and tenderness test.

Merry Christmas guys!

Where you at I'll
be right over!

 

[Ranger Dan]

I own a restaurant... Microbrewery....

What Microbrewery?

 

[tboyer]

Maybe others have already pointed this out but "Prime Rib" is not usually USDA prime. It refers to the cut of meat, which is basically a roast composed of the same meat as a ribeye steak/porterhouse. It is extremely flavorful even when cooked to medium rare or medium.

Consequently, a rib roast is going to be priced pretty much the same as ribeye steak since it is the same thing. If the store is selling ribeyes for $10 a pound that's what the rib roast should sell for. Similarly a strip roast will sell for about the same as NY strips since it is the same thing not cut up.

USDA prime by itself does not mean a whole lot for flavor. A good quality choice will be well marbled and flavorful.

However, Prime AGED -- meaning the meat has spent a few weeks in dry refrigeration -- means a lot. The extra time dries out the meat and the flavor concentrates because there is less water. Also there is bacterial and enzyme action that softens the meat and enhances the flavor. If someone is charging $19 a pound it may well be for Prime AGED beef -- and that would be a good price because aged beef is expensive.

Even in the world of prime aged nothing is standard -- there's cheap prime aged and expensive prime aged. And you won't get the very best stuff at Costco or any supermarket -- you would need a specialty supplier and you're probably paying $30 a pound or more.

I agree, Costco is a very solid place to buy beef, the quality of everything will be good for the price. I also have had good luck with Wegmans but their prices for beef are fairly high.

 

[Rip_E_2_Joe_PA]

What Microbrewery?

Bald River Brewing Company, amidst the thunderous waterfalls of east Tennessee. We are in the R&D phase and the products I mentioned are through test and refinement, Those mentioned and a few others not quite perfected will be rolled out to the local public in February, 2016. Perhaps some will find there way to the 2016 Blue White Game?

My wife and I bought a 10 plat with a very nice home and 360 views, too big for us, which had a brand new unused 3400 sf first floor and 400sf second floor with portions of the first floor open two stories high from of a bank foreclosure list. Another semi-retired fellow (A Confederate - SEC fan that just happens to have some other redeeming values, Thank God) and I decided to redesign and built it into microbrewery. Our primary goals being to produce exceptionally flavored brews for adult tastes and to promote the local natural, historical and jaw dropping beauty of this area in Southeastern Tennessee through our products labelling and our sponsorship of events here. What else should old guys who should be sitting on a bench or beach do? ans: Make good brew and taste test it for the public while sitting on a bench or a beach. I will send You all some links to our products some time after the first of the year.

 

[anon_is9z1n0h3zblb]

Just thought I'd throw in my favorite standing rib roast recipe. I strongly recommend you do not use the same grinder used to powder the herbs to make coffee the next day.

Everyone enjoy their dinners. I'm doing two different flavors of grilled lamb chops in addition to the standard turkey. One rosemary honey mustard and the other teriyaki ginger.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/herbed-rib-roast-104394

 

[Rip_E_2_Joe_PA]

Where you at I'll
be right over!

650 miles down the ridge from Mt Nittany.... just northeast of Star Mountain in east Tennessee.

 

[wslee1]

Wslee1,

No offense, I just disagree. Costco has leverage and they use it. I have a friend who is a Costco supplier and I worked with other Costco suppliers as well. Their quality specs are tight and their margins are thin.

Btw you had a nice explanation regarding grades: USDA vs industry terms. It can be very misleading for the consumer.

It's ok. My only point being that people tend to think large corporations have such better buying power therefore their pricing should be so much better, and that's just not always the case. I went to Costco's web page to check out their listing on the item. http://www.costco.com/Rastelli-Mark...lack-Angus-Beef-12-lbs.product.100227942.html. Notice they say specifically "USDA Choice" and "Premium Angus Beef". So it is truly choice, however notice it doesn't say "Certified Angus". Big difference in the industry, but still a good specification for the typical buyer. Their online price is $17.92 a pound, which is not a great price for this particular item. But it is a good item, and anyone buying it would be happy.

Without hijacking the post, to the point of the poster, buy choice, you really just need to make sure it always says USDA Choice, and on whole cuts of beef, just make sure it's still in the original plastic with the USDA shield. If you check around, you should be able to buy a whole piece USDA Choice Rib Eye for under $12.00 a pound. I would sell to any PSU fan at $9.50 right now, Pitt fans $19.50. Of course you gotta come to Altoona.

 

[Thus Spake Mainer]

You MUST make Yorkshire Pudding as a side.

 

[slwlion]

I plan on having prime rib for Christmas. I've been calling around to get prices and here are some of my options:

Giant Eagle - bone-in, Prime - $19/pound
CostCo/Sam's club & several others - boneless Choice - $9.00/pound

Now I called another grocery store nearby and they told me they have bone-in, Prime for $8/pound.

How could these guys charge $8/pound when choice is more expensive at some other places (and prime is 2x at Giant Eagle)? Would you go with the cheap roast?

Our local store price was $12.99 lb, the butcher said wait til Thursday, it goes on sale for $6.99, she did and bought two.. Go figure..

 

[Westcoast24]

Bald River Brewing Company, amidst the thunderous waterfalls of east Tennessee. We are in the R&D phase and the products I mentioned are through test and refinement, Those mentioned and a few others not quite perfected will be rolled out to the local public in February, 2016. Perhaps some will find there way to the 2016 Blue White Game?

My wife and I bought a 10 plat with a very nice home and 360 views, too big for us, which had a brand new unused 3400 sf first floor and 400sf second floor with portions of the first floor open two stories high from of a bank foreclosure list. Another semi-retired fellow (A Confederate - SEC fan that just happens to have some other redeeming values, Thank God) and I decided to redesign and built it into microbrewery. Our primary goals being to produce exceptionally flavored brews for adult tastes and to promote the local natural, historical and jaw dropping beauty of this area in Southeastern Tennessee through our products labelling and our sponsorship of events here. What else should old guys who should be sitting on a bench or beach do? ans: Make good brew and taste test it for the public while sitting on a bench or a beach. I will send You all some links to our products some time after the first of the year.

Wow. That is awesome. Good luck to you guys in this adventure.

 

[m.knox]

Here's what you want lol. Starting at $299 for a 7 LB roast.....

http://www.snakeriverfarms.com/american-kobe-prime-rib.html

 

[m.knox]

How does one post a picture / photo from your hard drive to this? I have a picture of some freakish marbled Kobe beef from when I was in Toyko 2 years ago. It's unbelievable.

I go to "image" but it asks for a URL. If the picture is on a web site, I just use ctrl+c to copy and ctrl+v to paste, but it isn't working for pictures on my PC.

 

[Ranger Dan]

Bald River Brewing Company, amidst the thunderous waterfalls of east Tennessee. We are in the R&D phase and the products I mentioned are through test and refinement, Those mentioned and a few others not quite perfected will be rolled out to the local public in February, 2016. Perhaps some will find there way to the 2016 Blue White Game?

My wife and I bought a 10 plat with a very nice home and 360 views, too big for us, which had a brand new unused 3400 sf first floor and 400sf second floor with portions of the first floor open two stories high from of a bank foreclosure list. Another semi-retired fellow (A Confederate - SEC fan that just happens to have some other redeeming values, Thank God) and I decided to redesign and built it into microbrewery. Our primary goals being to produce exceptionally flavored brews for adult tastes and to promote the local natural, historical and jaw dropping beauty of this area in Southeastern Tennessee through our products labelling and our sponsorship of events here. What else should old guys who should be sitting on a bench or beach do? ans: Make good brew and taste test it for the public while sitting on a bench or a beach. I will send You all some links to our products some time after the first of the year.

My wife and I may visit Gatlinberg someday soon. Well keep you in mind and see if it works out with our road trip