Next time you go to buy beef at a bulk store or Wal-Mart, look at the sodium content on the packaging. They pump so much salt and preservatives into the beef, you are paying more for the chemicals per pound than you are food, and also you are getting a "standard" or commercial cut; not even a decent grade like select or prime. Thats why they are making money off it: buy cheap meat, juice it up and sell at competitive rates with quality beef. Be vewwy careful....
Costco sells the primo stuff. .....not in the same universe as Wal-Mart. Aged as well.
LAst year about this time, we bought ourselves half a locally raised Angus cow. Pasture fed, no hormones or any of that sort of stuff. Locally slaughtered and packed by a Rose Valley outfit - Scheffelmeyer's, I think the name is. Worked out to $189 a pund cut, wrapped and hard frozen. Picked it all up right there at the slaughterhouse. 420 pounds of the best burgers, steaks and roasts we've had in quite a while. Puts store-bought goods to shame in terms of flavor and texture.
We're going to do a prime rib for Christmans dinner this year - thing's big enough to feed eight, so we're going to have some friends over. Yum yum.
"select" is actually a step below "choice", which is in between - select and prime. Only about 2% of all USDA graded meat attains the prime designation, and a majority of that is destined for restaurants
another factor to consider is yeild grade, which is based on physical characteristics of the carcass & body fat
Dry aged prime (black angus) is probably the best bet
Personally, stay away from "select", "utility", "cutter", and "canner" grades
In order - best to poorest
Prime, choice, select, utility, cutter, canner