Carnivore’s Guide: Beef
We have embraced them all, but beef is our first true love
By Allison Austin Scheff December 10, 2010
We’ve embraced pork, lamb—even goat—but beef is our first true love. It’s what we crave the most. We wanted to find locally raised beef that we could feel good about eating, and, boy, did we ever.
Try it out: Our favorite restaurant beef dishes
Beef tartare: Generous quenelles of lush, freshly hand-chopped Oregon sirloin, mixed with a touch of mustard and herbs, arrive with the famously addictive fries at Café Presse. Delicious simplicity, and for $16, a true bargain.
Steak frites (above right): The grill guys at Betty know how to get a good, deep char on a piece of meat. That’s why we can’t wait to go back for another Cedar River rib-eye from California ($24), served with a mountain of crisp, thin fries just out of the fryer.
Short ribs (above left): Every meat lover must taste the deeply meaty, stunningly tender Thundering Hooves Ranch (Walla Walla) braised beef short ribs ($36) at Restaurant Zoë. They are that good.
Choice beef cuts: What to look for at your butcher/grocer
Rib-eye: James Ackley, owner of Bob’s Quality Meats in Columbia City, dry-ages his local, pasture-raised rib-eye steaks for 21 days, giving the fatty, tender meat a deep, natural beef flavor. $12.99/pound.
Ground: Colville’s Olsen Farms has long been known for its wide variety of heirloom potatoes, available at the Ballard Farmers Market, but we also love the grass-fed ground beef. $6/pound.
Flank steak: The extraordinarily tender Painted Hills (Oregon) hormone-free natural flank steak is $11.99/pound at Metropolitan Market.
Tenderloin: At Bill the Butcher, try the gorgeous whole filet mignons from Oregon. $25.99/pound.
Prime rib: Locally raised, dry-aged, pastured prime rib from owner James Ackley’s favorite Wapato-area ranch is available at Bob’s Quality Meats in Columbia City. $10.99/pound.
Chuck roast: Slow and low—that’s how to cook your tender Oregon Country Natural grass-fed roast. $3.99/pound at Whole Foods.
Published November 2010
More articles from our Meat issue
Carnivore’s Guide: Bacon!
Carnivore’s Guide: A Burger for every budget
Carnivore’s Guide: Charcuterie
Carnivore’s Guide: Chicken
Carnivore’s Guide: Duck, Turkey, and Goose
Carnivore’s Guide: Game: Venison, Elk, Wild Boar
Carnivore’s Guide: Lamb
Carnivore’s Guide: The Meatless Meats
Carnivore’s Guide: Offal
Carnivore’s Guide: Pork
Carnivore’s Guide: Sausages
Carnivore’s Guide: The Steakhouses
Carnivore’s Guide: The Art of Butchering
Carnivore’s Guide: Butcher Shops and Meat Markets
Carnivore’s Guide: The Seattle Meat Directory