Prime Time

[TrishCT]

As a non-professional cook of leisure I'd like to know if you think prime beef is always the way to go for steaks and roasts. Are there any budget conscious alternatives you would recommend. Prime is difficult to come by here, even at my local butcher.

[Evan Lobel]

Hi Trish, no doubt USDA Prime Beef is incredibly difficult to come by these days. There are always other options though. The first and most important as far as I’m concerned is to have some basic knowledge of what it is you’re looking for. When you're buying steaks for instance, never buy frozen. When you buy frozen you really have no idea how long it has been sitting in the freezer. When buying fresh, you are in the drivers seat, you can keep it in the fridge for a couple of days or freeze it when you choose. It’s important to look for some marbling in the eye of the steak even USDA Choice should have some. If you can purchase dry aged Choice it would be much better. Look for long cooking cuts such as short ribs, cross rib, chicken steak or brisket. Good Luck!

EL