Rib Eye Steak Tasting
Fri 10/27/2023, 03:05p-10:00p
Longtime readers may recall that, around a decade ago, some friends and I held a tasting of strip steaks. Following, we'd talked about having a rematch featuring ribeyes instead, but somehow, it took over 10 years for us to finally make it happen. As before, we bought a selection of steaks from a variety of vendors, which are summarized in the table below, sorted by price:
![Steak Tasting Encryption Key]()
![Steak-Letter Assignment]()
![Matching Letters to Steaks]()
![Assigning Letters to Steaks]()
Like last time, we tried to taste the steaks in as impartial a manner as possible, and thus employed the same "encryption" scheme we'd previously utilized. My job was to remove the meats from their packaging, place them on plates, and assign a letter to each one. I then left the area, and the person in charge of cooking the beef came in and, not knowing my letter assignments, secretly designated a number to each letter. Therefore, no one person knew both parts of the "key" necessary to correlate the name of the steak with its number. The two "keys" were only revealed after we'd tasted each steak.
![Seasoning Steak]()
During our last tasting, we'd seasoned the meats with both salt and pepper, but this time around, we went with salt only in order to allow for a "purer" expression of the beef.
![Vacuum Sealing Steak]()
The steaks were first cooked sous vide, and their plastic pouches were prepared using a Nesco VS-12 Deluxe Vacuum Sealer. Note that small cuts were made into each plastic bag in order to denote the number assignment above.
![Steaks in Immersion Circulator]()
A PolyScience immersion circulator was employed, set at a temperature of 129°F. Cooking commenced at around 4:20pm, and the photo above depicts the steaks shortly afterward.
![Willett Wheated 8 Year Bourbon]()
![2019 Samuel Adams Utopias]()
Given that we had quite a while to wait until all the meat was cooked, we enjoyed some booze in the meantime, and up first was the Willett Wheated 8 Year Bourbon. The nose on this one was surprisingly muted, but I did get a top layer of herbs, set over notes of caramel and sweet fruits. On the palate, I found sweet, sharp spices commixed with pome fruits, with a distinctly "candied" character overall. I then sampled the 2019 Samuel Adams Utopias, a now-iconic beer brewed with Vermont maple syrup and aged in a combo of Buffalo Trace bourbon, aquavit, ruby port, Carcavelos, cognac, and Madeira barrels. The ale smelled strongly of dark, raisin'd fruit, cacao, and spicy barrel. Taking I sip, I got more of that dark-toned fruit, joined by chocolate, maple, bittersweetness, spice, and lingering heat.
![Steaks in Sous-Vide Machine]()
Here we see the water bath about 45 minutes in.
![Douglas Laing Timorous Beastie 24 Year Old Highland Blended Malt Scotch Whisky Sherried Edition]()
![Calumet Farm 16 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey]()
Next to imbibe was the Douglas Laing Timorous Beastie 24 Year Old Highland Blended Malt Scotch Whisky Sherried Edition. Aromas here highlighted "seedy" strawberries, candied fruit, and sweet spices, while taste-wise, I detected more of those strawberries and baking spices, countered by a marked nuttiness and nuances of caramel. This was followed by the Calumet Farm 16 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, which was probably my favorite of the bunch. The bouquet on this one was decidedly herbaceous, almost grassy at first blush, but with a sugary backing of caramel-coated fruit. Meanwhile, flavors demonstrated both rye and sweet spiciness, supported by a "baked goods" sort of character, with accents of oak and herb.
![Sous-Vided Steaks]()
Given that we were looking for a medium-rare temperature, we targeted a cooking time of two hours. Here we see the steaks near the end of that duration.
![Fortaleza Blanco + Casa Dragones Blanco + G4 Blanco]()
Once we were through with the whiskies, we enjoyed a tasting of silver tequilas. Up first was the Fortaleza Blanco, with its soft-yet-heady nose of classic agave, joined by vegetal and citric notes. On the palate, I found this plata cool and supple, with an almost rye-like spice working hand in hand with your expected agave flavors. Next came the Casa Dragones Blanco, which was altogether quite a different beast. The bouquet here was much sweeter, with a peach-like character and less overt agave, and in terms of taste, I got more long-lingering stone fruit on the mid-palate, commingled with soft, warming spices. Finally, we tried the G4 Blanco, which was perhaps the most interesting of the three. Its aromas recalled cacao and peppered meats, and taking a sip, I found the tequila sharp, bracing, and boozy, but with a cool, almost minty quality undergirded by citrus and minerals.
![Cooling Down Steaks]()
After being removed from their water bath, the steaks were chilled before being finished on a cast iron skillet, sliced, and served serially in random order. Shown below are my thoughts on each of the entrants.
![Pat LaFrieda Steak (Raw)]()
![Pat LaFrieda Steak (Sous-Vide'd)]()
![Pat LaFrieda Steak (In the Pan)]()
![Pat LaFrieda Steak (Cooked)]()
![Pat LaFrieda Steak (Sliced)]()
#6 – Pat LaFrieda Meat Purveyors USDA Prime Black Angus Beef Boneless Rib Steak, Center Cut, 30 Days Dry-Aged
We kicked things off with an offering from legendary New Jersey-based meat purveyor Pat LaFrieda, which actually didn't make as strong of a showing as I'd expected. Overall, I found the steak's taste a bit muted for some reason, and I didn't get those deep, beefy, dry-aged flavors I was looking for. Texturally, the center of the cut was denser than expected, while the cap was more tender, and more enjoyable overall.
![1982 Château Palmer]()
The steaks certainly called for some red wine, so we opened up a 1982 Château Palmer. Initial whiffs from the bottle showed off dark fruits, roasted meats, and mint. In the glass, the nose demonstrated more of that mature, dark-toned fruit combined with a distinct zinginess, a touch of floral, and a smidge of funk. On the palate, think savory and herbaceous, with a surprisingly sweet backbone. As the night progressed, the Bordeaux began displaying dusty leather, earth, and herb on the nose, while its flavors got softer, and highlighted menthol, leather, and dusty, acidic berries. Overall, a well-aged claret that stood up admirably to all the beef we were having.
![Costco Steak (Raw)]()
![Costco Steak (In the Pan)]()
![Costco Steak (Cooked)]()
![Costco Steak (Sliced)]()
#2 – Costco Kirkland Signature Beef Ribeye Steak Boneless USDA Prime
The Costco steaks came in a three-pack, and the most marbled of the trio was selected for this comparison. I started with the eye, and found it tender, juicy, and almost brisket-like. The cap was tougher, but with a richer, fattier flavor profile that went in a nearly "briny" direction.
![Mashed Potatoes]()
Garlicky mashed potatoes were made with an immersion blender, giving the dish a sticky, gummy sort of consistency.
![Whole Foods Steak (Raw)]()
![Whole Foods Steak (Sous-Vide'd)]()
![Whole Foods Steak (In the Pan)]()
![Whole Foods Steak (Cooked)]()
![Whole Foods Steak (Sliced)]()
#4 – Whole Foods Boneless Beef Ribeye Steak USDA Choice
Whole Foods was actually the winner last time around, but its performance tonight wasn't quite as strong. The outside of the ribeye had this almost "flaky" consistency, while its taste was surprisingly nutty, with a salty kick. Meanwhile, the inner portion was noticeably firmer, with a more assertive flavor profile.
![1982 Opus One]()
Our second red wine was the 1982 Opus One, a quintessential Napa Valley Bordeaux blend that we thought would make for a good comparison with the Palmer above. From the bottle, I got aromas of soft, sweet strawberries, with a subdued herbaceousness. In the glass, the bouquet showcased cool berries, cedar, and tobacco, while the palate brought supple tannins, more herbs, and mature fruits. With more time, I found more fruit on the nose, along with leather and a nearly candied underpinning. The wine also became smoother and surprisingly easy-drinking, with a subtle spiciness along with elements of earth and berry. This one had aged quite well, and we generally preferred it to the Palmer.
![Ralphs Steak (Raw)]()
![Ralphs Steak (Sous-Vide'd)]()
![Ralphs Steak (In the Pan)]()
![Ralphs Steak (Cooked)]()
![Ralphs Steak (Sliced)]()
#3 – Ralphs USDA Prime Boneless Ribeye Steak
The Ralphs steak was a bit unique in that its cap was tougher and chewier than its eye. Taste-wise, it wasn't bad, and was perhaps the butteriest of the bunch.
![Asparagus]()
A side of asparagus really took well to a dusting of paprika.
![Beef Palace Steak (Raw)]()
![Beef Palace Steak (Sous-Vide'd)]()
![Beef Palace Steak (In the Pan)]()
![Beef Palace Steak (Cooked)]()
![Beef Palace Steak (Sliced)]()
#5 – Beef Palace Butcher Shop Prime Rib Eye
This ribeye ended up as my favorite of the six, a conclusion that I came to on just my first bite. I easily found it the most flavorsome, with the steak's dry-aging really coming through in a nutty, just-earthy-enough manner, while texturally, the cut was on point as well.
![Flannery Steak (Raw)]()
![Flannery Steak (Sous-Vide'd)]()
![Flannery Steak (In the Pan)]()
![Flannery Steak (Cooked)]()
![Flannery Steak (Sliced)]()
#1 – Flannery Beef USDA Prime Dry Aged California Reserve Ribeye Steak
Our final steak was the priciest of them all, and showed off by far the most dry-aged character. In fact, the rib eye was almost gamy, with a blue cheese-esque funk that we all noticed. No complaints about the texture here, either, with the cap especially possessing a lovely "flake."
![Friendly Doughnuts]()
Dessert duties were handled by a dozen donuts sourced from Friendly Doughnuts out in Orange.
With my personal thoughts out of the way, I'll now present the aggregate ratings for all tasters. Shown in the table below are the average (mean) ratings for the six steaks, as well as their resultant rankings.
The winner was the steak that we purchased from Beef Palace, a longstanding (since 1970), old school butcher shop in Huntington Beach. Their rib eye was actually voted #1 by all but one taster, who ranked it #2 behind the Flannery, so it was a clear favorite, and I'm glad to see a local small business perform so well here. Overall though, we were pretty happy with all of the contestants. There were no "bad" steaks in the bunch, and I wouldn't mind eating any of them again (in fact, I took leftovers home to enjoy the next day). Our cooking was a bit more consistent this time, which probably helped with that, and I think aiming for a higher temperature was the right way to go as well. I wonder if there'll ever be a part 3 to this...
Fri 10/27/2023, 03:05p-10:00p
Longtime readers may recall that, around a decade ago, some friends and I held a tasting of strip steaks. Following, we'd talked about having a rematch featuring ribeyes instead, but somehow, it took over 10 years for us to finally make it happen. As before, we bought a selection of steaks from a variety of vendors, which are summarized in the table below, sorted by price:
| Steak Name | Price/lb | Price | Weight | Thickness | Aging | Grade | Notes |
| Flannery Beef USDA Prime Dry Aged California Reserve Ribeye Steak | $63.20 | $79.00 | 20 oz | 2 3/8" | 30-day dry aged | Prime | Price does not include $10 shipping |
| Pat LaFrieda Meat Purveyors USDA Prime Black Angus Beef Boneless Rib Steak, Center Cut, 30 Days Dry-Aged | $48.04 | $60.05 | 20 oz | 1 7/8" | 30-day dry-aged | Prime | Price does not include $19.99 shipping |
| Beef Palace Butcher Shop Prime Rib Eye | $32.55 | $24.41 | 12 oz | 1 1/2" | 14-day(?) dry-aged | Prime | |
| Whole Foods Boneless Beef Ribeye Steak USDA Choice | $21.99 | $27.05 | 19.68 oz | 1 3/4" | Unknown | Choice | |
| Ralphs USDA Prime Boneless Ribeye Steak | $19.99 | $30.18 | 24.16 oz | 1 7/8" | Unknown | Prime | $26.99/lb without Ralphs Rewards discount |
| Costco Kirkland Signature Beef Ribeye Steak Boneless USDA Prime | $17.49 | $24.60 | 22.5 oz | 1 5/8" | Unknown | Prime | Blade tenderized; part of a three-pack |
Like last time, we tried to taste the steaks in as impartial a manner as possible, and thus employed the same "encryption" scheme we'd previously utilized. My job was to remove the meats from their packaging, place them on plates, and assign a letter to each one. I then left the area, and the person in charge of cooking the beef came in and, not knowing my letter assignments, secretly designated a number to each letter. Therefore, no one person knew both parts of the "key" necessary to correlate the name of the steak with its number. The two "keys" were only revealed after we'd tasted each steak.
During our last tasting, we'd seasoned the meats with both salt and pepper, but this time around, we went with salt only in order to allow for a "purer" expression of the beef.
The steaks were first cooked sous vide, and their plastic pouches were prepared using a Nesco VS-12 Deluxe Vacuum Sealer. Note that small cuts were made into each plastic bag in order to denote the number assignment above.
A PolyScience immersion circulator was employed, set at a temperature of 129°F. Cooking commenced at around 4:20pm, and the photo above depicts the steaks shortly afterward.
Given that we had quite a while to wait until all the meat was cooked, we enjoyed some booze in the meantime, and up first was the Willett Wheated 8 Year Bourbon. The nose on this one was surprisingly muted, but I did get a top layer of herbs, set over notes of caramel and sweet fruits. On the palate, I found sweet, sharp spices commixed with pome fruits, with a distinctly "candied" character overall. I then sampled the 2019 Samuel Adams Utopias, a now-iconic beer brewed with Vermont maple syrup and aged in a combo of Buffalo Trace bourbon, aquavit, ruby port, Carcavelos, cognac, and Madeira barrels. The ale smelled strongly of dark, raisin'd fruit, cacao, and spicy barrel. Taking I sip, I got more of that dark-toned fruit, joined by chocolate, maple, bittersweetness, spice, and lingering heat.
Here we see the water bath about 45 minutes in.
Next to imbibe was the Douglas Laing Timorous Beastie 24 Year Old Highland Blended Malt Scotch Whisky Sherried Edition. Aromas here highlighted "seedy" strawberries, candied fruit, and sweet spices, while taste-wise, I detected more of those strawberries and baking spices, countered by a marked nuttiness and nuances of caramel. This was followed by the Calumet Farm 16 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, which was probably my favorite of the bunch. The bouquet on this one was decidedly herbaceous, almost grassy at first blush, but with a sugary backing of caramel-coated fruit. Meanwhile, flavors demonstrated both rye and sweet spiciness, supported by a "baked goods" sort of character, with accents of oak and herb.
Given that we were looking for a medium-rare temperature, we targeted a cooking time of two hours. Here we see the steaks near the end of that duration.
Once we were through with the whiskies, we enjoyed a tasting of silver tequilas. Up first was the Fortaleza Blanco, with its soft-yet-heady nose of classic agave, joined by vegetal and citric notes. On the palate, I found this plata cool and supple, with an almost rye-like spice working hand in hand with your expected agave flavors. Next came the Casa Dragones Blanco, which was altogether quite a different beast. The bouquet here was much sweeter, with a peach-like character and less overt agave, and in terms of taste, I got more long-lingering stone fruit on the mid-palate, commingled with soft, warming spices. Finally, we tried the G4 Blanco, which was perhaps the most interesting of the three. Its aromas recalled cacao and peppered meats, and taking a sip, I found the tequila sharp, bracing, and boozy, but with a cool, almost minty quality undergirded by citrus and minerals.
After being removed from their water bath, the steaks were chilled before being finished on a cast iron skillet, sliced, and served serially in random order. Shown below are my thoughts on each of the entrants.
#6 – Pat LaFrieda Meat Purveyors USDA Prime Black Angus Beef Boneless Rib Steak, Center Cut, 30 Days Dry-Aged
We kicked things off with an offering from legendary New Jersey-based meat purveyor Pat LaFrieda, which actually didn't make as strong of a showing as I'd expected. Overall, I found the steak's taste a bit muted for some reason, and I didn't get those deep, beefy, dry-aged flavors I was looking for. Texturally, the center of the cut was denser than expected, while the cap was more tender, and more enjoyable overall.
The steaks certainly called for some red wine, so we opened up a 1982 Château Palmer. Initial whiffs from the bottle showed off dark fruits, roasted meats, and mint. In the glass, the nose demonstrated more of that mature, dark-toned fruit combined with a distinct zinginess, a touch of floral, and a smidge of funk. On the palate, think savory and herbaceous, with a surprisingly sweet backbone. As the night progressed, the Bordeaux began displaying dusty leather, earth, and herb on the nose, while its flavors got softer, and highlighted menthol, leather, and dusty, acidic berries. Overall, a well-aged claret that stood up admirably to all the beef we were having.
#2 – Costco Kirkland Signature Beef Ribeye Steak Boneless USDA Prime
The Costco steaks came in a three-pack, and the most marbled of the trio was selected for this comparison. I started with the eye, and found it tender, juicy, and almost brisket-like. The cap was tougher, but with a richer, fattier flavor profile that went in a nearly "briny" direction.
Garlicky mashed potatoes were made with an immersion blender, giving the dish a sticky, gummy sort of consistency.
#4 – Whole Foods Boneless Beef Ribeye Steak USDA Choice
Whole Foods was actually the winner last time around, but its performance tonight wasn't quite as strong. The outside of the ribeye had this almost "flaky" consistency, while its taste was surprisingly nutty, with a salty kick. Meanwhile, the inner portion was noticeably firmer, with a more assertive flavor profile.
Our second red wine was the 1982 Opus One, a quintessential Napa Valley Bordeaux blend that we thought would make for a good comparison with the Palmer above. From the bottle, I got aromas of soft, sweet strawberries, with a subdued herbaceousness. In the glass, the bouquet showcased cool berries, cedar, and tobacco, while the palate brought supple tannins, more herbs, and mature fruits. With more time, I found more fruit on the nose, along with leather and a nearly candied underpinning. The wine also became smoother and surprisingly easy-drinking, with a subtle spiciness along with elements of earth and berry. This one had aged quite well, and we generally preferred it to the Palmer.
#3 – Ralphs USDA Prime Boneless Ribeye Steak
The Ralphs steak was a bit unique in that its cap was tougher and chewier than its eye. Taste-wise, it wasn't bad, and was perhaps the butteriest of the bunch.
A side of asparagus really took well to a dusting of paprika.
#5 – Beef Palace Butcher Shop Prime Rib Eye
This ribeye ended up as my favorite of the six, a conclusion that I came to on just my first bite. I easily found it the most flavorsome, with the steak's dry-aging really coming through in a nutty, just-earthy-enough manner, while texturally, the cut was on point as well.
#1 – Flannery Beef USDA Prime Dry Aged California Reserve Ribeye Steak
Our final steak was the priciest of them all, and showed off by far the most dry-aged character. In fact, the rib eye was almost gamy, with a blue cheese-esque funk that we all noticed. No complaints about the texture here, either, with the cap especially possessing a lovely "flake."
Dessert duties were handled by a dozen donuts sourced from Friendly Doughnuts out in Orange.
With my personal thoughts out of the way, I'll now present the aggregate ratings for all tasters. Shown in the table below are the average (mean) ratings for the six steaks, as well as their resultant rankings.
| Steak Name | Taste (15 pts) | Texture (10 pts) | Total (25 pts) | Overall Rank | Taste Rank | Texture Rank |
| Pat LaFrieda Meat Purveyors USDA Prime Black Angus Beef Boneless Rib Steak, Center Cut, 30 Days Dry-Aged | 10.3 | 7.0 | 17.3 | 4 | 4 | T3 |
| Costco Kirkland Signature Beef Ribeye Steak Boneless USDA Prime | 10.8 | 6.8 | 17.5 | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| Whole Foods Boneless Beef Ribeye Steak USDA Choice | 10.0 | 7.0 | 17.0 | 5 | 5 | T3 |
| Ralphs USDA Prime Boneless Ribeye Steak | 8.8 | 5.8 | 14.5 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Beef Palace Butcher Shop Prime Rib Eye | 12.5 | 8.5 | 21.0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Flannery Beef USDA Prime Dry Aged California Reserve Ribeye Steak | 10.5 | 7.5 | 18.0 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
The winner was the steak that we purchased from Beef Palace, a longstanding (since 1970), old school butcher shop in Huntington Beach. Their rib eye was actually voted #1 by all but one taster, who ranked it #2 behind the Flannery, so it was a clear favorite, and I'm glad to see a local small business perform so well here. Overall though, we were pretty happy with all of the contestants. There were no "bad" steaks in the bunch, and I wouldn't mind eating any of them again (in fact, I took leftovers home to enjoy the next day). Our cooking was a bit more consistent this time, which probably helped with that, and I think aiming for a higher temperature was the right way to go as well. I wonder if there'll ever be a part 3 to this...