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New Channel 5 video: Getting The Best Meat For Your Money - Meat Cutter Provides Tips On Buying Best Cuts

News Channel 5
Friday March 13th, 2009

CLEVELAND -- Steak is an American grilled tradition. But the price of steak varies as much as the cut and the restaurants that serve it.

USDA prime beef is found above Zdenko Zovkic's door of his downtown Cleveland steakhouse and it's on the menu. But what does "prime" actually mean?

USDA prime is the youngest beef available and the best marbled," Zovkic said.

The United States Department of Agriculture offers a voluntary program for meat packing plants. It grades each carcass. USDA prime means it's the tastiest, and therefore the most expensive.

Kyle Miller is a journeyman meat cutter for Certified Angus Beef in Wooster. He has some tips on how we can all find the best cuts of meat for our money.

"When the average consumer sees something that's very lean or red, they think it's better," he said.

But it's not. Miller said the top three grades of USDA of New York strip are select, choice, and prime. It's easy to see the difference.

The fatty strips and little white flakes in the prime and choice cuts, which would make most health nuts turn away, are actually what you want. It's called marbling and when the steak starts sizzling, the marbling heats up.

"That's gonna melt away and make that steak very juicy tender and just packed full of beef flavor," said Miller.

Applebee's serves a sirloin for $12.99. At Longhorn a smaller cut is slightly more expensive, but it's USDA choice. And at XO Prime Steaks, the price doubles because it's prime.

"USDA prime is just 2 percent of all beef actually produced in this country," said Miller.

But seeing prime on the window isn't enough.

Hyde Park calls itself a "prime steakhouse" but if you look at the menu, their steaks aren't "all" prime. That doesn't mean they're not tasty, it just means it's worth asking about the grade, whether its a grocery store or restaurant.

Very few restaurants in the country serve a "USDA prime filet" because the filet cut is expensive and already very tender.

One place that does is XO. The folks at Hyde Park said the cost doesn't justify offering a prime filet.

Their response to calling themselves a prime steakhouse is as follows:

"This represents a level of quality in atmosphere, ambiance, service, uniforms, professionalism, furniture and quality of food products. This would include fresh produce, fresh seafood, shellfish, fresh herbs versus dried, and on and on. The larger part is, of course, the meats."

Read the complete statement.