My dad is thinking of buying a hindquarter of beef, but my uncle says that bulk purchases like that are a waste of money even at $2.50/lbs

My family used to buy a side of beef and have it cut into all the usual cuts. It seemed to be a bargain then, I don't know why it wouldn't be at $2.50# now.

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1993 300E 2.8 185k miles
2006 Mustang Convertible 4.0 Eaton Supercharged

It's totally worth it. Every cut from the hind quarter is more than $2.50/lb.

Ever check on the price of porterhouses these days?

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You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows - Robert A. Zimmerman

I just bought a 6 lb. boneless rib eye roast at $3.99 / lb. on sale.

Beef ain't cheap.

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Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".

$3.99/lb is a real good price. USDA choice is at least $7/lb here.

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You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows - Robert A. Zimmerman

For Christmas Eve dinner, I'm going to make this beef roast recipe.

Waddya think?

Beef Rib Eye Roast with Madeira Sauce

1 boneless beef rib eye roast, (4 to 6 lbs.)

2 clove garlic, minced

1 t. salt

1 t. black cracked pepper

1 t. crushed dried thyme

1/2 t. dried tarragon

1/4 C. finely chopped shallots

1 C. ready-to-serve beef broth

1/2 C. Madeira wine

1 T. tomato paste

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Mash garlic; combine with salt to form a paste. Combine paste with pepper, thyme and tarragon; rub evenly over surface of beef rib eye roast. Place roast, fat side up, on rack in open roasting pan. Insert meat thermometer so bulb is centered in thickest part, not resting in fat. Do not add water. Do not cover. Roast in oven to desired doneness, about 18 to 20 minutes per pound for rare; 20 to 22 minutes per pound per medium. Remove roast from oven when meat thermometer registers 135° F for rare or 155°F for medium.

Tent with foil and allow roast to stand 15 to 20 minutes in warm place before carving. (Roast will continue to rise about 5°F in temperature to 140°F for rare and 160°F for medium.)

While roast is standing, remove rack from roasting pan; drain off fat. Add shallots to pan drippings; cook and stir over medium heat 2 to 3 minutes. Deglaze pan by adding broth and Madeira and stirring until meat juices attached to pan are dissolved. Add tomato paste; continue cooking over medium-high heat until liquid is reduced to 3/4 cup. Serve Madeira sauce with roast. Garnish roast with apple slices and Italian parsley, if desired.

Note: A boneless beef rib eye roast will yield three to four 3-ounce cooked servings per pound.

Serves 10

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Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".

What grade beef is it and is it US beef?

You're basically making a boneless prime rib. Key is to properly roast it. I would pull the fat cap back and season underneath the fat cap, and then season all around as well. So, if it were me...

Preheat oven to 425F. Place roast in oven for 45 mins.

Reduce oven heat to 300F, all to cook until inside registers 125F.

Turn off oven and allow to sit in oven for a good 45 mins.

NEXT! Sauce making.

Deglazing with a fortified wine is good only for small amounts of sauce. Cooking a fortified wine until the alcohol evaporates gives the sauce an off flavor. Fortified wines used in sauces stem from the old days when stock had to be preserved, ie., adding sherry to sauce espagnole at the end. I would recommend using a good red wine for deglazing. Don't be shy with the red wine, use more than the recipe calls for and reduce it. If you feel the pan is getting dry and the fond isn't coming off the bottom, deglaze again with more wine.

After you add the wine scrape the bottom of the pan until the bits and pieces (the fond) comes off. Then add the beef broth, reduce again. If you can, use beef demiglace with no salt (I'm sure you can get some from R+D) Add S+P to taste.

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You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows - Robert A. Zimmerman

Excellent, I'll do it exactly as you recommend. This is just the kind of advice I needed.

All this time I've been cultivating this online friendship with you, and it's finally paying off.

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Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".

No kidding, Paul. He's like the diesel forum but for food.

B

I bought it at Stater Brothers, and I think it is USDA Choice, but could be prime.

Stater Brothers is the only supermarket chain in Southern California that has a full service meat department with real butchers. They are known for having the best meat.

When you need the best meat, everyone knows you have to go to Stater Brothers.

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Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".

we buy a quarter or so at a time from some folks we know up near fowler, jack wealing. their cows are limosene, a french breed known for large bodies and lean cuts. the cows are fed no horomones and no antibiotics. when i visited their farm i noted a 100 acre field with cows accompanied by calfs grazing in knee deep grass.

it is really good stuff. i think we pay about $3/lb. but feel pretty good about the healthy aspects of it and are comforted by knowing the folks who raise the beef.

tom w

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Now, when you buy huge amounts like hindquarters etc, do you lose quality because it ends up in your freezer for a couple of months? Also don't you get tired of the meat? I guess you have to know who you're buying from so you don't end up with mediocre meat. My mom is always buying from Allen Bros in Chicago, she ends up with a few small boxes of meat and we now realize she could have had a hindquarter for the same price.

Nah you don't lose quality.

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You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows - Robert A. Zimmerman

the quality is fine. we usually end up with spare stuff though, like brains, heart and kidney.

i would probably be fine eating any of that but she wouldnt fix it on a bet!

tom w

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.