Today, many agricultural farmers and producers are “beefing” up their stock by injecting them with hormones, antibiotics, and steroids. Many people do not prefer to consume steaks that have these added chemicals and prefer that their steaks were natural.
Natural steaks come from cattle that were grain fed and did not receive any of the above chemicals. You will need to check the label of the steaks to make sure that it states, “natural steaks”, to ensure the quality of your steaks.
To better enhance the flavor and taste of natural steaks, you should consider purchasing natural steaks that have been “dry aged”. Dry aging is the process of hanging beef in a dry environment to age for a period of 1-3 weeks. In the past the majority of all beef including natural steaks were dry aged.
Today, with the advancement of vacuum packaging, which helped increase mass production, dry aging was a practice that was lost. Dry aging results in a steak that has lost most of its water; therefore the natural steaks will be more expensive. Fine restaurants and hotels will serve delectable dry aged natural steaks cooked to perfection.
Natural Steaks and Grade
When choosing succulent and tender natural steaks, you will need to consider the grade. The United States Department of Agriculture has a voluntary program for natural steaks, and other beef products that approves the meat with a Grade. The top three USDA grades are Prime, Choice, and Select. Prime natural steaks are usually hard to find in your local grocery store. Restaurants and hotels usually buy these natural steaks before the local consumer can get a chance to purchase them.
However, if you are diligent, you will be able to find Prime natural steaks. You may look in specialty shops as well as purchase mail order or via the Internet. The next two grades, Choice and Select will be more available for the shopper looking for high quality natural steaks. You will find that you are more than satisfied with the quality of Choice and Select natural steaks. Consider purchasing these grades that are also dry aged for an additional treat for the taste buds.