Where are you hiding all the great steak Australia?

[Rebekkap]

Sadly theyre not - they responded closed 24th & 25th, which is fair enough so Christmas lunch or dinner search continues

Bummer! If you're there a bit longer definitely check them out though

 

[cosi]

In Perth, Matilda Bay Restaurant aged there own meat and deliver a sensational steak.

Highly recommended.

 

[JohnK]

One of the reasons for Aldi’s cheap prices Doc is their suppliers are not quite at the top of the mountain - nothing wrong at all with their product it’s just that there is plenty higher quality available elsewhere - and yep a large percentage of the product is lot fed.

Just because you pay through the nose for something does not guarantee quality.

The whole rump I bought at local IGA recently for $8.99kg was very tasty. There's still more in the freezer for this weekend. And the discounted bolar blade from Woolworths made really good massaman curry last week.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Just because you pay through the nose for something does not guarantee quality.

The whole rump I bought at local IGA recently for $8.99kg was very tasty. There's still more in the freezer for this weekend. And the discounted bolar blade from Woolworths made really good massaman curry last week.

Fantastic Johnny - if that suits you then best plan for you.

You are tickled pink with rump from IGA at $8.99/kg - another poster referenced a restaurant with Wagyu scotch @ $350.00/kg - now which do you think might be the higher quality?

Different strokes for different folks huh?

 

[JohnK]

Different strokes for different folks huh?

There's a butcher downstairs that sells lamb forequarter chops for $20+/kg. He sells rump steak for close to $30/kg. The high prices doesn't mean the meat is better quality.

 

[burmans]

There's still more in the freezer for this weekend.

Steak in the freezer, clearly a man of taste not. Each to their own I guess.

 

[Rebekkap]

Steak in the freezer, clearly a man of taste not. Each to their own I guess.

Yep, if you're going to freeze steak, it doesn't matter much about the quality to start with... might as well buy the $8.99 cough from Aldi!

 

[get me outta here]

My elderly neighbour used to take it out of the freezer and defrost it in the microwave. That certainly enhances it, not.

Steak in the freezer, clearly a man of taste not. Each to their own I guess.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Plenty studies done on Grass Fed v Grain Fed both for taste and fat content - simple Google* search will get you over the line.

Most conclusions are meh meh and that basically ‘Taste is in the mouth of the beholder’!

* This is the Internet - it’s all 100% true!

 

[Happy Dude]

The Norman Hotel in Brisbane was always a good spot, as was Breakfast Creek. Been a long time since I visited either though.

I still lament the demise of the Vlados knock-off place in Brunswick. Can't recall it's name (it was wacky though) but it used to do tours of the hanging room until OHS stopped them. Exposed brick interior with pictures of cattle at saleyards. Seriously good. I think its a carpark for Woolies or Coles now? Literally paved paradise to put up a parking lot.

 

[Buzzard]

Food land Pasadena although you might have to take it home and cook it yourself.

 

[JohnK]

Steak in the freezer, clearly a man of taste not. Each to their own I guess.

Is that right? I am a man of taste but simple tastes not high tastes. The rump I have in the freezer is delicious both fried and braised and is about as good as I have ever had. We've been freezing meat for over 40 years and will continue to do so.

 

[Buzzard]

Each to their own but the only thing I'd use rump for is diced in a curry. Even then I wouldn't use frozen rump.

 

[BettyB]

Where are you hiding all the great steak Australia?

In my belly

 

[burmans]

simple tastes not high tastes.

On this one I'll have to agree.

 

[Happy Dude]

The Norman Hotel in Brisbane was always a good spot, as was Breakfast Creek. Been a long time since I visited either though.

I still lament the demise of the Vlados knock-off place in Brunswick. Can't recall it's name (it was wacky though) but it used to do tours of the hanging room until OHS stopped them. Exposed brick interior with pictures of cattle at saleyards. Seriously good. I think its a carpark for Woolies or Coles now? Literally paved paradise to put up a parking lot.

It was A&V Lazars! That name popped into my head while driving to Wagga yesterday.

A lady in our group one night once asked the waiter there for "some sauce", he replied "Madam, you are at a steak house. You may not have sauce but you may have hot english mustard or horseradish." So the service wasn't great, wasn't even average, but you couldn't fault their passion. Or their BYO policy. Great place to take a big barossa red.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

So last night 6.5 of us ventured to the Olive Tree in Sth Melb for a private function

5 of us ate and drank until it ran out of our ears – 1.5 of us was somewhat more refined but still we love them

After dinner we took the opportunity pick the brains of Restaurant Chef and Owner Emilio re Grass Fed beef v Lot Fed beef. Emilio first opened Olive Tree in 1971 and has operated it ever since – last 20 years with daughters Sonia and Tanya controlling front of house.

Now admittedly my memory maybe slightly clouded by alcohol fumes wafting over from a nearby table but I think the following is a fairly accurate

Customer: So Emelio how many beef suppliers contact you wanting to supply product to you:
Olive Tree Emilio: Virtually none they know I don’t buy over the phone.
Customer: So who is your supplier of beef?
Olive Tree Emilio: I now basically buy all my beef from Australian Wholesale Meats in Sunshine West – I go there every Tuesday or Wednesday and hand pick what I want.
Customer: Do you have a preference for Grass Fed or Lot Fed beef?
Olive Tree Emilio: Really prefer Lot Fed beef
Customer: Because of the consistency?
Olive Tree Emilio: Yes almost totally because of the consistency – every week of the year I can get consistent cuts with Lot Fed to my specifications whereas Grass Fed can be a bit hit and miss certain times of the year.
Customer: Is there a difference in your wholesale price?
Emilio: Of yeah - Lot Fed more expensive because they are grain fed for last 90 or 100 days so productions costs are higher.
Customer: Is there a difference in cooking Grass Fed compared to Lot fed?
Olive Tree Emilio: Yes there is – Lot Fed cooks a bit quicker and retains a better colour when cooked – Grass Fed doesn’t have as much juice in it and so cooks a little slower – also Grass Fed can go a little black if you not careful when cooking.
Customer: Do you get many customers asking for Grass Fed beef?
Olive Tree Emilio: Yes we get some but very few – I do always have some Grass Fed on hand for those who specifically ask for it.
Customer: Do you buy any beef from O’Connors?
Olive Tree Emilio: I did buy a lot before but not so much now – I can get equal quality much closer to home.
Customer: Do you buy any beef from Greenhams / Cape Grim?
Olive Tree Emilio: Yes we buy a bit but it’s Grass Fed and we sell much more Lot Fed
Customer: Can the customers tell the difference between Grass Fed and Lot Fed when it is served on the plate?
Olive Tree Emilio: (Replied with a bit of a giggle) Yes some think they can!

Of course as always YMMV.

 

[rock86]

So last night 6.5 of us ventured to the Olive Tree in Sth Melb for a private function

5 of us ate and drank until it ran out of our ears – 1.5 of us was somewhat more refined but still we love them

After dinner we took the opportunity pick the brains of Restaurant Chef and Owner Emilio re Grass Fed beef v Lot Fed beef. Emilio first opened Olive Tree in 1971 and has operated it ever since – last 20 years with daughters Sonia and Tanya controlling front of house.

Now admittedly my memory maybe slightly clouded by alcohol fumes wafting over from a nearby table but I think the following is a fairly accurate

Customer: So Emelio how many beef suppliers contact you wanting to supply product to you:
Olive Tree Emilio: Virtually none they know I don’t buy over the phone.
Customer: So who is your supplier of beef?
Olive Tree Emilio: I now basically buy all my beef from Australian Wholesale Meats in Sunshine West – I go there every Tuesday or Wednesday and hand pick what I want.
Customer: Do you have a preference for Grass Fed or Lot Fed beef?
Olive Tree Emilio: Really prefer Lot Fed beef
Customer: Because of the consistency?
Olive Tree Emilio: Yes almost totally because of the consistency – every week of the year I can get consistent cuts with Lot Fed to my specifications whereas Grass Fed can be a bit hit and miss certain times of the year.
Customer: Is there a difference in your wholesale price?
Emilio: Of yeah - Lot Fed more expensive because they are grain fed for last 90 or 100 days so productions costs are higher.
Customer: Is there a difference in cooking Grass Fed compared to Lot fed?
Olive Tree Emilio: Yes there is – Lot Fed cooks a bit quicker and retains a better colour when cooked – Grass Fed doesn’t have as much juice in it and so cooks a little slower – also Grass Fed can go a little black if you not careful when cooking.
Customer: Do you get many customers asking for Grass Fed beef?
Olive Tree Emilio: Yes we get some but very few – I do always have some Grass Fed on hand for those who specifically ask for it.
Customer: Do you buy any beef from O’Connors?
Olive Tree Emilio: I did buy a lot before but not so much now – I can get equal quality much closer to home.
Customer: Do you buy any beef from Greenhams / Cape Grim?
Olive Tree Emilio: Yes we buy a bit but it’s Grass Fed and we sell much more Lot Fed
Customer: Can the customers tell the difference between Grass Fed and Lot Fed when it is served on the plate?
Olive Tree Emilio: (Replied with a bit of a giggle) Yes some think they can!

Of course as always YMMV.

While that might be true for most people, it all depends who you are - me I can't tell the difference but my FIL believes he certainly can.

The reason being that he's been on the land all his life producing grass fed beef and as with most farmers they eat a lot of what they produce. If they ever get a killer back from one they've sent to the feedlot he reckons he can definitely taste the difference, to me it all tastes deliciously the same, but who am I to call bullsh!t since his diet is/has been made up of a fair bit of grass fed beef.