Making Your Dollar Go Further - Striploin Steaks

[MacEggs]

On the front page, @Troy does a fantastic write-up / review about vacuum food sealers.

Usually on an annual basis, I like to buy a whole striploin and cut into steaks.  The FoodSaver is essential in making this happen.

This is the biggest one I have ever purchased.
7.755 kg = 17 lbs
$14.99 / kg = $6.81 / lb  (Canadian $) - Not bad IMHO.






This is important ... Use a very sharp knife.  I like this honer that my wife got through Pampered Chef.




I like to cut the piece in half before removing the cryovac packaging.  Some nice marbling.
I find it's easier to cut with the fat side laying on the board.  I then work towards the end with each piece.  YMMV





I aim for steaks in the 16oz range, but there are always some a little less, and some a little more.
That's fine, as the wife gets the smaller ones, and she usually can't eat the whole thing in one sitting, anyway.

Here is where my anal retentiveness creeps in ... I like to weigh each cut. 




Here is the unit I use.  So far, it's been a decent and reliable machine.








Managed to get 15 fine looking steaks ready for the freezer, plus 2 end cuts.  Those will be grilled tonight. 






The biggest and most important reason I do this is to save money down the road.
Once in awhile, I will buy a fresh steak, and that is usually a rib steak, or ribeye steak ... Summertime. 

I have noticed some fine print on store-cut steaks without bone-in.  I'm not a big fan of this. 
I now keep a lookout for this, as I usually don't notice until I get home.

[Troy]

NICE!!
That's a great looking piece of meat you've got there.

I do the same thing with pork loins, but for some reason I've never done it with beef.

[MrHoss]

Got me one of those same machines.

[Tim in PA]

I never noticed that warning down here in the states. I'll have to keep an eye out for it.

[MacEggs]

I never noticed that warning down here in the states. I'll have to keep an eye out for it.

I just started noticing it last summer.  So far, it's just been pre-cut, no bone steaks at Costco.
Any steak that has a bone in it will not have passed through the "needle machine."

I think by law that they need to put this on the label.  Well, at least up here in Canada.  Here is a link to explain it.

http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2014/08/canada-requires-labels-for-mechanically-tenderized-beef/#.VKgzCUuPcz4