Flannery Trip report re: THANKS Bill Tex Landreth!

Epicurean Exploits - Food and Recipes
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First post, long time lurker on eRMP and this board!

So all this talk about Bryan Flannery on eRMP and this board, especially Bill’s pictures of the steaks, I had to try it. All my steaks at home are from the Costco variety (choice and prime), and once from Whole Foods (dry aged NY, overpriced…). Also knowing that I can cook a steak as well as most steakhouses in the Bay Area prompted me to see if Flannery (or other premium steaks) are worth it.

I mean, is $25/# for dry aged steak that much better than $10/# Costco USDA prime?!
I also set out to get grass fed beef from Marin Sun Farms.

Drove to Corte Madera Town center and took a look at the steaks. Only midwest steak on the display. So the wife and I walked around the mall then went back to buy a rib eye from Flannery (compare vs Marin Sun Farm). Then I noticed Bryan (from his website picture) and started to talk to him. I mentioned that I read the eRMP board and how Bill raves about his steaks. We get to talk about his steaks, then said hold on. He goes into his meat locker (or dry aging fridge?) and come out with a WHOLE DRY AGED CA PRIVATE RESERVE T-BONE rack finished dry aging. I was in heaven. Then he said he was going to show me (Mind you, this has just finished aging and hasn’t been cut yet). I told him he didn’t have to, but he insisted, and cut the end to show me how marbelized it was. Then he show me a whole rib eye slab and saritoga steak slab. Pretty freaking awesome.

I asked him for a recommendation on my first steak from him, and he suggested the ribeye (boneless).
Too put it shot, steak cooked med-rare, juicy, delicious, better than any American style steak I have had at any restaurant. Period.

Don’t bother asking about grass fed beef, didn’t stand up to Flannery.

Bryan was a true gentleman with a wealth of information and awesome customer service attitude.
It’s just too bad that I live over an hour away from the store…

And a big thumbs up for Bill Tex Landreth for the countless recommendations!

(updated to include Bill’s full name in case anyone was confused…)

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Re; Grass Fed Beef

There’s a lot of variation out there with purveyors of grass-fed beef.

Also, I’d say 95% of the American steak-easting population would prefer corn-fed beef over grass-fed; most of us have been raised on corn-fed and expect the high fat content.

Personally, I love them both, but eat grass-fed more frequently since it’s actually considered a healthy protein.

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The texture and juiciness of the grass fed beef I had was very good. I did notice that the texture of the raw beef was much different than any corn fed beef I’ve seen. And it did cook faster and more even.

That being said, the flavor takes a bit of getting used to, especially for us Americans who are used to the corn-fed beef taste.

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Glad you had a good experience with both the man and his product. Everything that is said about them are respectively true.

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I agree with the above about grass-fed beef, namely that it’s a different flavor than most Americans are use to eating. I also love both, grew up eating grass-fed beef that we raised but also have developed a taste for decadent things that aren’t good for me.

-Al

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+1 I love grass fed beef. It is much higher in Omega 3’s so much healthier for you. Have an extended stay in Argentina and you won’t miss the high fat feedlot beef we so crave here. That said, I still love eating the fatty stuff and Bryan is the guy to buy it from (the private reserve). It’s not organic but the animals are raised without hormones and antibiotics; something that is important to me.