Overall, the most important
step is what meat you buy. Even if you skip the rest of this recipe, remember that it all starts with the cut you buy. Buying a cheap steak is like buying a house that is a fixer upper: it's a triumph of spirit if you get it done, but it's a lot of effort and you will have scars. Much better then, to buy the house that's good from the start and make improvements.
From a grocery store, you'll have essentially three grade choices (according to the USDA):
- Select (the Chevy Cobalt of beef grades) <-- Cheapest, could be $2-$5 / lb. (or less).
- Choice (the Cadillac of beef grades) <-- The minimum grade to be labelled: angus. Middle-of-the-road, could be $5-$12 / lb.
- Prime (The Ferrari of beef grades) <-- This is what you want. Note that beef labelled " Del-Monico" tends to be prime or better. It just means "best we have". Ranges from $12-$25 / lb. (anything above $20 is pricey)
- Wagyu (You won't find this at the s