When you buy beef online, there’s no doubt about it – you definitely save time. If you’re one of those people who are more affected by your schedule than your pocketbook, purchasing meat over the Internet may be the perfect solution.
But before you click on just any search-engine link to buy beef online, you might want to first learn a little bit more about beef that’s sold online and what to look for to keep your bank account as on track as your appointment calendar.
Internet beef purveyors cover the gamut: You can buy beef online that’s grain fed, grass fed (or a combination of the two), organic, non-organic, ultra-lean or generously marbled with great-tasting-but-bad-for-your health fat. You can even pick and choose from which breed of steer you wish to partake. Do you prefer to buy beef online that comes from the exotic-sounding Limousin cattle? Or would you rather taste the special nuances offered from the more familiar Angus beef? Maybe the beef from good old-fashioned Hereford steers gives your taste buds more tickle. Whatever your chosen variety, the World Wide Web most certainly happily accommodates even the most discriminating.
Another concern that might cross your mind when choosing to buy beef online is quantity. Whether or not you’re wanting only a couple of filet mignons for dinner tomorrow night, or if you’re looking to buy a whole side of beef to stock up the freezer, you can be sure to find your desire – and it’s only a click away.
One more thing to consider when you decide to buy beef online is grade. Beef comes in several different grades with Prime, Choice, and Select being the top three of eight grades used by the United States Department of Agriculture.
Prime, considered the topmost quality, constitutes only two percent of the beef bought in the United States. Choice comes next and stores – both online and brick-and-mortar – most commonly stock this as their highest grade. The third grade, Select, offers consumers leaner, more heart-healthy beef at the cost of tenderness and juiciness, but also costs less.
Hopefully, this info gives you some idea of what to expect if and when you decide to buy beef online. Just remember: It pays to shop and compare – offline, online, or anywhere, when making decisions about buying beef online. We recommend you start with MyButcher.com and Omaha Steaks , two of our favorite online beef retailers.