Best Beef in the World
 

I'm a beef-lover. I love it grilled, sauteed, stewed, whatever. It's delicious. And we've all heard about the excellence of Argentina's beef. Let me tell you, it's true! It's all natural, organic, fed on grass, not corn. And the amount of time and concentration that the Argentines put into grilling it! No matter what part they're grilling--from ojo de bife (rib-eye) to chinchulin (intestine). I love all the parrillas (steakhouses) in Buenos Aires. So, anyway, I was interested in finding out what other people thought of Argentine beef and its comparison to beef from the rest of the world.

Welcome to Flyertalk!

You'll find many Flyertalkers are familiar with and love Argentine beef, not to mention the fabulous and reasonably priced wines.

As you familiarize yourself with Flyertalk, take notice of the Community Buzz forum. There's an annual event each fall in Buenos Aires attended by a few dozen Flyertalkers.

It would be fantastic to have another local (?) join in the festivities. ^

My experience with Argentine Beef is not that it is the best in the world, but that it is AMONG the best, and absurdly reasonably priced.

One can easily find a good neighborhood Parilla almost anywhere in Buenos Aires that will provide a very nice steak dinner for under 50 pesos (around $15), that is comparable to what one would pay $30-40 for in most areas of the U.S. (and more like $50 in a major city).

While Argentine beef is great, don't get me wrong, and perhaps I'm a bit loyal to my own countrys beef production, but IMHO there's nothing better than Australias own 1824 Beef

And there is Kobe beef.

I'm salivating. Haven't tried Argentine beef but for me kobe beef rules, japanese kobe that is, not the other stuff.

No thanks...I like my moo finished with maize in the feedlots before heading to the slaughterhouse.

I much prefer Argentine or Brazilian grass fed beef over grain fed. The outstanding taste does come at the expense of some tenderness and marbling though. I know very few Americans who prefer grass fed beef.

I like Kobe but it is a more delicate flavor. I doubt I could tell the difference between Argentinian and Australian. Both are outstanding, and much better than the feed lot stuff. But there is also some excellent grass fed US beef.

I'd take Kobe any day.. I've also tried Australian, NZ, and US.. Never Argentinian though.. Am I missing something?

Very few Americans would know how to cook it properly. Any more done than some pink in the middle is going to provide for a poor dining experience, even for those who generally like their beef "traditional NY style" :D Restaurants in Argentina will just refuse to prepare it for you well-done.

I'll take a prime steak from Lobels
www.lobels.com
I have had great steaks in Argentina, Japan, etc. Nothing beats the steaks from Lobels in terms of flavor. IMHO, best steaks in the world.

Had a chance to sample aged beef in Melbourne recently. Its much better than I thought. I am normally a rare beef person but Australian aged beef is definitely not to miss.

Long horn beef, grown naturally near Raglan Monmouthshire by Frank Sutton and brother, slaughtered in the village butchers, Neil James, hung for 3 weeks. enjoy.

Hopefully the restaurant at Breakfast Creek, Brisbane is stocked up for three weeks' time. ;)

1824 has my taste buds nagging me. :D

(Welcome to FlyerTalk, mochilerainbsas and you have ample opportunity in 2009 to travel to the best beef places in the world.
As your first post is in this forum, I think you enjoy your meals. ^
DiningBuzz can be a good break from the miles and points and logistics - to enjoy the 'me time' part of your travel. :))

This place, about an hour southwest of Frankfurt, has the best steaks I've ever had in my life, and that is no exaggeration. Their signature offering is 'ochsenfilet am stuck' which they bring out raw on a platter when ordering. You tell them how much you want, and how you want it cooked and it comes out exactly so. PM me if you want details.

http://www.burgschaenke-neuleiningen.de/

it isn't beef, it is ice cream is disguise :)

Kobe beef in Japan is by far the best I have ever had. It is like eating beef flavored melted-fat, simply amazing. Second would have to be a 2-1/2" thick Porterhouse from Lobels. Argentine beef is good, but agreed that the grass-fed is a little tougher. Then again, on a price basis it is by far the best.

As a Scot living in Argentina I would say yes Argentine beef is good but not always. You can still get a poor bit of beef on the odd occasion from the butchers so it's not a certainty it'll always be tender.The way of cooking it here over the embers of burnt wood rather than charcoal definitely makes a difference to the taste no doubt about it.
Of course being a Scot I have to put a good word in for Scottish beef and it's no coincidence that a fair percentage of Argentine beef comes from the Aberdeen Angus breed of cattle. ;)

I've eaten piles of beef in Brazil, and some imported Argentinian beef in the US, and enough Kobe to make my wallet scream at the mention of the word.

But, for me, nothing does it quite like beef from the Chianina cattle of Italy. I picked up two monster bisteccas from a small butcher in Levanto, Italy and roasted them over olive wood coals. Oil, salt... nothing, I repeat nothing, in steak land is better.

Dang it, now I'm starving again.

Cheers,

-Andrew

Going a little leftfield, the most extraordinary I've eaten is Santo beef from Vanuatu. A herd of Charolais cattle were set loose during WW2 on the island of Espirto Santo and have lived there ever since. The meat is stunning - perfect balanced texture, deep flavour.

I love Argentinian steaks, but the Santo stuff blew me away.

Dunno about Aussie beef, but I age my own beef at home. Mmmm... boneless prime rib (real prime*) for $8/lb at Costco. Is a bit silly to do a 6lb rib roast for two people, but the leftovers make for a fantastic breakfast. :D

Mrs. ralfp and I went to BA last year for dinner (1 night trip); the beef, at Las Lilas, was very good, but nothing worth writing home about. It was, however, a fantastic deal.

*: In the US rib roasts can be called "Prime Rib" even if they're not USDA Prime beef. See here.

How did the Santo stuff compare price wise out of curiosity?

& to add a question, where did you dine on Santo beef ?

In Vanuatu, both Port Vila and on Santo itself.

I don't remember it being especially expensive. It was on sale at VLI for those returning home but we didn't think it would survive the 36hour trip back to London. :(

Mr P1 is the best beef in the world. Oh wait, that's beefcake.

As for the mooing kind- Ohmi Wagyu. Only had it once, but it even beat out Kobe.

Beer fed and massaged, I am also envious of its lifestyle.

As for how long to cook it- just tell my steak "see that? It is fire. Take a good look but don't get too close, it can hurt you."

Anyone know if I'm correct in assuming that Kobe (Wagyu) beef is wet aged?

Kobe beef is from a specific breed of Wagyu. No aging seems to be required.

Requirements (copied from the Wikipedia article):

• Tajima cattle born in Hyōgo Prefecture
• Fed by farm in Hyōgo Prefecture
• Bullock or Virgin cow, meant to purify the beef
• Processed at slaughterhouse in Kobe, Nishinomiya, Sanda, Kakogawa and Himeji in Hyōgo Prefecture.
• Marbling ratio called BMS is level 6 and above.
• Meat Quality Score is A or B
• Gross weight of beef is 470 kg or below

Thanks for your quick reply. Since I thought all beef (unless eaten less than 12 hours after slaughter) had to be aged, you got me doing a little research. Apparently Kobe beef is a dry aged beef... I also found that only beef still on the bone can be dry aged.

Never have I read such pretentious twaddle in concert.

The best beef I've had recently was last night, a modest ribeye, graded Choice, from all places, "Sam's" (but from a "special" shipment, seared in cast iron as near molten as I could heat the skillet, then, heresy of heresies finished to Medium Rare in 500F oven in a technique apparently increasingly popular. Served with a "Semi-Cassoulet" of French white beans cooked with chicken stock, smoked bacon, some cured sausage - no confit available, garlic and a tone of onion, with a modest salad, Spring Greens lightly dressed, and a baguette, it sure beat any Super Bowl snack list.

My point is simple, that any attempt to define the "best beef ever" is highly subjective, because the ingredients of time, place, perspective and attitude have much to do with satisfaction, just as at my advanced age, recalling the best sex ever can't be aided by some carefully maintained pocket book of comparable scores. Now there was this afternoon in Rapallo....Great......Best?

As for the Japanese cult products..... Admittedly, they are good, but far too fat, almost greasy in the eating, for me. Still having my own functional teeth, I'll support the concept that trying grass fed beef (rarely available in the US except from specialty - read "grossly over-priced" - outlets or a rancher friend/relative) is worth the effort. Just as grass fed lamb from Breton salt marshes is much praised, a good cut of carefully reared, rich grass nourished beef can be awfully satisfying.

The best steak I ever had? The last good one.

Anyone familiar with Hawaiian beef from the Big Island? I was driving around the area above Waimea a few weeks ago and there are some truly massive ranches and a lot of grass fed beef. I was not able to eat any of it however, and don't know if it is marketed locally.

As I understand it, wet "aging" is something that happens by default when beef is shipped in vacuum sealed packages. So, yes, most beef sold in the US will be "aged".

One significant benefit of dry aging is, well, drying. The beef loses moisture, which is a good thing for good steaks. This can be done with smaller pieces and less time at home. OTOH, aging for 14-21 days, which is necessary for the meat to tenderize, runs a much higher risk of things going wrong (excessive growth of unwanted life), especially when you age in your own refrigerator.

I believe you looked in the wrong place though. I know of no problem dry aging boneless meat. I do it, though I limit my aging to less than a week.

Interesting topic...

The worst beef in the world is British, tough and cooked to the consistency of a shoe's sole.

Many years ago we discovered the delicious taste and texture of North American beef and even went on a Texan steak holiday - a trip especially to eat beef. We were asked by the humourless US immigration offficer what was the purpose of our visit and when I said steak holiday got a very strange look before I offered an explanation and Texan hospitality emerged.

But we then realised that Texans wanting good beef went to Argentina, so off we went too. Yes, its very good but can get the occasional poorer steak. Ate steak every day for three weeks and could have carried on longer. Back pain got better too!

Beef Recommendations in Buenos Aires
 

Just thought I'd share my recommendations in case anyone happens to be in Buenos Aires with a hankering for our homegrown organic beef.

1. Cabana las Lilas, priciest and very touristy in Puerto Madero, but it's sooooo friggin good. Especially all the free sides they give out.
2. La Escondida, pricey, not as touristy in Palermo, with unlimited salad bar. I recommend the bacon-wrapped ojo de bife.
3. La Cabrera, pricey and touristy in Palermo, with lots of side garnishes.
4. Social la Lechuza, reasonably-priced, very local--almost no English spoken--and plain homestyle Argentine deliciousness.

Anyone else have suggestions or thoughts?

Sure!! You left off La Brigada (San Telmo)!! ;) :D

Dave

Rio Alba is consistently good

Mrs. ralfp and I both thought it was nice, not great, but a great value. Perhaps the fact that they did not sell wine when we were there (day before elections) explains both impressions. If you visit their web page you can see their wide selection of semen. :D

I liked Munich Recoleta a lot, but perhaps that's because it was my first real food in 18 hours or so.

Try visiting Asia.

Is it me, or are taste and texture somewhat mutually exclusive at the "high end" of beef?

As an aside, a Google search turned up this interesting article: http://www.slate.com/id/2152674/

I agree with that article. But then again, I don't like super marbled beef. I never order a rib-eye, and I cut ALL visible fat off my meat. I'd much rather save my fat allotment for some good hashbrowns and biscuits w/sausage gravy or some such. I have never once really enjoyed a steak in a high-end steakhouse.