Saint Pizza wrote:Why are the "*" there?

Are the missing letters "a" and "ea" ?

Running joke. Yes, you got the letters right. When it was regularly available, several folks wanted to keep it secret to keep the masses from snatching these tender, flavorful cow-fragments before we got there.

Ahhhh, thanks for explaining!

I'll keep an eye out for it at the Clybourn location.

Finally picked up the red oval 8 quart French oven yesterday, it's presence in my shopping cart prompting several inquiries on the way to the check out. Le Creuset does tend to have that effect . Only red and blue colors available today at the Clybourn store, a bargain at $167. Thanks for the tip, gtgirl. Let the braising of beef begin!

Saint Pizza wrote:BTW the Costco in Clybourn Square has finished its food court renovation. So far I've sampled the churro, the cheese pizza, and the iced capuccino. All were delicious. Granted, I don't have highfalutin' standards.
.

Food Court renovation? Did I miss something? Looks the same as it always has to me.

jglynn wrote:

Saint Pizza wrote:BTW the Costco in Clybourn Square has finished its food court renovation. So far I've sampled the churro, the cheese pizza, and the iced capuccino. All were delicious. Granted, I don't have highfalutin' standards.
.

Food Court renovation? Did I miss something? Looks the same as it always has to me.

That's weird - I didn't write that!

It looked like a meat manager (possibly district) was giving pointers to the local meat guys at the Clybourn store today, so I took the opportunity to resolve a couple of the questions from up above:

1) Flap steak is, alas, no more. They said it didn't move enough by Costco standards.

2) The big 7-packs of cryovacked tri-tips are no longer being put out in the case, since they weren't selling sufficiently. They're breaking them down to one and two-packs and selling those. However, if you ask them and they have an unbroken one, which he indicated they normally do, they'll sell it to you at the 7-pack price, which is about $1 less per pound. Just knock on the glass and ask. (As it happened they were out, but they'll have more on Thursday.)

I also overheard a lot about how they trim and clean up the meat for display; it's not as beautifully prepped as at, say, Paulina, but they certainly do more than just put the packages out, and have a real commitment to offering quality meat for the money.

Pucca wrote:

jglynn wrote:

Saint Pizza wrote:BTW the Costco in Clybourn Square has finished its food court renovation. So far I've sampled the churro, the cheese pizza, and the iced capuccino. All were delicious. Granted, I don't have highfalutin' standards.
.

Food Court renovation? Did I miss something? Looks the same as it always has to me.

That's weird - I didn't write that!

Screwy cut and paste... Sorry about that (fixed it)!!!

baroness of beef wrote:Finally picked up the red oval 8 quart French oven yesterday, it's presence in my shopping cart prompting several inquiries on the way to the check out. Le Creuset does tend to have that effect . Only red and blue colors available today at the Clybourn store, a bargain at $167. Thanks for the tip, gtgirl. Let the braising of beef begin!

after being unable to locate our knock-off Le crueset we set out to buy one... in my head i was thinkng the knock offs were about $30 and that's really all i wanted to spend... went to tj maxx and they only had the $60-70 variety, so after a short debate we went to costco to pick up the real thing. more than i wanted to spend but i guess that's OK. interestingly, i googled around to see how good of deal this actually was and can't even seem to be able to find the 8 quart oval size sold anywhere.... the pricing seems to show that the price everywhere else would be well over $230 though that's actually for a slightly smaller 7.25 sized one.. i found some stock pots that were 8 quarts though??

made the braised Caribbean pork recipe that was mentioned here elsewhere... it was very good... :O) ...(as far as the knock offs... my friend told me they got theirs at cost plus for $30 and have had it for 5 years. they also have a le creuset as well)

the same friend mentioned above was in town from ny and tried the pork... he liked it though said he prefers the smoked product he gets out of his big green egg. and though this recipe was very, very good.. i'd have to agree, though then again that requires a lot more work to make.

Anyone happen to know the cost, per pound, of roast beast at Costco? (I usually shop at the Clybourn location if that helps.)

Fresh turkeys were 99 cents a lb. Boneless rib eye roasts are ~$10/lb.

I got some lovely Brazillian lobster tails at the roadshow on Friday for $25/lb ($10 /lb cheaper than Hagen's or The Fish Guy - They were $60/lb at Dirk's)

Hi,

If you buy the Cryovac rib roast, then you will pay the least per pound. People have been known to cut Cowboy Steaks from the rib sections they did not need. Once the meat is removed from the Cryovac and a butcher took a knife to it, the price will increase by almost $1 per pound. I have shared a cryovac rib roast with a friend, so we could both take advantage of the reduced price.

I wasn't planning to make a roast this year, thus I didn't check the prices. I guestimate to expect around $7 per pound, though you can always phone first.

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:People have been known to cut Cowboy Steaks from the rib sections they did not need.

I wonder why they don't sell beef ribs... I assume that's what's left after they take the "roast" portion off the cryovac cut.

Beef ribs - I'd buy 'em.

For that matter, I wonder why I only see Porterhouses on rare occasion...

LO wrote:The Trident fish sticks are greatly missed in our household, as Costco has not had them for a few months. I have inquired about them at the service desk and they appear as a "deleted" item, but the woman said they have been getting a lot of requests to get them back.

I am happy to report that Trident fishsticks were spotted - and purchased - today at the Costco on Touhy. Whoo-hoo!

- Mike

Jay K wrote:

Cathy2 wrote:People have been known to cut Cowboy Steaks from the rib sections they did not need.

I wonder why they don't sell beef ribs... I assume that's what's left after they take the "roast" portion off the cryovac cut.

Beef ribs - I'd buy 'em.

For that matter, I wonder why I only see Porterhouses on rare occasion...

HI,

I have noticed you only see bone-in rib roasts during the holidays. Otherwise it is boneless rib roasts. I'd buy the beef ribs, too, largely because you feel so primal eating them.

Regards,

I normally do not get my steaks from Costco, usually just their ribs or bigger roast items. I prefer bone in steaks and also giving some business to a few of the still existing independent butcher shops across the city.

Pressed for time on New Years Eve I bought 8, inch and a half thick, boneless rib eyes which appeared to be well marbled. That night 7 were cooked on the gas grill ranging from rare plus to medium rare. Unfortunately these turned out to be some bad steaks simply too tough and devoid of any beefy or minerality type flavor. The term cardbord box actually comes to mind. A few days later I butterflied and pan fried, with tons of butter, the one remaining and there was some improvement. This is not meant to be a rant on Costco meats but more of a warning or inquiry from others with respect to their rib eyes.

This is interesting, because I regularly get the ribeyes from Costco and like them a lot. I wonder if it was bad due to the volume one imagines for New Year's?

leek wrote:This is interesting, because I regularly get the ribeyes from Costco and like them a lot. I wonder if it was bad due to the volume one imagines for New Year's?

I agree, Leek. It's been a while but my experience is that Costco carries some of the best 'choice' meat available. I've had great success with their ribeyes, although I almost always make them on the charcoal grill.

Sorry to hear about your negative experience, T Comp. We've got a Costco run planned for later this week. Maybe we'll pick up some ribeyes just for sake of reference.

=R=

Not sure if this was the thread mentioning the Trident Fish sticks at Costco
but I found the
Trident "fish & chips" style Cod at the LZ Costco 2 lbs for $19.99
More than I was willing to spend unless I get glowing reviews....
Does Costco stock other Trident products?

TIA

mel

I am happy to report that Trident fishsticks were spotted - and purchased - today at the Costco on Touhy. Whoo-hoo!

Great news! I hope they arrive at Oakbrook soon.

Not sure if this was the thread mentioning the Trident Fish sticks at Costco
but I found the
Trident "fish & chips" style Cod at the LZ Costco 2 lbs for $19.99

We tried the Trident Panko crusted Tilapia. It was in desperation, I don't like Tilapia but I was naively hoping it would be like the fish sticks. They are not very good, quite fishy and a bit mushy. My husband eats everything, but didn't finish these.
I bought the "Pub style" halibut, its wild caught and also was $19.99 for 2lbs. We haven't tried it yet but I will report back when we do.
LO

LO wrote:I bought the "Pub style" halibut, its wild caught and also was $19.99 for 2lbs. We haven't tried it yet but I will report back when we do.
LO

That sounds like what I saw...
but did not purchase

thanks

ChgoMike wrote:

LO wrote:The Trident fish sticks are greatly missed in our household, as Costco has not had them for a few months. I have inquired about them at the service desk and they appear as a "deleted" item, but the woman said they have been getting a lot of requests to get them back.

I am happy to report that Trident fishsticks were spotted - and purchased - today at the Costco on Touhy. Whoo-hoo!

- Mike

Got them from the Lake Zurich Costco yesterday too. Yay!

We had them last night with a side dish of Velveeta shells and cheese mixed with stewed tomatoes.

ronnie_suburban wrote:

leek wrote:This is interesting, because I regularly get the ribeyes from Costco and like them a lot. I wonder if it was bad due to the volume one imagines for New Year's?

I agree, Leek. It's been a while but my experience is that Costco carries some of the best 'choice' meat available. I've had great success with their ribeyes, although I almost always make them on the charcoal grill.

Sorry to hear about your negative experience, T Comp. We've got a Costco run planned for later this week. Maybe we'll pick up some ribeyes just for sake of reference.

The wife did end up buying some bone-in ribeyes today at Costco and with the warm weather, it was a relatively easy night for January grilling . . .


Costco ribeye, charcoal-grilled



Ribeye interior

It's been a while since I bought Costco steaks and I've become somewhat spoiled by my regular supplier but I thought these steaks were pretty tasty. They were fresh-looking and well-marbled, too (sorry no raw shot). I will say that they were a bit tougher than what I remember, though. But the flavor was there; meaty and a bit earthy, even if not in a very pronounced way. They weren't watery tasting in any way, either. I'm sure that the added flavor charcoal imparts probably helped these steaks along but if I were in a pinch (or in the vicinity), I'd definitely buy them again (and hope for a bit more tenderness next time around). Not a bad buy at $7.49/#.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:

leek wrote:This is interesting, because I regularly get the ribeyes from Costco and like them a lot. I wonder if it was bad due to the volume one imagines for New Year's?

I agree, Leek. It's been a while but my experience is that Costco carries some of the best 'choice' meat available. I've had great success with their ribeyes, although I almost always make them on the charcoal grill.

Sorry to hear about your negative experience, T Comp. We've got a Costco run planned for later this week. Maybe we'll pick up some ribeyes just for sake of reference.

The wife did end up buying some bone-in ribeyes today at Costco and with the warm weather, it was a relatively easy night for January grilling . . .


It's been a while since I bought Costco steaks and I've become somewhat spoiled by my regular supplier but I thought these steaks were pretty tasty. They were fresh-looking and well-marbled, too (sorry no raw shot). I will say that they were a bit tougher than what I remember, though. But the flavor was there; meaty and a bit earthy, even if not in a very pronounced way. They weren't watery tasting in any way, either. I'm sure that the added flavor charcoal imparts probably helped these steaks along but if I were in a pinch (or in the vicinity), I'd definitely buy them again (and hope for a bit more tenderness next time around). Not a bad buy at $7.49/#.

=R=

I too am spoiled by your regular supplier but also agree Costco's choice unaged beef is tasty and a bargain. That's why I was suprised by my New Year's Eve boneless ribeyes. Unfortunately the Costco in Mount Prospect has never had bone in steaks when I've been their and that makes a difference. Looking at your photos I also wonder if the steaks I had were cut from the large end versus the small end, where yours certainly appear to be. I always thought boneless ribeyes were from the small end, but considering the size of the eyes on mine, perhaps Costco uses both ends which would account for a difference. Mine were also thicker and when I butterflied the one, it helped. I do admit to wimping out to the snow that evening and using the gas grill instead of my WSM and lump. Thanks for the feedback ronnie.

Saw some items at Costco I have never seen before. We typically go to the Naperville Costco, but were in the Oak Brook area so we went to the one over there on Saturday. They had the typical nice selction of king crab legs, and dungeness crab so I had to get some of each to pair with a couple of beautiful Waygu ribeyes I had.

Also saw my favorite tequila Don Julio 1942 Reposado for $82 a bottle, much less that the approx. $100 I usually see it priced at at my local liquor store. Also Dom Perignon 1999 for $129 a bottle. Typically the Naperville Costco tequila selection tops out at Patron, it was nice to see the Don Julio for a good price.

jimswside wrote:Saw some items at Costco I have never seen before. We typically go to the Naperville Costco, but were in the Oak Brook area so we went to the one over there on Saturday. They had the typical nice selction of king crab legs, and dungeness crab so I had to get some of each to pair with a couple of beautiful Waygu ribeyes I had.

Also saw my favorite tequila DOn Julio 1942 Reposado for $82 a bottle, much less that the approx. $100 I usually see it priced at at my local liquor store. Also Dome Perignon 1999 for $129 a bottle. Typically the Naperville Costco tequila selection tops out at Patron, it was nice to see the Don Julio for a good price.

You'll find that due to the clientele at the Oak Brook Costco, they also carry more high-end goods like $100 humidifiers, a larger Scotch selection - they carry Macallan and the Kirkland-branded Macallan as well as Johnny Walker Blue. We also saw 3 bottles of Rothschild there as well - granted you had to wait another 10 years before it would be drink-able, but available for purchase...

thanks for that info Jay K, liked the high end spirits, hated the crowds at that location.

jimswside wrote:a couple of beautiful Waygu ribeyes I had

Jim,

Where did you pick up the ribeyes? It sounds like a great little meal.

big willi,

mitsuwa market up in Arlington Heights. I ususally get my beef from a local butcher, but wanted to try the heavily marbeled waygu.

the meal turned out great, the waygu steaks were some of the best I have had(first time trying waygu beef), and we made crab enchiladas on Sunday for lunch with the leftover dungeness and king crab.

Jay K wrote:

jimswside wrote:Saw some items at Costco I have never seen before. We typically go to the Naperville Costco, but were in the Oak Brook area so we went to the one over there on Saturday. They had the typical nice selction of king crab legs, and dungeness crab so I had to get some of each to pair with a couple of beautiful Waygu ribeyes I had.

Also saw my favorite tequila DOn Julio 1942 Reposado for $82 a bottle, much less that the approx. $100 I usually see it priced at at my local liquor store. Also Dome Perignon 1999 for $129 a bottle. Typically the Naperville Costco tequila selection tops out at Patron, it was nice to see the Don Julio for a good price.

You'll find that due to the clientele at the Oak Brook Costco, they also carry more high-end goods like $100 humidifiers, a larger Scotch selection - they carry Macallan and the Kirkland-branded Macallan as well as Johnny Walker Blue. We also saw 3 bottles of Rothschild there as well - granted you had to wait another 10 years before it would be drink-able, but available for purchase...

Do you know what years of Rothschild they have there?

The last time I went to Costco, I looked for the big tubs of frozen Italian beef and couldn't find it. Anyone know if they still have it? Were they moved? I will try to track down an employee next time I go...