Beef Tenderloin

The price at Wheaton Meat is $15.99 lb (assuming it's choice), does anyone know the price at costco?

The last time I was in there (Lake in the Hills, IL on Randall Rd) it was $10.49.

kramericatickets wrote:The price at Wheaton Meat is $15.99 lb (assuming it's choice), does anyone know the price at costco?

http://www.costco.com
~location~ Niles
Phone 847-972-3003

"Butcher please"
"What's the current price of beef tenderloin please"

$11.49 (beef tenderloin)

"How about full, still in cryovac, 7-bone rib roasts?"

$6.99 (whole rib roasts)

"Thanks, have a nice holiday.

Gary,

Is that for a 109 (full fat cap) or is it an export rib (1109a I think, the one with the fat cap removed and rib bones shortened)?

I don't have a costco membership, but might be inclined to join sometime.

26.99 at Gebberths. 28.99 at Whole Food. 29.99 at Fox anbd Obel

Snark,

For which grade are you quoting prices?

Costco's price is more than likely for the 109 choice, a completely untrimmed primal cut, still in cryovac.

While they are all pricey, WF, G & F/O are probably prime and professionally trimmed. And gift wrapped.

My point is that while costco is no doubt selling their ribs at competitive prices, it's for choice and untrimmed meat, rather than the top tier butcher shops (well, not exactly at WF) provide.

Hi,

A few years ago, Cook's Illustrated did a comparative on beef tenderloin bought trimmed or untrimmed then trimmed and their relative costs. It made a lot of economic sense to sharpen the boning knife to trim your own tenderloin. Costco came in as most economical calculated trimmed weight.

I bought my 7-bone beef rib roast at Costco last night for around $6.25 a pound (I'll edit tomorrow morning if different) in Glenview. They had smaller roasts (broken down from cryovac wrapped) where they also trimmed the fat around the bone --- this division and light trimming drove up the price to $7.89 a pound. This is why I proposed to a friend to divide a 7 bone roast between us.

Regards,

Evil Ronnie wrote:Gary,

Is that for a 109 (full fat cap) or is it an export rib (1109a I think, the one with the fat cap removed and rib bones shortened)?

Evil,

Costco's still in cryovac 7-bone prime rib roasts are fat cap on with chine bone still attached. Bones are trimmed a bit, but not frenched.

The Costco 7-boners work well for me as they just fit on the top rack of my WSM and I want some fat on the roast as I'm cooking direct over coals. (I leave out the waterpan for direct smoke/roasting the rib roast)

When buying prime or dry-age prime rib roast from a butcher I emphasize I want the fat cap left on, even then I've gotten roasts home trimmed like a show poodle. So the fat cap on Costco choice prime rib roast works well for me, especially for a crowd.

Evil Ronnie wrote:I don't have a costco membership, but might be inclined to join sometime.

Costco is great, no equivocation, I've been a happy member of Costco since they came to the Chicago market.

We are having 45 over on Christmas day, not sure how much I've saved by buying most everything from booze to meat to paper goods at Costco, but it's likely more than the cost of my yearly membership. And I mean on just this one party.

Enjoy,
Gary

G Wiv wrote:...not sure how much I've saved by buying most everything from booze to meat to paper goods at Costco...

I recently was at Costco and then at Trader Joe's. While Costco's meat selection beats TJ's hands down, their prices on comparable products were comparable. From cereal to vitamins to frozen veggies to soups - you had to buy more at Costco, but if you broke it down by pound or can or whatever, the prices were pretty darn close. Additionally, I have tried several of Costco's fresh packaged veggies, and found that they all tasted like plastic, with a similar texture. I think the bloom is off Costco's rose for me.

My favorite costco deals are Goose Island Root Beer (not my favorite, a little one-note, but still good) for $12/24bottles and V8 at $12 for 24 12oz cans. Both are just great deals.

I'm not particularly impressed by costco's produce, nor by its prices (which aren't great, compared to, say, Stanley's). Nor by trader joe's (aka Aldi) produce.

gleam wrote:I'm not particularly impressed by costco's produce, nor by its prices (which aren't great, compared to, say, Stanley's). Nor by trader joe's (aka Aldi) produce.

Yes, I definitely have to shop around - I don't generally get much produce at TJ's either. Luckily I'm close to Stanley's, TJ's, Costco, Cub, etc. I am close to Whole Foods, but only go there for a few specialty things any more.

Trader Joe's is fine for party goods and frozen foods. Their produce selection is quite small, though, and, at least at the Arlington Heights store, doesn't turn over fast enough. I certainly don't buy everyday groceries there.

While Costco isn't, either, it is a place where we stock up on certain items. Of the things I buy at Costco that are also available at TJ, prices are much lower at Costco. Specific examples include cheese, sausages and deli meats, typically the same brands.

I don't buy much produce at Costco, though, because of the quantities required. With just two of us, I try to buy small amounts of perishables.

However, in the case of things like potatoes and onions, I've been annoyed to find that it's more cost-effective to buy more than I need and be prepared to throw out what goes bad than to buy in small amounts. That seems to be true no matter where you buy them.

Since it's convenient for us to buy gasoline at Costco, our membership is justified no matter what.

leek wrote: I think the bloom is off Costco's rose for me.

Leek,

I've never been a fan of TJ's, I often find, cheese, meats, especially branded items, are slightly flat. By flat I mean they look good, read great, but never seem to make me say "boy that's pretty darn good" I feel much the same way about Eatzi's, "More hat than cattle" as a Texan might say.

I'm certainly not advocating Costco for all around shopping, simply as one arrow in the quiver of Chicago's wonderful array of ethnic markets, cheese shops, grocers, butchers, fishmongers and produce/multi-ethnic grocers such as Marketplace on Oakton and Lincolnwood Produce.

Enjoy,
Gary

Lincolnwood Produce
7475 N Lincoln Ave
Lincolnwood, IL.
847-329-0600

MarketPlace on Oakton
4817 W Oakton
Skokie, IL 60077
847-677-9330

Beef Tenderloin is on sale at Jewel for under $9 per pound, limit 2 tenderloins per customer. It's only for 2 days; today and tomorrow. Is this a good price? it seems to be, but has anyone bought beef tenderloin from Jewel before? It's their Blue Ribbon, USDA choice.

the sleeve wrote:Beef Tenderloin is on sale at Jewel for under $9 per pound, limit 2 tenderloins per customer. It's only for 2 days; today and tomorrow. Is this a good price? it seems to be, but has anyone bought beef tenderloin from Jewel before? It's their Blue Ribbon, USDA choice.

I buy their filets mignon on occasion(I assume they're cut from the tenderloin...with Jewel one wonders)...I kid.

the filets actually feature in one of my regular dinner-for-friends meals:

basically a steak au poivre take

so...I, too, have eyed the tenderloins

fyi: their pork tenderloins are for shit

Hi,

H-Mart regularly sells beef tenderloin at $5.99 a pound, which is the same price of their highest priced oxtails. What quality grade the tenderloin may be I haven't a clue.

Regards,

the sleeve wrote:Beef Tenderloin is on sale at Jewel for under $9 per pound, limit 2 tenderloins per customer. It's only for 2 days; today and tomorrow. Is this a good price? it seems to be, but has anyone bought beef tenderloin from Jewel before? It's their Blue Ribbon, USDA choice.

Sleve,

If you look closely at the ad, Jewel's Blue Ribbon beef tenderloins are US Select, not choice.

Still, not a bad price, $8.78 a pound.


Cathy,

I'm guessing that H-Mart's whole tenderloins are select or lower. Wholesale prices for choice peeled tenders, or PSMO's are in the $11-12 ballpark.

As I've stated before in some other threads, Whittingham's in Alsip has choice tenderloins for about $8.00/lb.

Today, I was shopping at Sam's for the bi-monthly cash register heart attack, and saw a sign in the meat department about buying rib eyes by the case at discount. I asked the butcher. The case I bought was 72 lb. (the average is 75 lb. case) of USDA Choice Quality or Higher boneless beef ribeye for $6.18/lb. The case contained five cryo-packed slabs that we are going to cut into roasts and steaks of varying widths and place in the chest freezer. I read that some of you are opposed to frozen meat, and I agree fresh is so very much more tender and juicy. However, I have a large family and cannot afford $9 and up for steak. Just thought I would post for those like me who never knew I could buy in big time bulk. I have looked into purchasing half a cow, but I would end up with lots of stew meat and other cuts that I do not frequently use, and the price would still be around $6/lb. in my area of the country. While that's a good price for the premium cuts, it's too much to pay for ground meat.

shakesister wrote: I have looked into purchasing half a cow, but I would end up with lots of stew meat and other cuts that I do not frequently use, and the price would still be around $6/lb. in my area of the country. While that's a good price for the premium cuts, it's too much to pay for ground meat.

Actually, if you have to pay the processing costs, you will generally pay about $4.50 a lb for a whole quarter or half carcass beef. Unless you own the steer/cow.

I would agree that it is a complete waste for 95% of people who have absolutely NO CLUE as to what to do to use anythings but the roasts and the steaks. Half of my freezer is packed with bones, shanks, etc. from friends who bought a good portion of the animal.

You would be better off finding a wholesaler who sells retail and will cut up the primal cuts the way you want. Personally, I have used Cattleman's in Eastern market in Detroit and another meat purveyor in Windsor, ON. I do not have a good source in Chicago.

Next fall, we will probably buy and can a forequarter of beef back on the farm.

jlawrence01 wrote: I do not have a good source in Chicago.

Gotta be one on lake street, no?

the sleeve wrote:Beef Tenderloin is on sale at Jewel for under $9 per pound, limit 2 tenderloins per customer. It's only for 2 days; today and tomorrow. Is this a good price? it seems to be, but has anyone bought beef tenderloin from Jewel before? It's their Blue Ribbon, USDA choice.

We bought a whole tenderloin from Costco for about $10/lb. It was wonderful, and a great price. I presume this is their everyday price.

I had the tenderloins that were on sale at Jewel last month. They were truly awful and had a very livery taste. Won't ever buy them again.

Recently, I had a discussion with a guy who creates restaurant concepts. He claimed that he had tested trained chefs and that most of them couldn't tell the difference between select- and prime-grade beef when tasting the cooked product.

I told him I'd take his test -- provided the cut of meat wasn't tenderloin or, perhaps, ribeye. Since a primary determination of grade is marbling, lower-grade tenderloin (a very lean cut) and ribeye (a very fatty one) can often be a bargain. And certainly choice beef in these cuts can be all-but-indistinguishable from prime. However, since the maturity of the animal is also a factor in the grade, you want to be cautious in buying select-grade meat.

Beef grading

Unfortunately, the restaurant designer didn't offer to cook me any steaks, so I wasn't able to prove my meat-tasting ability.

Just wanted to get the word out that the Angelo Caputo stores (note: not Joe Caputo) have beef tenderloin for $4.99 lb. I thought it was a mistake until I saw it for myself. They are packed in a cryobag and look like what you can buy at Sam's or Costco. I bought 4 for Christmas, the sale goes until Christmas Eve. Store locations are: Elmwood Park, Hanover Park, South Elgin, Addison, Naperville and Bloomingdale.

Did they have a USDA grade on them? Select, choice, etc.

The ad says: USDA "Fresh Cut" Whole trimmed Beef Tenderloin (Bag Only). I looked at the label and it says USDA beef tenderloin portions, but they are soiid pieces about 4-1/2 lbs. each nice marbling through the bag. I really couldn't believe it because I just saw them last week at Sam's for double the price. I have 25 people for Christmas dinner, last year I got my tenderloin at Doerfler's in Buffalo Grove for 9.99 lb the bill came to $180 so this year I guess you can say I am taking a chance that the price difference won't be too obvious! I will report after I cook it.

This may be a case of things that sound like they are too good to be true usually are.

All beef sold in the US is inspected by the USDA for wholesomeness - meaning it should be safe to eat. Grading, however, is a voluntary service provided by the USDA at the request of the meatpacker. If you see a piece of meat with a USDA label but no grade it is probably because the meatpacker didn't have the meat graded or the meat was or would have been graded below "select" - the lowest grade sold by most grocery stores. There are actually four quality grades below select - commercial, utility, cutter, and canner. Most of that ends up in frozen hamburger patties or some other processed food (think college cafeteria or microwave burritos).

I suppose anything is possible but I'd be really surprised if that product was select or higher. I saw similarly marketed beef tenderloins in a grocery store in Wisconsin a few years ago for about the same price and almost considered moving there until I realized what they were. I remember the butcher saying they were "goods" which, interestingly enough, is a lower grade name for veal but not for beef. They were probably utility grade.

Anyway, the good news is it's still wholesome fresh beef tenderloin. It may not be the greatest thing you've ever eaten but it wouldn't surprise me if your guests don't notice the difference. My advice is to make a really really good sauce.

LTH,

Wholesale cost for choice beef tenderloins is around $10 a pound. This winter I haven't seen the usual increase to $11 or $12 due to heavy seasonal demand.

I wouldn't be surprised if these were cow tenders at $4.99 (from old milk cows). Still a good buy, and decent enough that the average Joe couldn't tell the difference. Like Mike says, serve with a great sauce.

Jewel is advertising "select" for 9.99 lb. this week. I guess time will tell. I am willing to take a gamble and see if there are any comments from the peanut gallery-my family! when I open the cryobag to trim it I will report.