Porterhouse 03/22/09

Publix had Porterhouse on sale for $5.67 lb.  Couldn't pass that up.
 


 
Salt, Pepper & EVOO

 
A little Caesar Salad to start with

 
I knew they were going to come out good, when I spotted the rainbow as I was cooking the steaks on the grill

 
Resting, Geez guess which one is SK's and which one is Peg's

 
Waved, Jumbo Spuds.  Just butter and salt.

 
Rare, I start to eat the strip side first.

 
Medium Rare.  Sorry about the bad picture.  Thirdturnpeg starts with the filet first.

 
What's left for dessert.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Y'all got a dog? If not call me. I too jumped on that deal but it was one of those nights when I forgot if I was working on my first or second scotch so I had another just to be sure. Pictures were a little blurry, not worth posting.

the dogs called skbob

I always wonder when I see a picture on here where someone is serving a steak on those metal platters.  Used that way they do nothing for the steak.  I worked in Mickeys in Denver.  It was the only place I had used them.  We kept the metal liners in a stck under the top broiler.  At service time the metal plate was put in the wooden holder.  Then the steaks were quickly dipped on aujus and set on the siaaling platter.  What a dramatic presentation.  the steakes sizzling and smoking as the were carried thru the dining room!

Steaks look great.  I am not a fan of the metal platters.  I get the presentation thing, but the knife on it is like nails on a chalkboard.

What a great looking meal. I'm like you, sk bob; nothing on my baked potato but butter ( lots! ) and salt.

Perfectly cooked...You dah steak man...Nice pictures!

Wavin the spuds..Nooooooooooo  425 - 60 minutes...butter, sour cream scallions and bacon bits..
 
Did you have an appetizer?  Perhaps scampi?
 
Where's dessert?

Is it my eyes or is the town on the pkg spelled wrong on picture 2 ?

susanll


Steaks look great.  I am not a fan of the metal platters.  I get the presentation thing, but the knife on it is like nails on a chalkboard.

A steak knife cutting on a metal platter = Dull Knife!

Yep, those steaks definitely come from Suoth Daytona, Fl

Karnak says SKBob getting ready to do post about NY Strip Steaks.

I hope that they are well marbled!

Karnak....Let me guess?  Publix is having a sale on NY strip steaks...

Greymo


I hope that they are well marbled!

somewhat related...

I read a lot about Publix on Roadfood, but don't have any near me.

Are they selling USDA graded beef?  I didn't notice any mention of USDA on the package, which is why it came to mind. 

thx

tommyeats

Greymo


I hope that they are well marbled!

somewhat related...

I read a lot about Publix on Roadfood, but don't have any near me.

Are they selling USDA graded beef?  I didn't notice any mention of USDA on the package, which is why it came to mind. 

thx

A astute observation, and a correct one. It claims that it is premium beef. Unfortunately there is no premium grade for beef. There is no USDA label on the package and it claims that it is  'Publix'  inspected, ...but not USDA.
This is bad marketing and who knows where the meat came from? Looking at that package would cause me to scrutinize everything sold at the store.
I bet their chicken comes with a 18% water solution...

http://www.bbqreport.com/archives/barbecue/2006/03/02/understanding-the-usda-beef-grading-system/

mark

To the left of the star I see USDA Choice.

brickie


To the left of the star I see USDA Choice.

You're right!  Now that you say it it's as clear as day.  That makes more sense. 

Even if it didn't have a USDA label, you should still be able to look at those steaks and see that they are Choice...low to mid Choice, but Choice nonetheless.

Anyway, Publix usually has pretty decent meat.  Bought some strips (only because they were on sale...I don't necessarily like strip steaks), bone-in pork loin roast, and a nice lamb roast at Publix just the other day.

DD -

Their chicken does not have the "Walmart solution." 

They do serve Choice Grade meat albeit it might not be the top of the choice range.  Personally, I happen to think it is.  But, I cannot say for sure.  But think about this..If you are a beef rancher or slaughter house, whose ass are you going to kiss first in the Choice Grade category?  The biggest purchasers.  Like Publix.  These futures contracts are made and they do not mess with Publix!

If you are Publix and your customers are considered the upscale market in the South..People like MD, Cavendre and JohnA....Did you know they take your packages to your car, if you so wish.  JohnA tells me he always goes to the aisle where they have the youngest, prettiest baggers and asks for help to the car. 

Publix stores are a big upgrade in comparison to Walmart and their other competitors, too.  Their customers demand more and expect better beef.  They expect to pay more.  So, why would they screw with their customers.  And, they don't.    

I am not crazy about their label "Premium" either.  But,  it is Choice Beef.  Yes, you could consider it misrepresentation, if you do not know the company that stands behind the label.   Winn Dixie uses a saying too that I do not remember right now. It's stupid.

You still have to know what you are doing as a consumer!  You pick the right packages and you will be happy at Publix. It's pretty good.  They will also grind or slice anything you want.  If you don't like something you have brought, go see the Meat Manager and he will either replace it or give you your money back...No questions asked.

I don't know how accomodating they are in CT, but you can't ask more from a chain than you get from Publix.  It is one of the few companies that you don't have to suspect their motives.  It is one of the South's true treasures in my opinion right along with our grist mills and BBQ.....

When you get old and grey like me, maybe you will move here to the Sunshine State?  Then you can see for yourself how good a job they do.  No, they are not perfect.  But, they try like hell to be.

We have four choices here..Winn Dixie, Walmart, Food Lion and Publix.  Lately, the Publix "two for one" deals have actually outmatched the prices of Walmart which is pretty incredible..I'm talking canned goods, non-perishable packaged products, etc.

No, I am not a stockholder.  I just think the world of this company.

Publix sells "Choice" beef as evidenced by a close up of their label.



They have a full butcher department and will cut, grind, carve, etc at your request. Want some fresh ground beef, grab what you want and ring the bell.

I've been shopping there for 29 years and have yet to see anything with saline solution.

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/bestcompanies/2009/snapshots/88.html

Baah Ben


Karnak....Let me guess?  Publix is having a sale on NY strip steaks...

 
Yep, $6.99/lb. Cannot believe that got by Bob, think he is teasing us?

Per the Publix website:

Q. What differentiates Publix Premium Certified Beef from other store brands?
A. Publix has strict standards, and less than 7% USDA Choice beef actually qualifies as Publix Premium Certified Beef. Our process in selecting the beef includes establishing and documenting stringent specifications while abiding by humane animal treatment procedures, auditing beef suppliers, constantly testing our Publix Premium Certified Beef, inspecting the shipments, and monitoring continual inspections

That's interesting.  I was wondering if they carried beef that was certified through some sort of program like CAB, and they do.

   Publix is great but I think they throw curve balls at times. One must look carefully at their sale meat labeling. Typically, their meat is USDA but I have been fooled by some of their sale offerings. Great looking meat, cooked the way we like it but no taste. If you watch the label, their meat is wonderful. Seems to be a market share war between them and Winn Dixie.
   Been fooled before but hopefully not again.

As I said above, I've been shopping at Publix for 29 years and have never seen saline solution, different labels, anything misleading, etc. Sorry but I suspect meat with no taste is the result of it's preperation.

I remember at least a dozen Winn Dixie stores in this area 25 years ago. After filing bamkruptcy in 2005 they are down to two.

Winn Dixie filed bankruptcy in 2005.

Euclid - Curve balls?  How so?  No, there is nothing your're gonna be fooled about with any meat sale at Publix.  To even suggest that..No, I'm not gonna let you throw that out here. 

"Typically their meat is USDA" No, how about it's ALWAYS. 

I'll cut you a little more slack than my roadfood buddie on the subject of taste or lack of same.  In the case of pork, today it is far leaner and you can get it where it is tough and tasteless.  But here again, you have to look for some good fat distribution.   

And, there are no market share wars between Winn Dixie and Publix..They are in completely different leagues!  Sales figures don't lie.  One is still in financial trouble..The other is very, very successful.

In all my 25 plus years of shopping at Publix, I can recall one incident that made me unhappy with a meat sale of their's.  For some strange reason, they actually were selling a center rib loin pork roast (bone-in) for more money per lb than their center cut rib chops. 

There was no special seasoning or twine around the roast.  Normally, it would be just the opposite.  Cutting the roast into individual rib chops would require more labor.  It did not make any sense so I wrote to the corporate office.  I got a call two days later from the store manager.  He asked me to come in and get a free roast.  I declined, but thanked him. 

My only other issue with Publix, from time to time, is how long their freshly ground beef can sit without starting to discolor in the middle.  They have always replaced anything I am unhappy with.  They have also taken the time to explain how rapidly this process begins and it does begin very fast. 

The Meat Department Manager is always called when there is an issue.  The Store Manager will get involved, too.  Their customer service is absolutely incredible.  All their managers make well in excess of 6 figures. 

Tommyeats..You would love Publix.  I happen to like Shop Rites (I do not like A&P's), but Publix is different.  Like I said, it is one of the positives of living in the South.

   John A - The steaks I referenced did not have a USDA label which upon reflection should have raised a question (these were sale items). As far as preperation, I prepped and grilled as I have always done but truely, there was no flavor. I think the beef was imported and probably was grass fed.

   Baah Ben - I live in Key Largo during the winter months and almost always shop at Publix which I consider to be an excellent grocery store. I have no reaal issues with them but the meat I did buy I referenced did not have any taste.
   The market share war I mentioned is perhaps local in nature. Winn Dixie is only a couple of miles from Publix on HWY 1 and the opposing stores always are, I presume, loss leading on certain types of meat. This of course accrues to my favor but I will remain vigilant to the labels. I have never been disappointed with Publix's USDA label products.

PREMIUM Choice is like buying Ultra Mid-Grade gasoline. There is no governing body to prevent these claims. You could call these steaks 'SUPREME Choice" but it would not fool the customers like Premium does...
I do like that it is labeled as a product of the US

I'm not slamming Publix, just food marketing.
That said, I have real problems with grocery store meat departments in general.  It's like they pass the cow through a giant bread slicer and sort things out.

mark

doggydaddy


PREMIUM Choice is like buying Ultra Mid-Grade gasoline. There is no governing body to prevent these claims. You could call these steaks 'SUPREME Choice" but it would not fool the customers like Premium does...
I do like that it is labeled as a product of the US

I'm not slamming Publix, just food marketing.

As quoted above, this doesn't appear to be marketing.  Rather, it seems to be high standards:

Q. What differentiates Publix Premium Certified Beef from other store brands? 
A. Publix has strict standards, and less than 7% USDA Choice beef actually qualifies as Publix Premium Certified Beef. Our process in selecting the beef includes establishing and documenting stringent specifications while abiding by humane animal treatment procedures, auditing beef suppliers, constantly testing our Publix Premium Certified Beef, inspecting the shipments, and monitoring continual inspections

I have asked three Publix store managers about their beef, each told me it all comes from either Nebraska or Texas. You can stand in front of the butcher department and watch them cut your special order. The butcher comes out of a walk in cooler with a big piece of beef and gets it done. I have a local family owned butcher that I use as well, same thing.

I have never been that thrilled with any beef that I have purchased at Publix.  I find that the steaks that they have on sale  are rather tough  and certainly not the highest quality.  I stopped buying beef there a long time ago.

On the other hand, I think their bakeries are terrific and their produce, although sometimes quite limited, is always really fresh.

I have no knowledge of the customer service as I have never complained about anything that I have purchased there.  The Publix that I most often shop at in Florida is in a high tourist area and  I think it shows in the attitude of the cashiers............not friendly and most of them act like they are overworked.

But it seems to be the best supermarket in the area and I like the fact that they hire people with disabilites.  My hat is off to them for that alone.