Sam's Club ups their meat game

[sudsandswine]

My local Sam's Club has been under remodel for a couple months now. They put a large walk in produce area similar to Costco, rearranged the meat department, and built a big counter/display case for meat. This weekend was the first weekend the coolers were stocked with meat and oh man...Costco doesn't even compare anymore**

The "fresh meat" counter has heritage pork (berkshire), lamb and veal, lots of fresh fish, and a variety of grass fed and prime beef.......and the star of the beef was their "Kobe" ribeyes for $35/lb. Obviously, this is not actual Kobe beef but it looks like nice Wagyu to me. I picked up a couple ribeyes weighing in at 1.5 lbs and will be cooking them tomorrow.

I'm pretty stoked about this. I've been liking Sam's meat department better than Costco for a while now, because Costco has reduced the number of beef cuts they stock - they used to have tri-tip, skirt, and some other things and stopped carrying those. Sam's still has it, and more (like my new fav, "Angus" cowboy ribeyes). **I still like Costco's prime briskets better than Sam's, but I'm pretty happy with Sam's "Angus" choice briskets.

The cherry on top was finding a 6 burner Weber Genesis at Home Depot for $749, marked down from $1299. My dad had been in the market for a new grill for a while and this one was just too good to pass up, so he went up there and helped me load it into my truck and it's "new grill day" for him.

Meat porn:

 

[Joshw]

My closest Sams has been remodeling their meat department as well. I was wondering what was coming. I will have to find out when the remodel will be done, and get up there. Thanks for the info.

 

[sudsandswine]

i <3 Sam's so much right now. They have a better beer and whiskey selection than Costco at this point as well. Hopefully some competition makes Costco up their game too, to my belly's benefit.

 

[FrugalQ]

Will ABSOLUTELY be asking my Sam’s about this!

 

[qapla]

They just built a new Sam's to replace the old store here. The new store is on the "busy" side of town in a new shopping mega-area.

Since the store has only been opened since June, I wonder if-and-when we will get any remodel.

 

[Pstores]

Probably still pumping the meat with salt water for flavor and added wieght

 

[sudsandswine]

Dunno what they do to your meat up there, but they do nothing of the sort down here.

 

[ssv3]

That's awesome! Hopefully it comes this way too.

 

[Pstores]

Dunno what they do to your meat up there, but they do nothing of the sort down here.

They pump the meat with saltwater in all the SAMs. I have proved this time and time again to people. Do the test yourself. Look at the drippings. And cook one the same size next to one from another place and see the wieght difference. And the amount of dripping in each pan. It's no secret. Many people will never be able to see or tell it. But that's what the do.

 

[pharp]

Mine remodeled this summer. I only splurged for one of the American Kobe Ribeyes, but I paired with 6 scallops as big as my fist .

Pretty sure Sam's has some of the best meat you can buy anywhere.

 

[FrugalQ]

They pump the meat with saltwater in all the SAMs. I have proved this time and time again to people. Do the test yourself. Look at the drippings. And cook one the same size next to one from another place and see the wieght difference. And the amount of dripping in each pan. It's no secret. Many people will never be able to see or tell it. But that's what the do.

Is that the cryo stuff you mean or are you talking about the things in foam/Saran packaging ?Both?

 

[BBQ Freak]

Sam's is the only place I go for meat for BBQ and ring the bell and get what is not put out and cut the way I like it .

 

[sudsandswine]

They pump the meat with saltwater in all the SAMs. I have proved this time and time again to people. Do the test yourself. Look at the drippings. And cook one the same size next to one from another place and see the wieght difference. And the amount of dripping in each pan. It's no secret. Many people will never be able to see or tell it. But that's what the do.

That's a pretty unscientific comparison, different cows, different vendors/suppliers, different age and hold, different qualities of meat....human doing the cooking.

They cut the cowboy ribeyes straight out of the vac pack'd subprimal and french the bones right there, I've watched the whole process with my own two eyes....you're telling me in the windowed butcher room they secretly inject the meat full of something before they weigh it? Sorry not buying it.

 

[sudsandswine]

Sam's is the only place I go for meat for BBQ and ring the bell and get what is not put out and cut the way I like it .

Yep and once I had to wait what they considered was too long (I wanted cowboy ribeyes of a certain weight) and they gave me a discount right there.

 

[thirdeye]

My Sam's started carrying USDA Prime briskets, tenderloins, rib steaks and T-bone steaks about a year ago, and it's only about $.45/lb higher than their USDA Choice. They often have fresh steelhead (farm raised) but it's wonderful for smoking. Mrs ~t~ has bought some of those double rib pork chops, I'm not sure if they are Berkshire or not. I'm going by there tomorrow so I'll check out the meat department.

 

[sudsandswine]

Mine remodeled this summer. I only splurged for one of the American Kobe Ribeyes, but I paired with 6 scallops as big as my fist .

Pretty sure Sam's has some of the best meat you can buy anywhere.

Was it noticeably better than their other ribeyes? I've had kobe and wagyu before, just not this, and it definitely was noticeable. I was tempted to buy one of the prime ribeyes and do the Pepsi challenge, but I already had some tri tips and a couple yard birds that I'll throw on the Shirley and decided I had enough meat.

 

[pharp]

Was it noticeably better than their other ribeyes? I've had kobe and wagyu before, just not this, and it definitely was noticeable. I was tempted to buy one of the prime ribeyes and do the Pepsi challenge, but I already had some tri tips and a couple yard birds that I'll throw on the Shirley and decided I had enough meat.

It was the best worst decision I have ever made. I have never had a steak that good...but now one finds its way into my cart almost every time I go

 

[TBASS]

I Hope the Sam's in my neck of the woods will up their game. They have a long way to go to reach those heights. I guess time will tell.

 

[FrugalQ]

I Hope the Sam's in my neck of the woods will up their game. They have a long way to go to reach those heights. I guess time will tell.

Me too

 

[sudsandswine]

It was the best worst decision I have ever made. I have never had a steak that good...but now one finds its way into my cart almost every time I go

Nice, I'll probably sous vide this one and sear in cast iron just to remove as much of the human element as possible from the end result. They're only about an inch thick.