Meat lovers can always use more meat regardless of the season or the fact that we are all just surviving this miserable year. In fact, a juicy steak is the perfect deterrent of gloomy mood and can help us forget our various 2020 troubles.

Acquiring a good steak can be tough though. It will at least require a trip to a grocery store, and not just any store if you want natural, organic, or grass-fed beef. The same applies to chicken, pork, lamb, and all other protein. All of that is pretty easy for hunters, but how many of us are?

Those simple people like me and my meat loving family have to come up with ways to get good meat conveniently and affordably. Ever since spring corona onset, I have changed my ways of shopping. I go for groceries as seldom as I can and stock up more. I do this simply because shopping with a mask on and among stressed looking people is not pleasurable any more. I also started buying more groceries online, which is how I discovered ButcherBox and a few others.

Never before did I think that I will be getting my raw meat delivered frozen, but now that I tried, I am not sure why I didn’t think of it before. The service is very convenient, the meat is often higher quality that from the likes of Whole Foods, and the price is not biting either. I think I will continue with this way of shopping after corona is nothing but a distant memory. And since I tried a few services, let me tell you about my favorite ones:

Butcher Box

This is my top choice and not only because it was the first box I tried. First and foremost, the meat from ButcherBox is hormone and antibiotics free. It is sustainably sourced, and includes grass-fed and grass-finished beef, free range organic chicken, and heritage breeds pork. Try finding heritage breed pork in your nearest grocery store!

ButcherBox is a subscription service, but you can choose monthly or by-monthly service, cancel, edit, or pause anytime. You can choose box size and also whether you want experts to select your meat from over 60 items or if you will choose the meats yourself.

ButcherBox gets all this good meat from family-run farms where animal diet and health is of most importance. Your purchase supports those families and enables them to stay in business feeding customers like you the highest quality meats imaginable.

If you choose Curated box, you will get a mix of meats and cuts. Expect to see fancy steaks, chicken, and roasts. You can pick meat mixes or go with beef only. The Classic box brings about 8-11 pounds of meat, while the Big box includes 16-22 pounds. 12 various add-ons are available, such as burgers or bacon.

There are 21 items for your choosing in Custom Box, which also comes in 2 different sizes, 9-14 and 18-26 pounds respectively.

ButcherBox also offers plenty of cooking tips and recipes in their library, so you don’t have to look for inspiration very far. Pricing is pretty straight forward:

• Curated Classic - $129/mon, Big - $238
• Custom Classic - $149, Big - $270
• Add-ons - $7-25

 

D’Artagnan

If you sometimes feel like some really fancy stuff, try this service. They will deliver delicacies like Wagyu beef, foie gras, truffles, and caviar. Some of the best restaurants order from this company and get everything from filet mignons to game and organic chicken.

You can also order fancy butters, mushrooms, and oils. Since all the offers are very high quality and premium, price is on a high side, so don’t be surprised to shell out $30 for Wagyu beef filet mignon or $66 for 2 flank steaks. See D’Artagnan discounts here.

Omaha Steaks

Omaha Steaks is all about steaks, naturally. They have every cut and every specialty item, you name it, they’ll deliver it – bison, grass-fed, or veal. It’s like a personal butcher online, where you can get custom cuts, preparation, trimming, bone out, and even roast carving. You can also call them and get advice on anything meat related.

The company offers over 400 items and not all of them are steaks, of course. They have barbeque, seafood, sides, ready meals, starters, and even deserts. 

While shipping is always free, the price depends on your selection. Individual cuts’ price varies, but starts at $20 per pound for triple-trim tenderloin tips and goes up from there. Combination boxes sell for $130-180, so you can pick the range you are comfortable with.