I've been interested in the recent discussion of wagyu beef and thought I'd generalize the question, since none of the threads that I've found directly address my questin. There are no consistently available sources of high-quality (prime, heritage, wagyu) farm-raised pork or beef near me. I have worked with local farmers to get meat, especially pork, but the availability depends on when they're butchering, etc. And whole briskets are almost impossible to find, in any grade. In the past I have used Lobel's on occasion (for veal shanks, roasts), and they have been reliable but *very* expensive. Following the recent threads, I have been looking at Snake River and Paradise, and have heard only positive things about each. And they are much less expensive than Lobels, though according to their websites they may sometimes freeze their meat. The websites of Lobels, SR, and Paradise are fascinatingly different, apparently catering (as it were) to different kinds of customers. (I have no idea how their quality compares.) My main question is whether there is any kind of consensus out here about the go-to mail-order source. Is one considered the most reliable, the best? Do the competition people favor one of these sites? Has anyone had bad experiences, or consistently good experiences? Has anyone tried more than one and can compare? I understand that there is disagreement about the *value* of wagyu or heritage meat, but I'm really more interested in the quality of these sources from those who have repeatedly used them.
As always, this is a great forum. Thanks!
As always, this is a great forum. Thanks!
