Costco is not particularly known for its fresh produce. Meat contracts, on the other hand, are a major specialty of America’s largest warehouse club.
Beyond its world-famous, seemingly inflation-proof items – the food court hot dog and deli roast chicken, priced consistently at $1.50 and $4.99, respectively – there are many other popular forms of animal protein that attract carnivorous members to their local. mass warehouses. Meats marked USDA Prime, the nation’s highest quality standard, and USDA Choice, the second highest, attract particular attention.
Grab your steak knives and check out these tantalizing options below, which have many Costco fans salivating right now, whether it’s for their attractive prices or enticing cuts.
What makes beef tenderloin “extreme”, you ask? Redditors have a lot of cheeky suggestions – from “marinating in Mountain Dew” to “triple the caffeine of a regular tenderloin” to “meat was basically a halfpipe and the butcher was skateboarding with a slicing knife by the way.” Funny!
It actually has to do with the trim, as several others have pointed out. A regular tenderloin is usually less expensive by the pound, but requires a lot of work to remove the membrane and other tough parts before cooking. A peeled tenderloin labeled “extreme” means the butcher has done all the work for you. All you have to do is season and cook. “This cut of meat is one of the best steak deals ever,” wrote one Redditor. “So extremely good.” Another added: “Used in Filet Mignon, Beef Wellington, other famous dishes…one of the leanest and tastiest cuts of meat.”
We found the USDA Choice Extreme Peeled Beef Tenderloin at Costco in Brooklyn, NY this week for $24.99 a pound.
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Celebrity chef David Chang recently made headlines for his negative comments about Costco’s famous roast chicken. He actually had a lot of good things to say about other Costco meats, especially brisket.
Chang seemed blown away by the price he paid – just $49. “If you bought it at Whole Foods, it would be $150,” the chef said on his weekly podcast. The USDA Choice flat-cut beef brisket went for $11.99 a pound at Costco in Brooklyn this week.
Speaking of Chang, the celebrity chef also made pointed comments about today’s chicken prices: “You know how I know there’s inflation? Chicken prices are double. A Whole chicken was $12.50.” That’s why the chef was delighted to find a package of two whole chickens at Costco for about $25, about the same price as a single chicken at other stores, he noted.
We found whole organic chickens at Costco in Brooklyn this week for $2.99 a pound. At nearby Whole Foods, organic birds are $4.99 a pound.
Customers were shocked last year by Costco’s dramatic price spike Kirkland Signature Sliced Bacon, which a Redditor spotted at $21.99 for a four-pound pack. Since then, the price has dropped considerably.
In January, we found it for $16.99 at Costco in Brooklyn. This week, the price had dropped further to $13.99. That’s just $3.49 a pound, or nearly half the current average retail price of $6.80, according to consumer price index data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. United.
Not all supermarkets carry thinly sliced New York steaks. A Redditor was surprised to find them at Costco recently, writing that he “makes an absolutely delicious cheesesteak.” The post generated over 100 comments, with several respondents noting that their local warehouse usually advertises these cuts as shabu-shabu—that is, beef commonly served in a traditional Japanese-style dish. Another added, “I’m buying this to make Korean bulgogi now – it’s much cheaper than Korean grocery stores.”
At Costco in Brooklyn this week, USDA Choice beef loin cuts, also labeled as shabu-shabucosts $11.99 per pound.
chris shott
Chris Shott is the Associate Grocery Editor for Eat This, Not That! Learn more about Chris
