Buying Meat Online from Omaha Steaks

The whole idea of buying meat online struck me as strange. I could imagine dogs making off with packages on my porch or coming home from work to find a melting smelly mess in a box. No. I did not picture myself shopping online for meat.

I am a bargain shopper and love deals, so when Omaha Steaks offered a super duper special and capped that off with a money back guarantee, I made the plunge. I was still nervous about the whole idea, but the web site looked nice, and a deal is a deal. Not only would I get a deep discount, I’d get a knife set, cutting board, and cookbook.

My Omaha Steaks box came super fast. Actually, it wasn’t a box. It was a Styrofoam cooler packed with some sort of dry ice. It was sitting on my porch and looked quite fine. When I opened the cooler, everything was neatly packed and labeled in individual boxes and then vacuum sealed. Even though it was a warm day, the meat was rock solid.

We thawed a set of steaks for a cook out, and the meat was very tasty. They say they have the max when it comes to meat, and I would certainly rate it top notch. First off, they don’t include bones or fat. Since good cuts of meat are marbled with light fat, this is not a problem with grilling. The flavor on the meat is excellent. At the local grocery, it’s a bit hit or miss (though mostly good). With Omaha Steaks, all the meat has been very high quality and with a smooth flavor. It’s everything they say it is.

In addition to the steaks, we’ve also tried the burgers and the pork chops. I will always say that hand patted burgers are the best. See my recipe for perfect burgers, and you can decide for yourself. But, for pressed burgers, I’d rate Omaha the best I’ve grilled. As for the pork chops, they were just right for grilling. They measure, I’d guess, a little less than an inch thick. Thin chops dry out. Thick ones are hard to cook through. These are just right for the grill. The meat is very white and juicy.

When it comes to the online meat which we use on the grill, the only complaint has been the portion size. Do expect the “deck of card” sizes in general. This is quite reasonable especially when you factor in the fact that these are well trimmed pieces of meat—no waste at all. I do, however, feed guys, and they generally want two servings which means buying more meat than might be expected. I’m quite happy with the sizes, but my fellows do need more than single portions. They pout a bit when I cook only one serving per person. So, I cook one piece for myself and two for each of the boys.

I doubt I would have purchased side dishes online, but some of the deals include those (including my initial purchase). The sides have been quite tasty too, though I cook those inside in the oven. The potatoes au gratin are favorites. They weren’t what I expected. They look like large golf balls. They bake up kind of like potato pancakes (but rounder). My youngest son absolutely adores those, and they are really delicious. In fact, we sometimes order from Omaha Steaks just because the potato balls are on sale.  They honestly are THAT GOOD, and I have not been able to create a recipe that duplicates the au gratin potatoes at Omaha Steaks.  

I don’t buy all my meat online, but I’m certainly open to the concept now. All the food items placed on my porch have been delicious. The knife set is decent, and I like the small sized cutting board. Though I thought buying meat online might be one of those one time deals, I’m a repeat customer. I’m a savvy shopper, so I wouldn’t give it a go more than once if it wasn’t a good deal and good eating.

Some of my online friends tell me that Omaha Steaks can be bought at brick and mortar stores in some areas. Wish they were here where I live. I’d be buying lots more of the steaks and the potato balls if I didn’t have to factor in shipping prices. One friend also told me to be sure to tell everyone that Omaha Steaks honors the online coupons at the stores too. So, even if you can buy Omaha Steaks where you live, it’s worth your time to keep up with them online and watch for specials.