The love of ground beef burgers
We love ground beef. Nice juicy hamburgers, whether grilled outside or even pan-fried inside – are our No. 1 food choice week after week.
Everything from store-packaged 80% beef to fancy “grass-fed” organic versions are good to go for us. We’re happy no matter what. Our goal most of the time is to find the best value/enjoyment ratio. This often means we’ll pick a product that isn’t our absolute favorite – if the price is fantastic. Beef is beef and is always our primary fuel.
However, we do have some taste preferences as well.
For instance – when it comes to pre-made burger patties – the absolute top of the line is the “burger blends,” where they take chuck, short rib, Angus, and other cuts to make a delicious, marbled, ultra-flavorful burger.
Those are the kinds of burgers people like us who use no bun, toppings, or condiments (except cheese) when eating their meat. Your ability to tell the meats apart is best when you eat the meat alone.
(PS – if you’re the type that loves drowning your burger flavor out with 900 different “add-ons,” we strongly suggest getting the cheapest version of (fresh) meat – it’ll save you TONS of money yearly.)
Our current “top 2” kinds are the Pat LaFrieda blend, and the Schweid & Sons “C.A.B.” blend.
New burger options creep in at NJ supermarkets
Now that grilling season is in full swing, we noticed some new products at a local ShopRite Supermarket.
We’ll give our take on these new options:
Wahlburgers Craft Blend – Some celebrity burgers. The Wahlberg brothers (Marky Mark and Donnie). You might have heard of them. This is a restaurant chain with locations in 20 states! They have a “blend” now also. A bit pricey ($8.99). Standard 5.3-ounce size. They seemed small but weighed properly. That means they were a bit more “dense” than others. We found them to be a bit tougher. It’s possible we over-cooked slightly. However, the taste wasn’t as memorable as our other favorites. We’ll try again if we spot them on sale.
Schweid & Sons Katana Blend – Not sure how this differs from their other options, but they tout “marbling.” The burgers were fantastic, as all the Schweid & Sons burgers are. Some diners in our house don’t like how the burgers remain pink, even after cooking well. We beg to differ. Always great texture and taste. Again, a bit pricier than other Schweid options ($8.99 a pack).
Reddi Gourmet Chuck Burgers – These looked good, even though they were just ordinary chuck (not a blend). $7.49 per pound (smaller packs) – but you can just make your own chuck by hand for less than half the price. Plus, we have a sneaky suspicion that this brand may be one of those companies that get hung up in some kind of recall. I’ll try it one day if they go on sale.
Certified Angus Beef Brand Burgers – Did you know that “Certified Angus Beef” isn’t just a KIND of meat, it’s actually a brand? That’s a bit misleading. But these burgers looked good (we haven’t tried yet), and the price was market standard. We’ll also try these if they go on sale one day in the future.
Ground Beef in Bulk is also reliable
These ready-made burgers are a nice option if you like hassle-free and quick. But it’s always nice to get super values when buying in bulk.
We are happy with the Wegmans Family Pack (often just $1.99 per pound). This allows you to use the meat for other non-burger purposes.
ShopRite bulk meat is also tasty – but we try to buy only when discounted.
We’ve also had ALDI ground beef, despite our hesitancy in the beginning. They also offer ultra-fatty 73% lean for very cheap ($1.59 / lb.)
I’ve heard Costco is fantastic as well – but we have not pulled the trigger on the $100 annual membership yet. Not sure what’s preventing us. Maybe I’ll ask for a membership for my birthday this year.
Overall – this is a good time to be alive. All this luscious red meat in a world being stressed out by vegans and other activists.
Eat and enjoy!
