Steak Lover, Top's, Are They Loosing It ?

[raybona]

Since I'm a steak lover eating a 300 gram tenderloin 4 times a week, I've checked the TOP'S website, and fell of my chair !

They give promotion prices for US beef ranging from 3500 - 3800 Baht per Kg. ?????

Is this a printing fault, or are they going bananas? This is more then 3 times the price than Norway, which is the most expensive country in Europe.

So if I want to keep my eating habits in Chiang Mai I have to spend between 16.000 - 18.000 Baht per month, Only for the steaks?

Are there other local butchers in CM which have good products for a reasonable price?

[tipsy]

Seems about right, Imported beef in a restaurant can cost anywhere from 700 to over 10,000 per meal.

I paid 900b for 400g of imported meat in Rimping a few days ago.

[Samuian]

.......edit.....

I paid 900b for 400g of imported meat in Rimping a few days ago.

Only that 900 Baht for 400 gr are 2250 per Kilo not something 3500++ up!

Thai-French at Tescos is eatable and there are some decent frozen Aussie and New Zealand cuts around... well and there is KOBE...

Next thing is that Tops - tops the price range of retailers as far as I know... at least here on Samui, same packed, Salami, Parma... from TGB at least 20 Baht more than Tescos or other outlets!

[raybona]

Seems about right, Imported beef in a restaurant can cost anywhere from 700 to over 10,000 per meal.

I paid 900b for 400g of imported meat in Rimping a few days ago.

Hi Tipsy,

OK, nothing I can do about that, but don't they have cows in Thailand? There must be local beef available or not?

Here we pay for tenderloin(you have to buy the whole thing, which is about 2,5 -3 Kg) 180 rupees = 150 Baht / Kg.

[tipsy]

.......edit.....

I paid 900b for 400g of imported meat in Rimping a few days ago.

Only that 900 Baht for 400 gr are 2250 per Kilo not something 3500++ up!

It was an example that meat can be expensive, I'm quite aware that the kilo was 2250. I agree with you that tops is a bit more expensive than the likes of Tesco/Big C etc but I still choose to shop in Tops/Rimping as they hold quite a lot of imported goodies I cant find elsewhere (I know carrefour do too, just too far away from me).

Raybona,

Yes local meat is available and of course will a lot cheaper, from memory I believe it to be around 120b per K.

Fiscalist,

Dukes seem to be in the range of 500-800 per meal (just by checking on mealsonwheels website), Maybe raybona should check this site out to get an idea of what the restaurants charge.

Cheers

[Sledge71]

Since I'm a steak lover eating a 300 gram tenderloin 4 times a week, I've checked the TOP'S website, and fell of my chair !

They give promotion prices for US beef ranging from 3500 - 3800 Baht per Kg. ?????

Is this a printing fault, or are they going bananas? This is more then 3 times the price than Norway, which is the most expensive country in Europe.

So if I want to keep my eating habits in Chiang Mai I have to spend between 16.000 - 18.000 Baht per month, Only for the steaks?

Are there other local butchers in CM which have good products for a reasonable price?

Maybe I'm loosing it but I'm sure good cuts like imported tenderloin / filet mignon are no more than 1000 Baht a kilo.. With local cuts a fraction of the price.

[tipsy]

Since I'm a steak lover eating a 300 gram tenderloin 4 times a week, I've checked the TOP'S website, and fell of my chair !

They give promotion prices for US beef ranging from 3500 - 3800 Baht per Kg. ?????

Is this a printing fault, or are they going bananas? This is more then 3 times the price than Norway, which is the most expensive country in Europe.

So if I want to keep my eating habits in Chiang Mai I have to spend between 16.000 - 18.000 Baht per month, Only for the steaks?

Are there other local butchers in CM which have good products for a reasonable price?

Maybe I'm loosing it but I'm sure good cuts like imported tenderloin / filet mignon are no more than 1000 Baht a kilo.. With local cuts a fraction of the price.

The price depends on where the meat comes from and what type of meat

[tipsy]

Since I'm a steak lover eating a 300 gram tenderloin 4 times a week, I've checked the TOP'S website, and fell of my chair !

They give promotion prices for US beef ranging from 3500 - 3800 Baht per Kg. ?????

Is this a printing fault, or are they going bananas? This is more then 3 times the price than Norway, which is the most expensive country in Europe.

So if I want to keep my eating habits in Chiang Mai I have to spend between 16.000 - 18.000 Baht per month, Only for the steaks?

Are there other local butchers in CM which have good products for a reasonable price?

Maybe I'm loosing it but I'm sure good cuts like imported tenderloin / filet mignon are no more than 1000 Baht a kilo.. With local cuts a fraction of the price.

The price depends on where the meat comes from and what type of meat

Correct. And if, what happened to me, you cannot trust the supplier you have a problem.

I'm happy to hear you are looking at other options

And I guess to answer the OP's question easily. Its like buying anything, If you want the best you pay more. The price of beef can range from 100b a kilo to thousands a kilo depending on what you want.

[samran]

dunno if you guys have a Foodland up your way, but the Thai-French beef cuts are always excellent, and cheap!

[Sledge71]

Since I'm a steak lover eating a 300 gram tenderloin 4 times a week, I've checked the TOP'S website, and fell of my chair !

They give promotion prices for US beef ranging from 3500 - 3800 Baht per Kg. ?????

Is this a printing fault, or are they going bananas? This is more then 3 times the price than Norway, which is the most expensive country in Europe.

So if I want to keep my eating habits in Chiang Mai I have to spend between 16.000 - 18.000 Baht per month, Only for the steaks?

Are there other local butchers in CM which have good products for a reasonable price?

Maybe I'm loosing it but I'm sure good cuts like imported tenderloin / filet mignon are no more than 1000 Baht a kilo.. With local cuts a fraction of the price.

The price depends on where the meat comes from and what type of meat

mmmm, wise words Bit like most things then

[FolkGuitar]

but don't they have cows in Thailand? There must be local beef available or not?

Yes, there are plenty of cows in Thailand, but the local meat is sooooo tough that even ground hamburger meat is often hard to chew. I guess it must be due to the local species but even cows that regularly feed on good green pasturage with supplemental feeding of quality hay still show every single rib when you look at them, (almost no fat on them at all,) and very few Thai cows get this quality food. All too many can be seen feeding on the exhaust-covered weeds on the sides of roads.

[Flatouthruthefog]

dunno if you guys have a Foodland up your way, but the Thai-French beef cuts are always excellent, and cheap!

Yes, our Rimping Supermarket chain has Thai-French and, pre-inflation, I was a regular and happy customer. Where does the nominal 'French' influence come from, by the way (and please don't say France)?

Now I buy steaks in packs of 4 from our new Makro on Hang Dong Rd at just over half the Thai-French price per steak. While not as tough as some, untreated, my wife marinates them for (only) 10 to 15 minutes in pineapple juice. The tenderising effect is amazing and flavour of the fruit does NOT transfer to the meat.

Can anyone else describe favourite methods of tenderising?

With sincere respect to FolkGuitar, I was always told that the toughness problem with Thai meat comes from the fact that it is never 'hung', ie it is sold as 'fresh' as possible. This undoubtedly stems from Thailand's late introduction to refrigeration and the great reluctance of so many restaurants to use freezers.

Any more advice, please, for a carnivore on a budget?

[K2K]

Try Makro - TOPS recently have gone mad with some of their prices, if people stop buying they will get the message, 3K/kilo is an outrageous rip-off.

[Ulysses G.]

dunno if you guys have a Foodland up your way, but the Thai-French beef cuts are always excellent, and cheap!

While not as tough as some, untreated, my wife marinates them for (only) 10 to 15 minutes in pineapple juice. The tenderising effect is amazing and flavour of the fruit does NOT transfer to the meat.

Can anyone else describe favourite methods of tenderising?

I've never done it but the enzyme Papain in pappaya is supposed to be an excellent tendorizer. I believe that it is much stronger if you use green pappaya juice.

[Greenside]

I've been buying fillet of beef (tenderloin, I think that is) from Muang Mai market by the US consulate. They only sell the whole piece which usually costs me 350 - 400 baht and freezes well so does more that one meal - weight runs about 2 kg (ish). I've done this three times and had varying results - the first lot was excellent, the second a little on the tough side and the latest was OK but since it was destined for a (posh) stew and cooked for several hours it probably wouldn't have mattered anyway if it started out on the tough side.

Off out now to buy for dinner party tonight and will try the pinapple juice strategy...

PS It does take some nerve to buy meat from a cold box in a dusty market but if you knew the conditions that the stuff you see in the supermarket was packed in you might think twice about that too

[FarangCravings]

I've been buying fillet of beef (tenderloin, I think that is) from Muang Mai market by the US consulate. They only sell the whole piece which usually costs me 350 - 400 baht and freezes well so does more that one meal - weight runs about 2 kg (ish). I've done this three times and had varying results - the first lot was excellent, the second a little on the tough side and the latest was OK but since it was destined for a (posh) stew and cooked for several hours it probably wouldn't have mattered anyway if it started out on the tough side.

Off out now to buy for dinner party tonight and will try the pinapple juice strategy...

PS It does take some nerve to buy meat from a cold box in a dusty market but if you knew the conditions that the stuff you see in the supermarket was packed in you might think twice about that too

I beleive it was Papaya juice

[Jefferson]

Jetting food products around the world is pretty mad.

Wanting such an item is pretty much like napalm-bombing a patch of rainforest in terms of damage. Think again.

[dotcom]

Maybe I'm loosing it but I'm sure good cuts like imported tenderloin / filet mignon are no more than 1000 Baht a kilo.. With local cuts a fraction of the price.

I usually get mine at Tops. They handle food a lot better than Tesco.

They sell Thai French - They sell Australian - fresh flown in - at twice the price.

I'll check the price & report back here. For roast beef I buy a chunk of rib eye, marinate it in liquid smoke & durkee's steak spice in a plastic bag overnight & then bake. Yum.

Tenderloin use for Teppanyaki - Local works fine for me.

[FolkGuitar]

my wife marinates them for (only) 10 to 15 minutes in pineapple juice. The tenderising effect is amazing and flavour of the fruit does NOT transfer to the meat.

Pineapple juice or papaya juice... both are VERY effective tenderizers.

Can anyone else describe favourite methods of tenderising?

Papin and bromilin are the chemicals at work here. You can get these at a chemical supply shop just south of the intersection of Suthep Rd and Neimanhaman for about 1/20 the price of the fruite juice, store them in a glass jar and alway have on hand. A spoon full in some water it all it takes.

With sincere respect to FolkGuitar,

Please genuflect when you say this.

I was always told that the toughness problem with Thai meat comes from the fact that it is never 'hung', ie it is sold as 'fresh' as possible.

Could well be.... I remember as a kid (maybe I was 10 or 11 at the time) going with my parents to some famous steak house in New York City which was owned by a friend of my father. We were given a tour of the kitchens and when we entered the 'cold room' where sides of beef where hanging, I remember almost getting sick as most were covered with a thin layer of mold! They had been hanging so long they actually grew moldy but we were assured by the owner that the outer layers were removed before the sides were butchered further for cooking. I almost ordered chicken....

But a little fat never hurt a piece of steak.

Any more advice, please, for a carnivore on a budget?

Rattus Norvegicus? BBQ'd on a stick with a touch of HP sauce?

[Tywais]

The last I looked at Rimping was a few weeks ago and the NZ and AUS beef were both 750/kG. I have been buying the KU for 550/kG and find it is quite good and minimal tenderizing needed. I believe that (KU) is a Royal project at a university, can't remember what the K stands for though.

[tigerbeer]

i do remember seeing some special cuts at the Butcher Shop at Chareon Prathet. Someone might want to try there?? I do buy mutton from there but not beef.

[weary]

Provided the rumour is true, does anyone know WHY they don't hang the meat? Surely somebody must have picked up on the fact that this is standard procedure in beef-munching countries?

[Rasseru]

Provided the rumour is true, does anyone know WHY they don't hang the meat?

I do not, but note that, intriguing as is the listing as a topic related to this one of 'Crazed Malaysian Cop Slits Thai Lover's Throat' on the general forum (which I have not viewed and do not plan to), one hopes that one would not find there the answer to your question.

Edited July 5, 2008 by Rasseru

[Bill97]

Provided the rumour is true, does anyone know WHY they don't hang the meat? Surely somebody must have picked up on the fact that this is standard procedure in beef-munching countries?

If you hang it you can not sell it today and get your money fast.

If you hang it, you must spend a lot of money on the facility to hang it in.

Why hang it if you can sell it without hanging it?

In the past, Thailand was not a beef munching country. They just ate a few old or unwanted buffalo that were not needed for plowing.

Today some people are willing to pay more for better beef and some organizations in Thailand are starting to produce it and hang it.

[Ulysses G.]

Provided the rumour is true, does anyone know WHY they don't hang the meat? Surely somebody must have picked up on the fact that this is standard procedure in beef-munching countries?

If you hang it you can not sell it today and get your money fast.

If you hang it, you must spend a lot of money on the facility to hang it in.

Why hang it if you can sell it without hanging it?

Sounds like the kind of thing that Dave of the Duke's will get around to eventually. I remember when he started making Chiang Mai's first commercially available sour cream and pastrami many years ago!

[Samuian]

.... has Thai-French and, pre-inflation,............ Where does the nominal 'French' influence come from, by the way (and please don't say France)?.............

What could it be...?

Charolaise Cattle?

....this one looks damned good to me..

Thai-French Coop?

A Result of a combination of both?

[Greenside]

I've been buying fillet of beef (tenderloin, I think that is) from Muang Mai market by the US consulate. They only sell the whole piece which usually costs me 350 - 400 baht and freezes well so does more that one meal - weight runs about 2 kg (ish). I've done this three times and had varying results - the first lot was excellent, the second a little on the tough side and the latest was OK but since it was destined for a (posh) stew and cooked for several hours it probably wouldn't have mattered anyway if it started out on the tough side.

Off out now to buy for dinner party tonight and will try the pinapple juice strategy...

PS It does take some nerve to buy meat from a cold box in a dusty market but if you knew the conditions that the stuff you see in the supermarket was packed in you might think twice about that too

Well, this batch turned out to be disappointing for the meal I was trying despite a two hour parafin (er... pinapple juice) maranade so the rest goes into a stew and I'll have to try Rimping next time round.

[Samuian]

for a good steak you look out for any of these cut's:

Ribeye, Strip Loin, Top Sirloin Butt, Bottom Sirloin Butt, Tenderloin, Bottom Sirloin Butt, Tri-Tip Steak,

Alternative: Skirt Steak, Beef Round, Knuckle, Top Sirloin, Cap Steak, Boneless (Coulotte Steak).

Aussie frozen imported:

Rib Eye, Sirloin and T-Bone (Well hung, very dark)

and for those who are looking for a tenderizing method: try marinate in papaya cubes...

Edited July 5, 2008 by Samuian

[dingdongrb]

but don't they have cows in Thailand? There must be local beef available or not?

Yes, there are plenty of cows in Thailand, but the local meat is sooooo tough that even ground hamburger meat is often hard to chew. I guess it must be due to the local species but even cows that regularly feed on good green pasturage with supplemental feeding of quality hay still show every single rib when you look at them, (almost no fat on them at all,) and very few Thai cows get this quality food. All too many can be seen feeding on the exhaust-covered weeds on the sides of roads.

Could be that the Thai cattle are not being shot up with hormones as the cattle in the western countries tend to be. Also I am wondering if it has anything to do with the weather all year round being so hot and humid as if they are always in a sauna.

[Ulysses G.]

People in the West used to love a good steak back in the 1800s and there were no "hormones" to blame. If they had Thai beef they would have all turned into vegetarians!