Father's Day is a special occasion and a perfect time for the perfect meal. Many fathers out there enjoy a good steak!
"I mean when I bite into a steak, I really want it to be really good," said Ben Bell, a Local 4 editor.
As Father's Day approaches, the Ruth to the Rescue consumer unit wondered whether you need to spend top dollar to get a steak with the best taste and tenderness. For example, at Costco, the "Prime" cut of rib-eye costs just under $17 a pound, while the "Choice" cut is about 65 percent less, just under $11.
"I think they'll taste around the same," said Bell. The consumer unit was determined to find out.
Setting up the steak test
Our unscientific test to find out was simple. We bought the two different cuts of meat and invited dads to our Local 4 patio for a cookout. The steaks were cooked at the same time, as evenly as possible, without seasoning. Our dads carefully served themselves the two types of steak, not knowing which was which. For our purposes, we called them "A" and "B."
"It was good. It's flavorful you know," said Eugene Smith of Detroit as he started his taste test.
As the men were eating, they shared their opinions and preferences.
"B was a little better, a little more tender, tasted a little better but I wouldn't say there's a huge difference between the two," said Ian Rhodes, Operations Manager at Local 4.
"A reminded me of the steak I eat at home, and B reminded me of the steak I would eat at a restaurant," said Eric Bergmann of Troy.
And, Ben Bell, who thought there wouldn't be a difference between the two cut, did notice a difference. "A was good, but when I bit into B, I moaned a little because it was just a bit better than A," she said.
The steaks know as B were clearly winning the race, but the A plate also had it's fans.
"I like A better. I thought it was juicier. I thought it was more tender," said Jim McCardell, a photographer at Local 4.
"A tasted much more tender and it seemed like it had more gristle in the meat. So, it made it tender, easier to cut, easier to chew," said George Jonascu, IT Manager at Local 4.
In the end, five of seven dads preferred steak B over A. And, drum roll please ... B was actually the "Choice" cut of meat, the less expensive choice. The dads enjoyed both options, but the "Choice" was the clear-cut favorite in this unscientific test.
One Local 4 Father, Jay Kuhlman, who is the producer of "Live in the D," summed up the experience like this: "I'm happy because now I can go to the store and buy the lower cut and not feel like I'm missing out on anything."