Source of Cattlemen's Meat

[Bigrayok]

People assume Cattlemen's serves the freshest meat because it is located by the Stockyards. I know at one time the Wade family that used to own Cattlemen's had a ranch where the meat came from. Where does Cattlement's get its meat today? Do they really get it fresh from the stockyards, or do they buy from a meat wholesaler?

Bigray in Ok

[rcjunkie]

People assume Cattlemen's serves the freshest meat because it is located by the Stockyards. I know at one time the Wade family that used to own Cattlemen's had a ranch where the meat came from. Where does Cattlement's get its meat today? Do they really get it fresh from the stockyards, or do they buy from a meat wholesaler?

Bigray in Ok

The OKC Stockyards does not have a slaughter house, cattle auctions/sales only and they haven't for 20 plus years.

[metro]

Even if it is "fresh", which it isn't as rcjunkie pointed out, they don't offer prime or dry aged cuts, a BIG difference.

[Martin]

actually, cattlemen's does offer prime cuts. -M

[Bigrayok]

Cattlemen's usually has one prime cut, usually a Ribeye. It is more expensive than the other cuts including the Ribeye that is on the regular menu. I read an article a couple of years ago that said steak houses that claim to serve only USDA prime meat are not always telling the truth because only about two percent of all beef is prime. I know very little about the beef industry so I know do not know if this is true or not. One reason I asked the question about Cattlemen's and the answer is what I expected, is because on Man Versus Food Adam made a comment about Cattlemen's having fresh beef because it was right next to the stockyards. I have read reviews over the years in different publications that insinuate this also. I figured Cattlemen's gets its beef from the same source some other places get theirs or at least it does not come straight from the stockyards.

I like Cattlemen's and eat there at least once a month. I realize it is not as good as it is made out to be and is probably not even the best steakhouse in Oklahoma City, but it is not the most expensive either. I like it for some of the reasons others do not like it. I like iceburg lettuce salads and the house dressing, the rolls, and the crunchy bread as well as the steaks. I like the atmosphere of the cafe part and the south dining room. Some see it as old, I see it as established and consistant and different than what I would find in other parts of the country. I ate at two places recently that get a lot of positive comments on this board. Both places are new, hip, trendy places, with nice decor and a lot of fashionable well dressed people as customers. After eating at one of the places, I got sick and at the other I paid a huge price for literally one of the worst meals of my life. Believe it or not, I will give places another chance. Everyone has their own tastes. I like Cattlemen's, some do not.

Bigray in Ok

[OKCTalker]

I'd love to eat there but the line is always out the door, and they don't take reservations. We arrived Saturday night at 5:00 p.m. and were told the wait was 90 minutes.

[RealJimbo]

For me, it is always worth the wait. I've waited upstairs for an hour and a half just to be seated and waited another hour for food to be served. I agree with BigRayok that it may not be hip, edgy or trendy but it is consistent and the "old" look represents staying power in a business that sees thousands of failures a year. I agree with the commercial that Clem McSpadden recorded years ago. Always just right. They do know how to cook to order, I love their steaks, lamb fries and house salad dressing and won't stop going there until I am room temperature.

[OKCMallen]

I usually have an above-average food experience there, but last night I did not. Overcooked pepper steak, they were "out" of baked potatoes, etc. We spent about $23/person, and for that amount, I would have liked a little more quality experience.

[soonerguru]

Doesn't Cattlemen's just get their meat from one of the big food suppliers like everyone else?

[BoulderSooner]

just a fyi .. but "fresh" beef .. is not a good thing ...

[Joe Kimball]

..."fresh" beef .. is not a good thing ...

I absolutely agree. I'm in the middle of things at the moment and cannot verify the length of time for which, but Cattlemen's does age their beef.

[MikeOKC]

It's hard to beat the prices on their lunch specials.

[Edmond Earl]

It never crossed my mind that Cattlemen's was a great steak place. More of a place to get some Ok home cooking. Not one of the top 25 steakhouses for sure.

[Joe Kimball]

It never crossed my mind that Cattlemen's was a great steak place. More of a place to get some Ok home cooking. Not one of the top 25 steakhouses for sure.

That's not that bad, especially since Urbanspoon, while I don't suggest that they're the final word, lists 94 in the OKC metro. It's worth noting that a certain restaurant occupies the number one spot for popularity (not "greatest", I'll grant you) under "steakhouses" at the same site.

[USAF]

I absolutely agree. I'm in the middle of things at the moment and cannot verify the length of time for which, but Cattlemen's does age their beef.

There's a huge difference between dry aging (best) and wet aging (better than fresh). Cattlemen's wet ages. Just about all elite steakhouses dry age. For the record, the chain Ruth Chris is often criticized for using wet vs dry aging.
The less than 2% of all beef being prime is true, but restaurants buy 99% of that 2%. All prime means is the fat content is higher.

[phinzup]

Prime does have a higher fat content....but because of that higher fat content, the meat is juicier and more tender than the lower grades.

Wet aging does help. The meat is usually held at least 4 weeks, and sometimes longer before being cut into steaks. Whenever I buy a whole strip or ribeye I will wet age it for at least 30 days before cutting it. I have noticed the Homeland on May and Britton has a case that they are aging beef in now, for retail sales. Haven't talked to anyone that has tried it though.

[Joe Kimball]

There's a huge difference between dry aging (best) and wet aging (better than fresh). Cattlemen's wet ages. Just about all elite steakhouses dry age. For the record, the chain Ruth Chris is often criticized for using wet vs dry aging.
The less than 2% of all beef being prime is true, but restaurants buy 99% of that 2%. All prime means is the fat content is higher.

The explanation of the technicalities is interesting and a good addition to this thread, but I don't think anyone is accusing Cattlemen's of being an elite steakhouse.

[tuck]

There's a huge difference between dry aging (best) and wet aging (better than fresh). Cattlemen's wet ages. Just about all elite steakhouses dry age. For the record, the chain Ruth Chris is often criticized for using wet vs dry aging.
The less than 2% of all beef being prime is true, but restaurants buy 99% of that 2%. All prime means is the fat content is higher.

Dry aging is almost never done in house by a restaurant; actually only a handful of stores in the country come to mind. We (Red PrimeSteak) are actually the only steakhouse in the city that serve dry aged steaks on a regular basis. Most beef packers (IBP,Cargill, etc..) ship loins to local distributors with 7-14 days wet age on them. The distributor will then store them for another 14 days to reach the 28-35 day wet age that adds proven benefit to the product. Most consumers prefer wet age and really have never tasted dry age.

[Rewardsnetwork]

Tuck,

Good to know. I had a chance to try dry aged a few years ago at Gallagher's Steakhouse in the NY NY casino in Vegas. When my boss comes into town with the company card, we're going to Red Prime.

[Easy180]

Tuck,

Good to know. I had a chance to try dry aged a few years ago at Gallagher's Steakhouse in the NY NY casino in Vegas. When my boss comes into town with the company card, we're going to Red Prime.

If you do get the chimichurri sauce with the steak...Freakin yummy