Buying Steaks Online

These days you can get get practically anything online. I was quite shocked when I found out that you can buy sex dolls on Shoppee.

Pengsan I tell you. I wonder if that sort of thing can clear at Kastam DiRaja Malaysia or not hah..hah..hah...

Anyway, ever since the MCO, I am now very comfortable buying groceries online. Mostly I buy steaks. Recently I bought from two sources - My Meatbox and Feast Market.

My main concern (besides the pricing) is reliability and the integrity of the vendor. My first ever online steak purchase was during the MCO (where I spent a fortune hah..hah..) from The Honest Butcher. Those were premium steaks which I cannot afford to consume regularly. I was happy with the service and true enough Chef Nickt is an honest butcher.

Let's take a look at My Meatbox. I think this is something like Butcher Box in USA but less comprehensive. What I found is that the photos used to illustrate their products is misleading.

This is the photo on the website for the Australia Beef Steak Box (grass fed beef). 

What you actually get looks like this.

See what I mean? LOL! There are 4 pieces of ribeye and 4 pieces of sirloin and what I show above is only half of the content. The steaks are packed two pieces to a bag. As for the price, you pay RM148.00 for 8 pieces (ribeye 180-220g per slice, sirloin 150-200g per slice, so approximately 1.3kg - 1.7kg). Delivery is free if you purchase above RM230.00.

As for Feast Market, oh ya, the photos are also very enticing. The ribeye cost RM320.00 (6 pieces of 220-230g each) while the sirloin cost RM230.00 (6 pieces of 220-230g each). Delivery is free for orders above RM200.00.

That will make any steak lover drool, eh?

Reality.

They look much better than the ones from My Meatbox. Of course meat looks different fresh, in frozen state and defrosted.

So this is how the two sources compare visually.

Ribeye.

Sirloin.

The meat from My Meatbox looks very lean and clinical while the one from Feast Market looks more like what a raw steak should look like and it has more fat marbling.

This is how they look like defrosted. The ribeye from My Meatbox is sliced wider and thinner while the one from Feast Market is sliced thicker.

First up, seasoning.

I tried this Montreal Steak seasoning.

Quite good, I like it.

The ribeye from My Meatbox is a thinner slice, so I cooked it about one minute per side while the one from Feast Market was cooked 2 minutes per side.

To give credit where credit is due, in spite of its unattractive appearance raw, the ribeye from My Meatbox was tender and juicy. No complaints especially for the price paid.

This is the ribeye from Feast Market, it better be good since it is way more expensive that the one from My Meatbox. And of course it was. 

This is the sirloin from My Meatbox. 

Not good. Very tough and rubbery even though I did not overcook it.

But the one from Feast Market was good (sorry no photo).

What I can say is, the steaks from My Meatbox is the sort of steaks that you get at restaurants that do not specialize in steaks i.e. it is good if you are on a budget.

However if you are fussy wussy (like me) and are used to eating at steakhouses (which would mean you know not to order steaks at other restaurants and coffee houses), then Feast Market is for you. Yes, you need to spend a bit more for the good stuff.

In so far as delivery, both sources are reliable and punctual. I had my deliveries safely delivered on the day and time I selected. For me, I would stick to Feast Market as I prefer the quality of steaks that they supply.

Besides Feast Market's delivery is free for purchases above RM200.00 (my delivery from My Meatbox cost me RM15.00 since I purchased below RM230.00) and I get a coupon of RM5.00 for my next purchase (though it expires within 2 weeks which I feel is too short).