Gary S.
Yelp
I have always been skeptical buying meat online, sight unseen, relying on images of perfectly procured meat. Against my good judgement, I bought meat from Porter Road. From other sources I have been told to try the Denver Steak, a tender delicious cut of meat, since Porter Road had this particular cut, I ordered 4 steaks as well as other cuts of meat.
They arrived nicely packaged and in a timely manner however once I opened the packing and saw the cuts of meat, I knew immediately they were not good - visible gristle, not very marbled and unevenly cut, different thicknesses, tapered, thick on one end, thin on the other, which makes any meat difficult to cook. I sous vide the steaks as suggested which is how I always prepare my steak, then seared the steak basting it in herbs and butter and let them rest for 10 minutes. I reluctantly served them to my guests - the unanimous consensus was, after everyone spit out the few bites they took, it was the WORST meat they have ever had! I can usually masticate anything, but this meat had a very weird texture, it was chewy and gristly, it would literally not break down thus spitting out partially chewed pieces of meat...the absolute worst meat I have ever eaten. The other cuts of meat I bought do not resemble their images and look as crappy as the Denver Steaks - I will not be wasting my time cooking their meat and will probably grind it down for my dog...very expensive dog food...
Anyone considering buying meat from these people should look for local butchers in your area, many local butchers and some grocery chains carry USDA prime, pasture raised, dry aged meat. You can see what you are buying before you purchase the meat and if there is an issue, they will take the meat back. Surprisingly, my local Safeway carries prime pasture raised beef, which is excellent, nothing like the junk these people sell you online. Ignore the fancy advertising and pretty pictures - their meat is crap!