Paicines Ranch

I have been a customer for years. I have bought burger by the pound, and even a quarter cow a few years ago. The quality is always great. Sallie and her crew are quite dedicated, far beyond just trying to make money — they believe in grass-​fed, sustainably raised and local beef.

I’ve become a protein junkie and love grass-​fed beef. My favorites from Paicines Ranch are ground beef; chipotle-​cheddar sausage; and the filet migons. Unfortunately, it is a small operation and cuts do get sold out — Flea Street Café in Menlo Park recently bought all of their short ribs and filets so I was out of luck! Grass-​fed beef is leaner and cooks more quickly than other beef, so you do have to be careful. I always put just a touch of olive oil on my steaks before I cook them.

I really wanted to like this beef, but it was HORRIBLE. I ordered about a quarter from them and had it delivered and absolutely not one single piece was good. Incredibly tough and unbelievably flavorless. Worst meat I have ever eaten in my whole life. It’s not rotten or anything, just really bad texture and really bad flavor. Or rather, lack of flavor.
I’ve been working my way through the quarter over the past year and a half because I can’t stand to throw it away, but my family always complains when I serve it. Usually we end up giving it to the dog. You know it’s bad when you serve a Petite Tender *stewed* to try to soften it up and it’s still inedible.
Today I am cleaning out the freezer and I’m down to 3 – 4 Flatiron Steaks and a few Petite Tenders and I just can’t face it. I’m giving them away on Craigslist.
It has nothing to do with being grass-​fed, I have bought large quantities of grass-​fed beef from other ranches and been really pleased with the quality. I tried Paicines Ranch because they are really close to me and I figured they would be good. What a mistake. What an expensive mistake!

Paicines Ranch is a great source for local, grass-​fed beef with delivery to Saratoga/​South Bay area and possibly beyond if you’ve got enough volume. They vacuum pack their fresh meats in clear, manageable packages so it’s really easy to order a lot for the freezer and then thaw out what you need. We’ve ordered from them a couple of times already and have not been disappointed.
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