Lostine Cattle Co. Prime Cuts

All Lostine Cattle Co. orders will ship via Overnight on Wednesday, March 21.

2 x Porterhouse Steak
2 x T-Bone Steak
2 x Rib Steak

Each steak weighs about 16 oz.

These grass-fed steaks could turn a conscientious vegetarian into a compassionate carnivore. Lostine's cattle are raised humanely, rendering their meat more tender, flavorful and delicious.

Lostine Cattle Co. founder Chris Figgins and herd manager Getty Pollard are unusual cowboys. Pollard is a trained professional falconer, and as such he brings a unique perspective on animal husbandry. Figgins is a vintner by trade and a cowboy by accident, and he applies the same understanding of terroir and vintage to beef that he uses at Walla Walla's Leonetti Cellar, which he owns with his father.

A few years ago, these two cowboys set out to raise the best grass-fed beef in the country, and they're doing a heck of a job. The pair traveled across the States to hand-select a breeding herd of 120 Scottish Highland cattle. This heirloom breed is known for its insulating shaggy coat that encourages intercellular fat growth for more marbled meat.

The steers, living antibiotic- and hormone-free, graze 1,700 acres of nitrogen-rich grass in the beautiful Wallowa Valley of northern Oregon near the town of Lostine. Grass-finishing free-range beef, as opposed to grain-finishing in a feedlot, results in leaner meat that is more richly flavored. Lostine beef is dry-aged on the bone for 28 days at a family-owned butcher in Idaho, letting connective tissue break down for a more tender texture.

Together, Figgins and Pollard produce some of the best grass-fed steaks I've ever tasted, and they have created a new paradigm for steak in this country.

Tasting Notes
Though I've eaten many excellent steaks in my life, this porterhouse was the best one I've ever tasted. Though you might expect "leaner" to mean "tougher," I could literally pull this meat apart with my fork. It was about as tender as ahi tuna, but with a rich texture. It was the ultimate expression of steak.

Though the porterhouse utterly wowed me, picking a favorite cut among these gorgeous steaks is as difficult as choosing a favorite first-growth Bordeaux. Save the porterhouses and T-bones for an indulgent dinner; they're perfect for a romantic meal. The rib steaks are great for grilling and sharing among friends.

What You Should Know
Storage: Freeze immediately upon arrival.
Perishability: Use within six months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight or in lukewarm water at room temperature for several hours. Once thawed, cook within 24 hours.

—Katy Andersen

Katy Andersen studied cheese in Italy as a Fulbright Scholar before joining Lot18 as the Gourmet Food Specialist. Katy grew up on an organic farm, surrounded by a garden, an heirloom apple orchard and heritage livestock. While at Princeton University, she founded the Greening Princeton Farmers Market and the Princeton Slow Food chapter. Most recently, Katy was co-president of the Wine & Cuisine Society at the Harvard Business School. She was also a member of the winning finalist team of the Bordeaux blind-tasting competition at Lafite in 2011.