I was fortunate enough to get a big sample of Good Ranchers’ chicken and beef offerings to try out. While it’s always exciting to get packages – especially ones of the food variety – I really looked forward to trying out another meat delivery service. Especially one focused on sourcing American products. Keep reading to see what I received and how I made out!
Packaging
When I opened the two big boxes of chicken and beef I received from Good Ranchers I found… more boxes! Each type of meat was self-contained in its own box and each frozen individual portion in separate vacuum sealed plastic packs. My first thought after unboxing was that I hadn’t planned ahead properly to free up enough freezer space for all of the meat! I managed though. I received burger patties, sirloin steak, steak tips, filet, bone-in ribeye steaks, and five different kinds of flavored chicken breast. I very much enjoyed trying them all!
Chicken
Good Ranchers offers individually portioned chicken breasts in their packages. The breasts come plain and in a variety of pre-marinated flavors. I’m the first person to get suspicious of pre-marinated meat with something to hide, but after tasting the chicken my suspicions eased. I’m usually someone that prefers to do my own marination so I can get a sense of the quality and customize. Nonetheless, I found the marinades from Good Rachers actually quite excellent! They were packed full of flavor, but also didn’t overpower the taste of the chicken itself. My personal favorites were the lemon pepper, basil pesto, and the chipotle bourbon. I found the chicken breast very tender and forgiving when cooked. It tasted good warm as well as cold and made a great addition to pasta or salad!
Burgers
At first glance I noticed the description of the burger patties written as “Chopped Steak” meaning they were made from higher quality cuts of beef than perhaps the usual chuck. No knocks against chuck, which I love, but certain cuts can provide different flavors for burgers. In the case of these chopped steak burgers, I found the meat taste very mild and clean. I also mistakenly thought that the smaller circumference of the patty indicated a small burger. When I smashed it down in a skillet, however, it turned out the burgers were really big! Easily a 1/4 pound or more.
Steak
On to the main event, the steaks! The Good Ranchers Meat Delivery boxes are probably most famous for their beef. The cows are pasture raised so they eat grass, but are grain finished, so it sort of provides the best of both worlds when it comes to flavor. The beef retains the leaner zesty flavor of grass fed beef while adding a bit more marbling and sweetness from the grain feeding just before processing. I got to try some sirloin steaks, filets, steak tips, and even some bone-in ribeyes.
The first thing I noticed about the steaks were that they were smaller than I was used to finding. There’s a very practical reason for that though and it’s because the steaks are individually portioned around 4 – 6 oz., or the typically consumed amount per meal. I hadn’t really given it much thought before, but it turns out that on a daily basis, that kind of portioning is actually very helpful. One can double up if the appetite is raring or simply go one steak at a time for smaller appetites or those seeking a controlled diet. The most interesting part was that the steaks cooked up very quickly and that made getting the steaks from the heat to the plate so much easier.
In terms of flavor, I thought the sirloin had good beefy flavor, while the filet offered the perfect tenderness. The steak tips were variably cut, but also just little beef bombs full of beef flavor. I also found the steaks retained their tenderness even if I slightly overcooked them, so that was very helpful!
Last, but not least I got to try the Good Ranchers bone-in ribeyes. While large, they were also thinner than a steakhouse style ribeye one might buy at the grocery store. It turns out that the size was actually perfect for a regular dinner at home. They were large enough to feel like a hearty steak dinner, but not so large that the steak needed to hog all of the attention on the plate. It also resulted in less wasted steak. I decided to grill them simply with some salt and pepper to really let their own flavor shine.
I thought I’d over cooked the steaks at one point, but it turns out it wasn’t easy to mess them up! They came out just right and we enjoyed them along with other ingredients that augmented different notes of the beef flavor like mushrooms.
Overall Impression
Good Ranchers offers USDA Choice or better pasture raised, grain fed, and corn finished beef, plain or marinated chicken breasts, and ham for delivery. People can subscribe for better deals or purchase one time boxes.
The variety of chicken flavors can make it feel like you’re having many different meals and offer easy versatile options for meal augmentation. The burgers and steaks provide solid mains without the danger of thawing out too much meat and wasting more expensive cuts.
As far as strengths, Good Ranchers really shines when it comes to portioning, sourcing American meat, and helping eliminate food waste with a convenient at home delivery. When the product arrives, the only thing a customer needs to do is make sure there’s enough freezer space to accommodate anything that won’t get eaten in a few days. If any of that piques your interest, then Good Ranchers might be a good option for you!
This post is a sponsored and paid partnership with Good Ranchers. All opinions, however, are honest and come directly from Home Is A Kitchen after sampling and researching the products.
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Fully agree with this post! I was an Omaha Steaks customer before trying Good Ranchers, and there is absolutely no comparison; Good ranchers is higher quality, better tasting and less expensive. GREAT company!