Better Beef. Better Steaks.
The secret to an exceptional beef dining experience? Abundant, high-quality marbling that creates stunning flavor and tenderness. And how do you get that kind of marbling?
Iowa Premium Black Angus
Our steaks come from Iowa Premium, a leading provider of high-quality Black Angus beef, ensuring that they meet the highest standards of quality and flavor. The company's state-of-the-art slaughter-to-fabrication facility is located in Tama, Iowa, and processes 1,200 cattle each day. Iowa Premium's diversified base of 830 employees includes experts in every aspect of beef production, from animal husbandry and nutrition to slaughter and fabrication. As a result of this commitment to excellence, the company's products are prized by chefs and steak lovers around the world.
A Better Way to Animal Care
It all starts on the farm. Farming is more than just a way to make a living—it’s a way of life. For generations, Iowa farm families have worked the land, raising crops and livestock. They know that their success depends on the health of the land and the animals. That’s why they take care to steward the land and cattle. They want to ensure that their land is productive for this generation and for generations to come. Good stewardship requires more than just hard work. It also requires knowledge and understanding.
Our family farms take excellent care of their cattle as a matter of pride. Some of the things our farmers do to make sure the cattle are cared for is to have clean, dry bedding. They monitor the animal's health by providing weekly veterinarian and nutritionist checkups. If it's hot, they provide access to shade and put sprinklers on the cows to keep them cool. During the winter they provide shelter with plenty of bedding to keep them warm and comfortable. Our farmers have beef quality assurance and transportation certifications. These things are as important to us as they are to our customer.
The Breed: Black Angus Cattle
The Angus breed of black cattle was developed in Scotland in the 1800s. The cattle were bred for their ability to produce high-quality beef that was both juicy and tender. Today, Angus cattle are considered to be some of the best beef cattle in the world. In fact, Angus beef is so highly regarded that it is used in many other high-end restaurants. If you're looking for a truly exceptional dining experience, make sure to try our prime and choice beef from Iowa Premium. You won't be disappointed!
The Food: Grass-Fed vs. Corn-Finished
Angus cattle are typically corn-fed, and the high-quality corn grown in Iowa is an important part of producing excellent beef. The corn provides the cattle with the nutrients they need for strong growth, and it also helps to keep the beef juicy and flavorful. In addition, the corn-fed diet provides the cattle with a healthy coat of fat that helps to protect them from the elements. As a result, Iowa angus beef is some of the finest in the world.
When it comes to beef, there are two main types: grain-fed and grass-fed. Corn-fed beef comes from cattle that are fed a diet of corn and other grains. This diet makes the beef higher in fat, as well as giving it a more intense flavor. Grass-fed beef, on the other hand, comes from cows that graze on pasture. This diet results in leaner beef that has a more mild flavor. So, when it comes to choosing between corn-fed and grass-fed beef, it really depends on your personal preferences.
If you're looking for beef with more intense flavor and higher fat content, then corn-fed is the better option.
Our preference is to serve our customers beef that excites the taste buds and creates a memorable experience. Grass-fed beef is a great option for day-to-day consumption. However, when you are celebrating a special occasion and taste is the highest priority, we believe that you will find the Iowa corn-fed beef served at Prime-88 is second to none.
A Better Way to Sustainability
Corn is widely recognized as a renewable crop, thanks to its relatively short growing season and ability to be grown in a variety of climates. In Iowa, corn farmers have found another use for this versatile crop: feeding cattle. The entire corn plant - including the cob, stalks, and leaves - can be used as livestock feed, providing a valuable source of nutrition for cattle.
In addition, corn stalks make excellent bedding material, helping to keep cattle comfortable and clean. Perhaps best of all, cow manure can be used to improve the quality of corn fields. The manure helps to increase organic matter levels and improve soil health, creating ideal conditions for growing even better corn, which in turn, creates better beef.
Slaughter Practices
At our vendor’s slaughterhouse, great care is taken to ensure that the process is humane and pain-free for the cattle. Iowa Premium only sources cattle from nearby farms, within a 200-mile radius, to ensure that they are not stressed in the shipping process.
Once they arrive at the slaughterhouse, they are killed instantaneously with zero suffering, vocalization, or pain. This entire process is designed to be as stress-free as possible for the cattle, in order to ensure their humane treatment.
Processing and Aging Process
Our beef processing partners are not focused on the quantity of beef that is processed through their facility, but on the quality of each and every product that ships to our restaurant and others throughout the country. This attention to detail starts with a highly skilled workforce of expert butchers. Their expertise ensures that each steak meets our high standards for quality. In addition, the small size of the plant allows for greater control over the process, ensuring that every steak is consistently delicious. As a result, our guests can enjoy a delicious, handcrafted steak knowing that it meets our rigorous standards for quality.
One of the most important decisions when it comes to steak is how you want it aged. At our restaurant, we wet-age our steaks. But what does that mean? And how does it compare to dry aging?
In short, wet-aged steak is more common and less expensive, while dry-aged steak is more rare and tends to have a stronger flavor.
The wet aging process involves keeping the steak in a controlled environment of high humidity and low temperature until it reaches the desired level of tenderness. This allows the meat to retain its natural juices, resulting in a steak that is more flavorful and succulent.
In contrast, dry aging is a process of allowing the steak to age in a dry environment. This causes the steak to lose moisture, which results in a more concentrated flavor. Additionally, the dry aging process causes the formation of a crust on the outside of the steak. While this crust helps seal in the flavor, a lot of the overall meat is lost when the crust is cut away and the steaks are processed. This makes dry-aged steaks more expensive.
While both wet and dry aging can produce delicious steaks, wet-aged steaks are generally considered to be of higher quality due to their superior flavor and tenderness.
Our Passion: Your Experience
At Prime-88, the fine-dining experience is paramount. We want our guests to feel special when they come to visit, and a big part of that experience is serving the finest-quality Angus beef possible at a reasonable price. We believe that an exceptional steak, paired with a craft cocktail or glass of fine wine produces a culinary experience that stands apart from an ordinary meal. We are extremely proud to prepare beef grown in our nation's heartland by hard-working American farmers. We think it's a better way to beef.