I have eaten a lot of decent steak (in OC). I echo the comments of others here:
1. Not all steakhouses serve USDA prime steaks. I only order a steak if it’s USDA prime. Ruth’s Chris and Morton’s are chains that serve USDA prime. Other good steakhouses will too. Call ahead and ask if you’re not sure. Morton’s specializes in corn-fed beef. Ruth’s Chris differentiates by adding butter.
Sometimes steakhouses that make a name for themselves by serving high-quality USDA prime beef switch to lesser grades, and just quietly drop the USDA prime description of some items on the menu. It’s almost certainly not USDA prime if it doesn’t say that on the menu.
2. I can get steaks that are as good as the steakhouses, or better, by buying and cooking it myself. Again, look for USDA prime. It’s hard to get. Bristol Farms has it, and some smaller specialty grocery stores. There are big differences between the individual steaks, so look for the steak with the most marbling. A very marbled prime rib-eye from a store with a good selection competes very well with the average offerings from the top-end steakhouses.
Some people prefer dry-aged. It makes a nice change from regular, but it’s very hard to get specific cuts of dry-aged USDA prime grade beef, especially rib-eye (my favorite).
3. You have your favorite cuts, but rib-eye does seem to make the most of the prime grade difference.
4. When I cook prime rib-eye at home, I don’t bother with rubs or any preparation. The meat is very flavorful in its own right. I broil it, 4 minutes per side, and add salt and pepper later to taste. I don’t like the burned taste of grilling.
I broil on aluminum foil, so I have no clean-up. And I add some sweet onions I cook first in the microwave, wrapped in a moist paper towel (no clean-up again). The onions brown in the meat juice under the broiler.
Add a glass of wine, and you’re all set, with no clean-up, in less than 15 minutes. Cost is less than $35 for a meal that’s better than the best steakhouse, and is served quicker too. Gives gout within about 9-12 months if repeated almost daily. I know!
