We Tried Rastelli's Meat Delivery Service and the Steaks Were Truly Impressive
The chicken and fish also did not disappoint.
Cooked porterhouse steak with corn salad
By Amanda Neal for Food Network Kitchen
The influx of grocery delivery services has brought ease and convenience to families across the country. Even more exciting is that smaller brands and specialty food stores are hopping on the trend, offering everything from fine wine and bakery-style bread, delivered right to your doorstep. So, when we learned that Rastelli’s, a family-owned business and butcher from New Jersey, was offering their responsibly raised, antibiotic- and hormone-free beef, poultry and seafood for home delivery, we had to give it a try. For this review, we specifically focused on steaks and beef products, but did also test out chicken breast and salmon filets; here’s what we purchased and our thoughts on the experience, from ordering to dining.
How the meat looked when it arrived
How It Works
Like many other food delivery services, Rastelli’s offers a user-friendly website with a wide selection of proteins (both a la carte and as bundles). They also sell rubs, butters, appetizers and sides to round out your whole meal. Each steak, fish and pork product is vacuum sealed individually for added freshness then flash frozen for safe transportation to your home. According to Rastelli’s website, the frozen products can, “stay in your freezer for up to a year without deteriorating in quality.” If you’re curious about how to properly thaw your new meat products, Rastelli’s website offers detailed instructions on how to thaw each product safely and effectively before cooking, which checks out according to our expert's advice.
When it comes to shipping, the meat is wrapped in insulated material then packed with dry ice. The box and package insulation are recyclable, and the Rastelli’s branded bag is reusable. The company offers free shipping for orders totaling more than $200 (and $10 shipping for orders between $100 to $199, and $25 shipping on any orders less than $99). You can even select between first-available shipping or choose a delivery date for future delivery. It truly couldn’t be easier to have quality meats delivered directly to your door.
What Products We Tested
Like many of the other steaks from Rastelli’s, the grass-fed ribeye is made from 100% grass-fed black angus cattle. This specific cut is a little leaner than other steaks available but is promised by the brand to have ample marbling and a meaty flavor — and it certainly did not disappoint! The ribeye cooked up nicely when seared in a skillet with a little butter and olive oil. It was surprisingly tender and incredibly juicy. Each ribeye comes pre-portioned into 10-ounces steaks – a generous single portion. We would highly recommend this steak for every type of cook and meat lover because of its tenderness and ease of preparation.
Rastelli’s describes the Grass-Fed NY Strip as the, “ultimate steak for grilling” because it cooks hot and quick. This cut is lean with only a little marbling, giving it a bold, meaty flavor and satisfying chew. Just like the ribeye, the NY Strips come pre portioned in 10-ounce steaks. While this cut wasn’t one of our favorites out of the bunch we tested, simply for personal preference, it was still incredibly delicious and stayed true to their high quality and overall taste.
What a showstopper this steak is! Cut from the wider back end of the short loin, the T-shaped bone separates a large piece of tenderloin and sizable strip steak. We quickly seared the porterhouse in a skillet then transferred it to the oven to finish cooking. It was meaty and beautifully tender. This cut is great for feeding multiple people and is quite impressive to serve at a dinner party or as a fancy weeknight meal. The porterhouse comes in a 20-ounce portion. Swoon.
If you’re looking for an impressive (but slightly more expensive) steak for a special meal, we highly recommend the Grass-Fed Black Angus Filet Mignon. This cut is known to be exceptionally tender, and Rastelli’s offering lived up to the hype. The filet mignon is cut from the short end of the tenderloin, which is hearty yet melt-in-your-mouth tender. You should note, this cut is also very lean, so it should be prepared with much care and attention to prevent the steak from overcooking. We recommend investing in a nice meat thermometer to check the doneness of your steak and cook each one to perfection.
We also tried the Steak Craft Burgers, which are also made from 100% pure, antibiotic-free black angus beef and cook up just like your favorite steakhouse burger. The beef is coarsely ground and formed into perfectly shaped, 6-ounce patties. We love that you can cook these burgers thawed or from frozen, making preparation even easier.
Finally, we tried one of the most popular bundles – Our Best Sellers Bundle. This package includes the same steak craft burgers and grass-fed filet mignon as above, but it also includes four Faroe Island Salmon Filets (6 ounces each) and six Organic Chicken Breasts (12 ounces each).The chicken breasts were surprisingly large, and they cooked up juicy and tender. We opted to air fry the salmon filet, and it was beautifully moist and flakey. If you’re looking to try a good selection of meat products in one easy swoop, definitely order the Best Sellers Bundle to get you started.
Final Thoughts
Whether you have a busy schedule and can’t find time to run to the store, or you’re simply looking for high-quality meat, we would highly recommend ordering from Rastelli’s. We found the Rastelli’s experience to be equally impressive when it came to quality of food and pure convenience of service.
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