Picked bone-in ribeyes over boneless for a catering order last weekend

I had a big order for 40 steaks for a wedding reception and I was stuck between going boneless for easier cooking or bone-in for better flavor. I went with bone-in because the couple wanted that old school look and taste. The extra prep time was a pain, about 20 minutes more on trimming each one, but the compliments at the end made it worth it. I sold them at $18 a pound versus $14 for boneless and the bride said they were the best steaks she ever had. Has anyone else dealt with a customer who changes their mind about bone-in versus boneless after you already started?

3 comments

3 Comments

miamitchell1mo ago

Bone-in is just a gimmick to charge more for less actual meat.

lunakim1mo ago

Oh wait, actually bone-in meat usually has more flavor because the bone adds moisture and taste while it cooks. It's not really about getting more meat, it's about the texture and juiciness being better.

miamitchell1d ago

Honestly, I used to defend bone-in chicken wings until I actually weighed them. I bought a 5-pound bag once, cooked them, and after picking the meat off the bones I had maybe 2.5 pounds of actual food. The rest was just bone weight I paid for. It felt like a real rip-off when I did the math at $3.99 a pound. I just stick with boneless thighs now and add my own seasoning if I want flavor.