Best beef for hot pot/shabu shabu at home

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ps99472

ps99472

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Just found the best cut of beef for home shabu shabu/hot pot.  It's at H-Mart in the frozen meat section right across from all the marinated bbq meats.  It's thin sliced ribeye about $10 a package, more then enough for two.  This beats any of the stuff that Ranch 99 sells.  Most of the cuts at Ranch are sliced too thick which makes it too chewy.  The perfectly sliced shabu shabu beef should just "crumble" in your mouth after blanching for a few seconds.  And it should be ribeye, which gives just the right amount of fat.  H-Mart also sells American Kobe, but too expensive for my taste for hot pot.  Gotta give it to the Koreans, they know their meats.
 
Check Zion market in Irvine.  Sometimes they have REALLY good sliced beef for shabu shabu with grerat marbling at cheap price.  But it's a hit or miss when you go.
 
Check out Han's Market in Heritage Plaza at corner of Culver and Walnut.  It is a hole in the wall market, but it's know for high quality meat.  The price will be higher than Zion or H-Mart, but quality will be better.
The store is next to the TaeKwonDo and old Ace Hardware.
 
Zion is definetly hit or miss..  alot of their frozen foods are freezer burned already....  fruits seem ok though, fruits at H-mart are better, cheaper on weekends too

Haven't been to Han's market, will check out..  passed by it a few times, never went in.. 
 
ps99472 said:
Zion is definetly hit or miss..  alot of their frozen foods are freezer burned already....  fruits seem ok though, fruits at H-mart are better, cheaper on weekends too

Haven't been to Han's market, will check out..  passed by it a few times, never went in..
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Also, if you like your pork belly thick like they serve you at Korean restaurants, Han's will cut it thick right in front of you.
 
At the rate of FCB saturation in Irvine... Ralphs and Alberstons will start selling shabu, bulgolgi and kalbi in their meat section.
 
irvinehomeowner said:
At the rate of FCB saturation in Irvine... Ralphs and Alberstons will start selling shabu, bulgolgi and kalbi in their meat section.
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Costco has kalbi already, but it sucks... 
 
ps99472 said:
irvinehomeowner said:
At the rate of FCB saturation in Irvine... Ralphs and Alberstons will start selling shabu, bulgolgi and kalbi in their meat section.
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Costco has kalbi already, but it sucks...
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Is that marinated kalbi or raw meat?  I don't remember seeing it at Costco.
Sams Club had the raw kalbi meat and that was actually good.
 
Costco has marinated kalbi, from the same company that makes the nasty sushi rolls, and Chinese baos, only decent Asian food at costco is the Korean frozen mini dumplings
 
Irvine2Irvine said:
Are those pre cooked kalbi?  That would not be good.
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raw but marinated in some salty crap they dare call korean kalbi on the box..  almost returned it to Costco, but thought returning cooked meat would be weird, they probably take it though..  saw someone return an old boxy tv the other day..  and a lady returned a half box of muffins.. 
 
Costco (and Price Club) has always been pretty good with returns.  IMO Irvine doesn't really have a good Asian supermarket, what we have is over-priced, mediocre, or both.  Compare Zion in Irvine vs. Zion in Hawaiian Gardens, or Ranch 99 in Cerritos/Artesia (on Pioneer Blvd) vs. Ranch 99 in Irvine.  Heck, Irvine's Ranch 99 doesn't even sell Wong Lo Kat.  >_>

 
The way I see it, Zion is not too bad.  H Mart is over priced and too small to be a good supermarket.  If I were to go out of Irvine for Korean supermarket, I go to AR Market in Garden Grove.  They are known for their marinated meat and pre made side dishes and the price is lower than any of the Irvine Korean markets.  Of course, I would eat out in Garden Grove also, since they restaurants are better and cheaper than ones in Irvine.
 
Just bought the same cut of beef for another hot pot night.  This time the beef was not as good.  A couple of factors..  it was sliced thicker then before and the beef was less fatty.  It was still better then Ranch 99 but not as good as the first time I got it.  So I guess it's hit or miss at H-Mart... too bad.  Definitely gonna try that Korean meat/deli place Han's next time..
 
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