Beef Ribeye Steaks

Product: Beef Ribeye Steaks
Manufacturer: Kirkland Signatures
Price: ~$8.99/lb.

I love steak. I love grilling. At heart, I'm a charcoal guy, but for year-round grilling convenience, I use the Weber Q that my wife bought for me last Christmas. And as an annual tradition for my family, we had some nice Christmas steak for our holiday dinner.

If you've never bought steak meat at Costco before, I highly recommend it. It can be intimidating, I know. I mean, there's so...much...meat... But if you're cooking for a crowd, or want to freeze some for later, Costco is the way to go. What's so great about buying meat from Costco is not just the selection, or the amount of meat, but the quality as well.

Costco primarily serves up USDA Choice beef. Along the USDA rating scale, only "prime" rated beef is better. Sure, USDA Choice can be found in most supermarkets as well, but, trust me, there's a world of difference in taste and quality between Costco's and supermarket's USDA Choice offerings. First of all, Costco's meat looks fresh. The kind you find at supermarkets aren't as thick, and they have that unnatural "pink" color, most likely produced by pumping the meat with carbon monoxide. Again, trust me in that if you want good steak for grilling, go with Costco. The marbling and flavor are so much better...

So for my holiday steak dinner, I decided to purchase a four-steak pack. Learning from previous dinners, I knew not everyone can finish a whole steak so I opted to cut the steaks in half. My family would then be able to enjoy their dinner without meat overload...which I personally don't have a problem with. With the original size of the steaks as they are, no one would have complained with half cuts.

When I prepare my steaks, I like to use a dry rub. I don't bother with fancy marinades or beer soaks. Just some kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper, maybe some other seasonings, minced garlic, and olive oil. That's it. The trick to good steak is how you grill it anyways. I would have also included pictures of how they turned out (they turned out fabulous, by the way) but we ate them too fast. Heh.

Churros

Product: Churros
Manufacturer: Costco
Price: $1.00

Churros is another concession favorite. Crispy on the outside, soft and warm on the inside.

I first had a taste of churros in Disneyland of all places when I was a kid. And though I can't say it's been a regular staple of my life since then, whenever I have a churro, it's always a treat.

Churros are a latin snack, originating in Spain...and are quite popular here in Souther California thanks to our south of the border neighbors. You can kind of think of it as a latin donut...a long slender donut. The dough is twisted before it is sent into the fryer. And immediately afterwards, it is coated with a generous sprinkling of cinnamon and sugar. Best eaten warm, biting into a churro sends the spices everywhere, so be sure to have a napkin handy.

Costco's churro doesn't stand out on its own, but it gets the job done. Compared to the $1.50 polish dog, the $1.00 churro isn't that much of a deal. But then again, compared to the Costco dogs, what is? If you got a buck to spare though, it's a fantastic snack.