Brandt Beef “True Natural” prime, dry-aged bone-in ribeye with piles of blistered shishito peppers. I have been meaning to try Brandt Beef ever since Dean and Deluca started carrying it, but just haven’t gotten around to it until now. Brandt is a single-family producer of premium, completely natural beef out of California. A couple of years ago, Cooks Illustrated ran a taste test (here, if you subscribe) and pronounced Brandt as the best of the premium mail order steaks, even beating out Lobel’s.

I thought the ribeye was excellent—tender and flavorful, with particularly delicious fat. I wouldn’t put it on the same level as Bryan Flannery or Lobel’s, but it’s close. And that’s no small compliment.

The shishito come from Lani’s farm, and I usually eat them as an appetizer or snack. But, I recently discovered that the slight sweetness and touch of heat that they deliver make a great compliment to rich meat.