We hope you love the products we recommend! Just so you know, Trendy Mami may collect a share of sales or other compensations from the links on this page.
–
The best meat gift box is the perfect surprise for every foodie, consider getting them their favorite cuts of meat. Imagine how thrilled they’ll be when they return home from work to discover a box filled with foods they love, ready to pop on the grill or put in the oven!
But knowing your person would like a meat gift box is very different than knowing what to put in it. Whether you’re buying your own meat bundle or assembling your own, there are some tried-and-true ways to create a mouthwatering gift.
Here’s what we’ll go over in this article:
- Steak
- Chicken
- Ham
- Salmon
Creating the Best Meat Gift Box
How to Choose Your Meats
Before you put together your gift box, you need to know which meats you want to choose and how to select the best cuts. Below, we’ll get into the pros and cons of adding in different types of meat and let you know what takes this type of meat from good to great.
Omaha Steaks has many great meat gift box options. Each of their foods comes carefully curated, allowing your recipient to have a pleasant cooking and eating experience.
Steak
When you think of building a meat gift box, you probably envision adding in some form of steak. After all, steak is one of the most popular forms for meat, renowned for its great flavor and either lean or fatty textures.
In particular, steak is a great gift choice for food aficionados, especially if you gift them a more expensive cut. Steak also has several health benefits, including serving as an excellent source of iron.
Steaks vary widely in their flavors, though. Primarily, the difference comes down to level of fat in the steak, which is professionally referred to as “marbling.” Leaner cuts, such as tenderloins, tend to have a milder flavor. Meanwhile, those with more marbling, like ribeyes, often have a richer flavor.
So, when building your meat box, consider the types of food your friend or family member likes to eat. If their foods are usually richer and more buttery, opt for a steak with a lot of marbling. Those who prefer food with less fat might enjoy a leaner cut.
Chicken
Chicken is the most popular meat in the United States, with the population eating about 98.9 pounds per capita. So, if you’re wondering what to put in your meat gift box, chicken is a really good choice.
Like steak, the flavor of chicken varies depending on several factors. First, chickens contain both white and dark meat. White meat has roughly 10% red fibers, dark meat has 50%. Red fibers tend to have a lot of enzymes, which break down when cooked and contribute to juicier, more flavorful meat. By contrast, white meat tastes milder.
When considering which chicken parts to buy, consider whether your loved one prefers to eat white or dark meat. If they like white meat, you’ll want to get wings or chicken breast. Those who like dark meat may prefer a drumstick, legs, or thighs.
Ham
A good ham presents people with an excellent piece of meat that will delight your loved one and anyone else they share it with. In addition to being a gorgeous centerpiece entree, ham packs a lot of flavor.
However, unlike steak and chicken, many hams get their difference in taste from the way they’re prepared. Cured ham goes through either a wet or dry curing process that includes the use of salt, sugar, and other flavorful ingredients, including chemicals. During wet curing, water gets added to the seasoning mixture, and dry curing uses only the seasonings. Wet curing tastes more mild, with a well-distributed flavor. Dry cured hams have a more intense flavor.
Interestingly, uncured actually doesn’t mean the absence of a curing process. However, the curing process for uncured meat uses only natural ingredients.
So, to choose a good ham, consider the flavor profiles your loved one likes. If they prefer sweeter tastes, go for a honey-cured ham. Those who like a smokey taste can get a ham that’s been smoked.
Salmon
Salmon is one of the best meats for those who want to eat healthy! In fact, eating salmon on a regular basis lowers cholesterol and artery inflammation. It also reduces the chance of having a heart attack or stroke.
Plus, many people find salmon delightful to eat, and it can be prepared in many ways. From baking to frying or pan searing, you can put a lot of different spins on salmon and add flavors such as lemon, garlic, yogurt, and more.
To choose a good salmon, make sure you look for fresh meat that looks slightly wet. Brown spots on the meat indicates it might be an older fish, so look for a decently pink filet.
Finding the Right Sides and Desserts
No meal is complete without having sides and desserts! Fortunately, meat very easily pairs with a variety of other foods. You can find some excellent sides and desserts at Omaha Steaks or create your own.
