LTH Home

Zier's Prime Meats - Wilmette - Dry-aged 21 days in-house

Zier's Prime Meats - Wilmette - Dry-aged 21 days in-house
  • Forum HomePost Reply BackTop
    Page 3 of 3 
  • Post #61 - June 27th, 2010, 12:27 pm
    Post #61 - June 27th, 2010, 12:27 pm Post #61 - June 27th, 2010, 12:27 pm
    Some nice recent 'press' for my friends at Zier's . . .

    Irv Leavitt from the Pioneer Press visits Zier's...this piece is part of a series, The Unemployee, in which Leavitt visits various local businesses and spends the day "working" with them. Included is a 4-minute video in which yours truly is interviewed.

    Dave Zier was also featured in a WGN News' Lunchbreak segment on June 21 . . .

    Lunchbreak - Dave Zier Making Prosciutto and Sun-Dried Tomato Stuffed Turkey Breast, a Recipe by Mick Jagger. While it's not explained in the segment, this is a recipe that Mick Jagger regularly requested from a chef whose identity I can't remember at the moment. That chef told Dave the story and also taught him the recipe. I'll try to get more details. The recipe looks pretty good, though if I made it, I'd probably end up cooking it on the Weber rotisserie.

    Nice job, Dave! :)

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #62 - October 20th, 2010, 5:09 pm
    Post #62 - October 20th, 2010, 5:09 pm Post #62 - October 20th, 2010, 5:09 pm
    Dave Zier is a good friend of mine. Here he is WGN midday news Lunch Break.

    http://www.wgntv.com/videobeta/81f31644-0af5-4f95-bfda-6f29c0a06793/News/Lunchbreak-Grilling-with-Dave-Zier

    Ziers Prime Meats in Wilmette.
  • Post #63 - October 20th, 2010, 7:26 pm
    Post #63 - October 20th, 2010, 7:26 pm Post #63 - October 20th, 2010, 7:26 pm
    A friend of mine who lives near Wilmette sometimes brings me freshly made breakfast sausages from Zier's. They're really lovely. I'd imagine anything else they do would be good, too.
    "All great change in America begins at the dinner table." Ronald Reagan

    http://midwestmaize.wordpress.com
  • Post #64 - October 20th, 2010, 7:56 pm
    Post #64 - October 20th, 2010, 7:56 pm Post #64 - October 20th, 2010, 7:56 pm
    I can vouch for the prime strip steak and ribeyes. Very very good.
  • Post #65 - April 1st, 2011, 12:21 pm
    Post #65 - April 1st, 2011, 12:21 pm Post #65 - April 1st, 2011, 12:21 pm
    Picked up some ribeye from Zier's today, 21.95#

    Image

    Uploaded with ImageShack.us
  • Post #66 - April 5th, 2011, 1:37 pm
    Post #66 - April 5th, 2011, 1:37 pm Post #66 - April 5th, 2011, 1:37 pm
    Zier's variety and quality of sausages is impressive. I bought a few links of Merquez and pork sausage and they were really good. Surprisingly, their frozen split pea soup tasted yummy and had plenty of ham bits.
    What disease did cured ham actually have?
  • Post #67 - April 5th, 2011, 5:14 pm
    Post #67 - April 5th, 2011, 5:14 pm Post #67 - April 5th, 2011, 5:14 pm
    Elfin wrote:Zier's variety and quality of sausages is impressive. I bought a few links of Merquez and pork sausage and they were really good. Surprisingly, their frozen split pea soup tasted yummy and had plenty of ham bits.

    One of the things that first drew me to Zier's was the fact that they make they own sausages, bacon, ham, etc. I recently picked up a ring bologna there that was spectacular. Also, last weekend when I was in they'd made a big batch of Bigos. It contained all sorts of wonderful meats, including pork cheeks. Yowza!

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #68 - April 5th, 2011, 8:13 pm
    Post #68 - April 5th, 2011, 8:13 pm Post #68 - April 5th, 2011, 8:13 pm
    you know i loves me some bigos. they making it again?
    "In pursuit of joys untasted"
    from Giuseppe Verdi's La Traviata
  • Post #69 - April 5th, 2011, 9:15 pm
    Post #69 - April 5th, 2011, 9:15 pm Post #69 - April 5th, 2011, 9:15 pm
    Jazzfood wrote:you know i loves me some bigos. they making it again?

    Not sure if it's a regular thing. John, one of the guys who works at Zier's, is Polish and he made a big batch last week. Dave Zier and John were actually talking (i.e. playfully boasting) about how much bigos they'd both eaten, so I mentioned that I loved bigos and they should let me know the next time they make it. That's when I learned that the very batch they were talking about was actually being kept warm in their giant crock pot, so we took a quart home.

    Since this is a dish that's known to improve as it's stored, if they have any left when I stop in this week, I'll be sure to pick some up for you.

    Dave Zier lurks these forums from time to time and occasionally posts, so maybe he can say if there's any more available or if they've made it again since then. I suppose one could call over there, too . . . (847) 251-4000.

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #70 - May 20th, 2012, 8:36 am
    Post #70 - May 20th, 2012, 8:36 am Post #70 - May 20th, 2012, 8:36 am
    Thought I'd bump this thread to recognize a superb piece of meat I got at Zier's the other day. We had a big celebration dinner on the schedule and, after much to-ing and fro-ing, decided to go with a rib roast. Dropped in to Zier's and, as Ron has noted previously in this thread, they cut to order. It was a smallish roast--only about three-plus ribs--and I had to take out a second mortgage to pay for it. But I can honestly say I have never had a better piece of roast beef in my life. As good as, perhaps, once or twice. But never better. As discussed in a separate thread, I used this basic formula to roast the meat (I've tweaked it a bit) and it makes the perfect, juicy roast. Kudos and thanks to the folks at Zier's. Not that I had a doubt, but this was just a perfect piece of meat and we all were extremely happy.
    Gypsy Boy

    "I am not a glutton--I am an explorer of food." (Erma Bombeck)
  • Post #71 - May 20th, 2012, 2:00 pm
    Post #71 - May 20th, 2012, 2:00 pm Post #71 - May 20th, 2012, 2:00 pm
    Apart from their meat cuts, I find that their sausage is great - particularly the Italian sausage. Also, it's my go-to source up here for smoking woods - always an interesting assortment on hand all year round, including including offbeat woods, such as pecan. Yay Zier's!
  • Post #72 - March 29th, 2015, 3:07 pm
    Post #72 - March 29th, 2015, 3:07 pm Post #72 - March 29th, 2015, 3:07 pm
    I was at Zier's yesterday ordering some lamb for Greek Easter. Dave had just finished making a batch of duck prosciutto and I sampled a little bit. Wow, can that guy cure meats! I ended up taking some home and will be making a duck prosciutto, mozzarella and avocado sandwich shortly.
    Steve Z.

    “Only the pure in heart can make a good soup.”
    ― Ludwig van Beethoven
  • Post #73 - July 30th, 2018, 9:02 am
    Post #73 - July 30th, 2018, 9:02 am Post #73 - July 30th, 2018, 9:02 am
    stevez wrote:Wow, can that guy cure meats!
    Indeed !

    Zier's has a number of house made charcuterie items, picked up a couple on Saturday.

    The sopressata was very good but the sublime, stellar item was the proscuitto, easily the finest I've had. So happy I ordered a double portion.

    Edited to add: I also picked up a lb of Zier's homemade corned beef & homemade pastrami. The corned beef was terrible, nothing but crumbles and not a great flavor. The pastrami on the other hand was incredible.
    I did absolutely nothing and it was everything I thought it could be.
  • Post #74 - October 21st, 2018, 12:54 pm
    Post #74 - October 21st, 2018, 12:54 pm Post #74 - October 21st, 2018, 12:54 pm
    Some great stuff going on at Zier's . . .

    Image
    Mangalitsa Pancetta, aged 3 years
    Funky, unctuous and melt-in-your-mouth delicious

    Image
    Amercian Guinea Hog Prosciutto-Style Ham, Aged 2.5 years
    So rich and funky. The fat was like meat butter. And there was a slight crunch where some crystalization had occured. Wonderful stuff.

    Image
    Cold-Smoked Atlantic Salmon
    As if mastering meats weren't enough, Dave has been perfecting his fish game, too. This cold-smoked salmon, redolent of toasted fennel seed, was supple, velvety and delicious. Just perfect on the salt, too.

    I also grabbed a couple of dry-aged ribeyes for the grill . . .

    Image
    Dry-Aged Ribeyes
    Beautiful marbling, even in the eye.

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #75 - October 21st, 2018, 2:10 pm
    Post #75 - October 21st, 2018, 2:10 pm Post #75 - October 21st, 2018, 2:10 pm
    ronnie_suburban wrote:Some great stuff going on at Zier's . . .

    I'd be lying if if said your recent Zier's post didn't make me ever so slightly tumescent.
    Hold my beer . . .

    Low & Slow
  • Post #76 - October 21st, 2018, 4:30 pm
    Post #76 - October 21st, 2018, 4:30 pm Post #76 - October 21st, 2018, 4:30 pm
    If Ronnie lauds the smoked salmon, I have to try some. Probably no one here has made more.
  • Post #77 - October 22nd, 2018, 6:53 pm
    Post #77 - October 22nd, 2018, 6:53 pm Post #77 - October 22nd, 2018, 6:53 pm
    Well, I didn't ruin them . . .

    Image
    Ribeye, Weber kettle, lump charcoal

    Image
    Ribeye, Weber kettle, lump charcoal

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #78 - October 22nd, 2018, 11:54 pm
    Post #78 - October 22nd, 2018, 11:54 pm Post #78 - October 22nd, 2018, 11:54 pm
    ronnie_suburban wrote:Ribeye, Weber kettle, lump charcoal
    It's as if the ghost of Dear Sweet Carol Channing and the spirit of the blessed James Beard had a child. A gorgeous perfectly cooked dry-aged beef child.

    I weep at the beauty . . .
    Hold my beer . . .

    Low & Slow
  • Post #79 - October 23rd, 2018, 12:28 am
    Post #79 - October 23rd, 2018, 12:28 am Post #79 - October 23rd, 2018, 12:28 am
    I don't do "like" posts on LTH, however, with all due respect, I am Pavlov's Dog with regard to that hunk of beef and the fotos preceeding, common knowledge is dry-aging requires at least 35-days(please correct me...I think Kenji opines thusly) to achieve demonstrable difference, however everything in that photo catalogue looks delightful.
    Being gauche rocks, stun the bourgeoisie
  • Post #80 - October 24th, 2018, 2:53 am
    Post #80 - October 24th, 2018, 2:53 am Post #80 - October 24th, 2018, 2:53 am
    Christopher Gordon wrote:common knowledge is dry-aging requires at least 35-days(please correct me..

    Chris,

    Couple of points, Dave Z is pretty good at his job and the subject line, from 2007, says 21-days but its likely Zier's has varying days of dry-age meat on hand, 21-days and up.

    Also, an aspect that almost never enters the discussion of dry-aging, subtle differences in the process vary the amount of age/funk/flavor. For example, depending on what you read/research, the temp range is 34° to 38° with an average humidity of 80% +- and air flow of 15 to 20 linear feet per minute at the surface of the product.

    This is a wide range and will affect outcome. Take a similar cut from two different sources at 40-days and they very well may taste noticeably different.

    I've never discussed this with Dave Z, though I am sure he has put thought into his specific technique, plus this post is not really about Zier's, just the somewhat disjointed rambling of the beginning of my own thinking/journey into dry-aging.

    To put it in cheese terms, think affineur but with beef. :)

    Regards,
    Gary "always the student" Wiviott
    Hold my beer . . .

    Low & Slow
  • Post #81 - May 3rd, 2021, 6:49 pm
    Post #81 - May 3rd, 2021, 6:49 pm Post #81 - May 3rd, 2021, 6:49 pm
    Picked up some very nice ribeyes at Zier's the other day so tonight, a quick, after-work, Monday night dinner, mostly on the Weber . . .

    Image
    Grilling
    These spent a couple of minutes over the coals (flipped and turned once), then finished on the indirect side. They were some big boys and took about 12 minutes to reach 115F.

    Image
    Asparagus
    Picked this up at the Ellis Farm booth at Green City Market on Saturday morning and it was as good as it gets. The stalks were actually sweet. A perfect use for the fading embers as the steaks rested.

    Image
    Salad
    The highlight here were the lettuces from the Nichols Farm booth at GCM. Tender, sweet and actually full of flavor. The homemade buttermilk/yogurt ranch dressing wasn't half-bad, either. This was a salad that actually had me wishing for more salad. :shock: 8)

    Image
    Plated Up
    Grilled ribeyes and asparagus. Please, forgive the odd cut on the steak. Mrs. Suburban and I decided to split this one. In any event, Spring has sprung!

    Happy Monday! :)

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #82 - May 4th, 2021, 8:07 am
    Post #82 - May 4th, 2021, 8:07 am Post #82 - May 4th, 2021, 8:07 am
    Those tomatoes look great -- Mighty Vine?
    -Mary
  • Post #83 - May 4th, 2021, 8:38 am
    Post #83 - May 4th, 2021, 8:38 am Post #83 - May 4th, 2021, 8:38 am
    The GP wrote:Those tomatoes look great -- Mighty Vine?

    Actually the salad was the highlight of the post for me. Even the dressing sounded delicious.

    Regards,
    Gary "gone vegan" Wiv

    PS: Yes, Ronnie, the steak was perfect.
    Hold my beer . . .

    Low & Slow
  • Post #84 - May 4th, 2021, 9:24 am
    Post #84 - May 4th, 2021, 9:24 am Post #84 - May 4th, 2021, 9:24 am
    G Wiv wrote:
    The GP wrote:Those tomatoes look great -- Mighty Vine?

    Actually the salad was the highlight of the post for me. Even the dressing sounded delicious.

    Regards,
    Gary "gone vegan" Wiv

    PS: Yes, Ronnie, the steak was perfect.

    LOL, as if! :lol:

    Those are the Campari tomatoes from Costco, which have been a very acceptable off-season placeholder for real tomatoes.

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #85 - September 24th, 2022, 7:57 am
    Post #85 - September 24th, 2022, 7:57 am Post #85 - September 24th, 2022, 7:57 am
    Currently working on the North side of Evanston, needed a 4-bone prime rib, Zier's Prime Meats, and the oh so personable Dave Zier, came through with stars. A few pics.

    First pic looks like I burned the shit out of the roast, not the case as subsequent pics will tell. The cooker did catch on fire and singed the outside up pretty good. More spicy burnt bits for the cook. :)

    Image
    Image
    Image
    Image

    Zier's, count me a Fan!!
    Hold my beer . . .

    Low & Slow
  • Post #86 - September 24th, 2022, 10:14 am
    Post #86 - September 24th, 2022, 10:14 am Post #86 - September 24th, 2022, 10:14 am
    What a piece of beef!!!!
    I am truly impressed………and envious.
    -Richard
    I have 2&1/2” dry aged Porterhouse and Rib steaks from Jospeh’s that I need to get on the grill with a few people.
    Both Zier's and Joseph’s are the best I know of in the Mid-West!

Contact

About

Team

Advertize

Close

Chat

Articles

Guide

Events

more