First Impressions: High-Quality Meat By Good Chop

First Impressions is a series that introduces and reviews new brands to My Subscription Addiction, drawing from readers' requests for an insider's first look. Interested in seeing more reviews from this brand, or have another box in mind that you'd like to see reviewed? Let us know in the comments.

I love to cook, and at the heart of most meals I cook is a protein of some kind. Along with the fact that grass-fed meat contains more antioxidants and Omega-3's, I have an emotional attachment to it because my Mom lives next door to a cattle rancher in Arizona. Each year she is able to buy a third or a half of a grass-fed cow, and her deep freezer will be stocked for the entire year. Because of this, I was really interested in trying out Good Chop, a meat and seafood subscription service that allows you to build your own box from an assortment of 25 different beef, pork, chicken, and seafood cuts. All proteins are from American farms and fisheries and have no antibiotics, no added hormones, no additives, and no added coloring.

Subscription Details

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Subscription Box: Good Chop

Price: Good Chop currently offers two subscription levels. Their medium box contains six meat and seafood selections for $149 and comes with up to 36 portions of meat, which means the price per serving is $4.14 per meal. Their large box comes with 12 selections for $269 and up to 72 portions of meat, which means the price per serving can be as low as $3.74 per meal. The portions you receive will depend entirely on the box you build- so you may build a box with fewer portions of meat, but all of the cuts are ones chosen specifically by you.

ACTIVE DEAL: Get $100 off high quality American meat and seafood. No coupon needed - just use this link.

Delivery Options: Your purchase will auto-renew every four weeks, and you can pause or cancel at any time.

Shipping: Free!

This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the editorial guidelines to learn more about how we review boxes.)

Good Chop American Meat and Seafood Review

USDA Choice 100% Grass-Fed Filet Mignon, two 6-ounce steaks 

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I'm really partial to grass-fed steaks. I've always enjoyed cooking with the locally sourced meat my Mom gets, so I appreciate getting to cook with it now that I no longer live in Louisiana- except it's usually more expensive when I am able to find it at the store. I loved the marbling of this steak- it's only graded choice, but it has a visible marble that made my mouth water thinking about how delicious it would be cooked up. This steak was incredibly tender and delicious. For curiosity's sake, I did hit up my local Whole Foods for a price comparison, because they were the only grocer I could think of that would actually carry it. The butcher said they rarely offered grass-fed filet mignon, but when they did it retailed for $32 a pound.

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, six 6-ounce breasts

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Chicken hasn't had as big of a price jump as beef has (that I've noticed, at least), but I don't cook with it that often. I'm trying to change that from a lean meat perspective, but I hate how it is hard to buy just one or two (appropriately sized) chicken breasts. My boyfriend is away on military orders, so I am only cooking for one each night. Most chicken packs contain a ton of chicken I can't actually eat all at once, and I have yet to figure out how to successfully freeze meat without it suffering freezer burn (I'm not ready to invest in a vacuum sealer, but I know that's what I need). I love that this came packaged in three packs with each pack containing two 6 ounce breasts. That's the perfect portion for me to be able to cook without waste, and I appreciated how the chicken was an even thickness, no pounding required. Once I cooked it (I baked it covered with marinara, mozzarella, and fresh basil), the chicken was juicy and evenly cooked throughout. I'm all for the convenience of being able to get appropriately-portioned chicken, while the rest remains safely frozen without risk of freezer burn. I know it probably sounds weird to get excited over plain chicken breast, but I really had fun cooking with and eating this.

I shared this photo to my Instagram story, and one of my friends actually DM'd me to say "That may be the prettiest uncooked chicken breast I've ever seen." And honestly? Same.

USDA Choice 100% Grass-Fed 85/15 Ground Beef, two 1-lbs packs

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This was the first protein I tried out, and I went for comfort food in the form of my mom's taco recipe. It's a simple recipe that involves ground beef, tomato sauce, cumin, chili powder, and garlic powder, and even though I've seen her cook it a hundred times I can never get mine to turn out as good as hers. Using this ground beef in that recipe allowed me to get pretty close, and I appreciate that the 85/15 fat content wasn't too greasy. Tacos aren't the healthiest meal, but if I use grass-fed beef like this from Good Chop, I'm at least able to include some extra nutrients in there. 

Thick Cut Uncured Bacon, 16 oz 

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I love bacon. This was delicious bacon. The strips were thick and didn't shrink too much when cooked in the pan, and it was able to get deliciously crispy. I cut a few slices into strips to get small slices to use as topping for my chili I made with the Italian sausage in this box, and I used the bacon grease to saute the aromatics I used at the base of my chili recipe. I appreciate that these slices didn't shrink too much when cooked, because it made just eating one or two pieces a lot more satisfying than thinner slices. Sure, bacon isn't as expensive as filet mignon, but if you're a bacon lover I recommend trying this out in your box.

Mmmm, this crispy bacon was a treat. How do you prefer your bacon cooked?

USDA Choice Angus Stew Meat, 16 oz 

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I haven't made a stew in forever just because the prices of stew meat at my local Albertsons have been so much higher than what I am used to seeing! And that's not for choice cuts of Angus stew meat, either. Unless I buy a roast and cut it into cubes for stew myself, most of the stew meat I buy has a lot of fat I end up having to trim off. The stew meat from Good Chop was perfect- it was lean enough that it didn't have chunks of fat left after cooking, but had enough fat to melt during cooking and add tender flavor.

Ground Italian Pork Sausage, two 16-ounce packages

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I love sausage- it's actually an old-school Hapak family tradition to make polish sausage by hand around Thanksgiving every year using a sausage grinder that is over 100 years old. I'll be honest- this was probably the letdown of the box just because I found the flavor of the Italian sausage seasoning to be very mild (dare I say bland?). That was when I was eating it plain, however- once I added it into the chili I was making, it melded with the other flavors beautifully and turned into an absolutely delicious dish.

How were the products packaged?

I've been subscribed to meal kit boxes for a while, and sometimes Louisiana weather is so warm that it gets to the products no matter how much dry ice and care was used in the packaging. Good Chop packages their meats in a 100% recyclable insulated box with dry ice inside, and I was incredibly pleased to find that my meats were still rock-hard frozen when they made it to my doorstep. I was able to immediately place them in my freezer with no concerns about potential food safety issues, and then thaw each item out in the fridge as I was ready to eat them.

What proteins are offered by Good Chop?

• Beef: ribeye steak, New York strip, bavette steak, filet mignon, bottom round roast, flat iron steak, stew beef, ground beef, ⅓ lb burger patties, top sirloin steak, ranch steak, porterhouse steak, t-bone steak
• Pork: pork chops, Italian ground sausage, pork tenderloin, boneless pork butt, thick-cut bacon, pork loin roast, pulled pork
• Chicken: breasts, thighs
• Seafood: sockeye salmon, Pacific cod, rockfish, lobster tails

How does Good Chop source their meats?

All of the meat sent in your Good Chop box comes from an American farmer or fishery. When it comes to their beef, Good Chop works exclusively with farmers who focus on sustainability and compassionate rearing practices (which is ensured by third-party audits). For their pork, Good chop only works with pork farmers who are Pork Quality Assurance Plus (PQA) trained to ensure strict food safety and animal wellbeing. When it comes to chicken, Good Chop only works with farmers who feed their free-roam chickens a 100% vegetarian diet. Interested in their seafood? Good Chop offers a selection of wild-caught and farm-raised seafood. All wild-caught seafood comes from fisheries that are Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)- certified, meaning they practice sustainable fishing methods with minimal impact on the wild ecosystems. The farm-raised seafood is Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC)- certified, meaning the fisheries are sustainably operated.

Can Good Chop save me money?

It depends! You're definitely paying a premium for this subscription, but with this subscription, you receive humanely and sustainably raised proteins from American suppliers who never use added hormones, antibiotics, additives, or colorants. Since all of the protein comes frozen and vacuum-sealed, you can safely store the products in your freezer for up to a year. If you're like me and have lost money thanks to freezer-burned proteins, this may be able to save you some money. Without a doubt, though, it's convenient.

Verdict

I won't say a Good Chop subscription is for everyone, but I really enjoyed my box. If your focus when you grocery shop is spending the lowest amount possible, you're going to be able to find the same amount of protein for a lower price. If you prefer to focus on meat that was humanely and sustainably raised without added hormones or antibiotics, you're going to be paying a premium no matter where you buy it. The convenience of Good Chop is definitely worth it to me- I am able to easily cook smaller portions while leaving the rest safely packed in the freezer for another time, and all of the meat is delicious. Plus, if you're looking to keep your freezer stocked with minimal trips to the grocery store, Good Chop has you covered by delivering straight to your door. I appreciate the care and effort that goes into all aspects of this subscription- from making sure the free-roam chickens aren't stressed before they're processed to the 100% recyclable packaging of the shipping box, Good Chop cuts no corners. The price isn't cheap, but I definitely think some people (me included) will find this convenient subscription box worth it.

Have you tried Good Chop? What's your favorite cut of protein?

ACTIVE DEAL: Get $100 off high quality American meat and seafood. No coupon needed - just use this link.

Keep track of your subscriptions by adding this box to your subscription list or wishlist!

This review just covered six of the 25 available proteins offered by Good Chop- let us know if you're interested in a review of the other offerings available in this subscription (they even have a turkey for Thanksgiving!).