It鈥檚 impossible to wade through the internet these days without landing on a food subscription or specialty delivery service鈥攁nd for good reason. The idea of coming home to a curated box of food is appealing to even the most ambitious cooks among us. But what are the best boxes for dedicated outdoor cooks? After testing eight different companies, we liked these five the most.听Buy them for yourself or send one along to a loved one for the ultimate holiday gift.
For the True Meat Enthusiast: Holy Grail Steak
Rather than offering a subscription service, allows you to create your own curated meal box from its roster of quality meats. I recently sampled a $300 box that included a Santa Carota carrot-fed prestige brisket, a 40-ounce upper prime Black Angus tomahawk steak (center cut, with a two-inch bone, meant to feed three to four people), and a Kurobuta ham. If you鈥檙e in the market for a subscription, its 12-patty burger box offers a selection of two different types of pork-and-beef-based burgers every three months for $99.
For the Vegetarian: FruitStand
offers monthly produce boxes of specialty fruits and vegetables from small-scale farms听across the country. When I sampled it, Mud Creek Ranch persimmons were in season (you get one type of item per box). Its Fuyu persimmons were short and squat and could be eaten firm or grilled, while its heart-shaped Hachiyas, once ripe, were perfect for roasting over a bit of applewood. (I made a puree of them to accompany a holiday charcuterie board.) A three-month subscription costs $134.95 and features specialties beyond persimmons, like star fruit, heirloom carrots, and citrus. Vegetarians will enjoy the diversity and grill-compatible finds in each box.
For the Sausage Lover: KC Cattle Company
Retired U.S. Army Ranger Patrick Montgomery helms the Missouri-based , which focuses on American Wagyu cattle products. A number of different boxes and subscriptions are available, but I recently tested the ($99.99); it featured a package of uncured Wagyu hot dogs, two packages of ground beef, two packages of bacon cheeseburger bratwurst, two packages of chorizo, and one package of summer sausage. The sausage was all easy to cook,听and the packaging听of the chorizo and ground beef made it easy to integrate into dishes like tacos, sloppy joes, and even stir-fries. It may sound basic, but I fell head over heels for the hot dogs. Did my family get to try them? I鈥檒l never tell.
For the Poultry Devotee: 搁补蝉迟别濒濒颈鈥檚
The New Jersey鈥揵ased butcher has been going strong since the late 1970s鈥攁nd for good reason. Founded by Ray Rastelli Jr., the store sells a wide variety of high-quality comestibles like wild-caught Gulf shrimp, pork porterhouse, and听primal cuts of grass-fed beef. Boxes from the company can be built 脿听la carte, and you can choose between everything from seafood to lamb to beef. But my money鈥檚 on the poultry: a $78 box included four packs of organic chicken thighs, six turkey burgers, and drumsticks, as well as chicken, roasted red pepper, and garlic sausage. Not only are the premade patties and sausages delicious, but there鈥檚 also a massive selection of organic offerings available.
For the Sweet Tooth: S鈥檓oreology
This 听has everything you could desire when it comes to ooey, gooey s鈥檓ores. Its cookies and marshmallows are made from scratch, and it offers multipacks, so you can pick and choose from its various s鈥檓ores flavors. I recently sampled birthday cake (my favorite); churros and chocolate, which included a cinnamon-rich graham cracker; and a flavor called O.G., with homemade graham crackers and vanilla marshmallows and Hershey鈥檚 chocolate.听There were seven flavors to select from when I ordered, but check back, because these are updated regularly. The marshmallows were perfectly square and pliant, and its kits even come with moist towelettes鈥攖he one thing I wish I had at nearly every s鈥檓ores bonfire gathering.