Credit: monticelllo / Getty Images Consumers tend to opt for the brightest red steak in the display case at the grocery store, but butcher Evan Lobel says that the most vividly hued beef isn't necessarily the best option.The butcher breaks down the factors that affect the color of beef and can take it from purple to bright red to brown.He also shares what you should consider when buying a steak at the grocery store, from the thickness of steak to its color. When you’re deciding which steak to spend your hard-earned money on at the grocery store, how do you pick a particular piece of meat?

If you ask your butcher for the cherry-red cut in the display case or if you pick out the most vividly hued steak in the meat department, you’re not alone. A 2025 study published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Food and Humanity found that consumers associate bright red beef with freshness and quality and that shoppers tend to dismiss cuts with brown coloring. But it turns out that color isn’t always the best indicator of freshness and flavor. Meat showcasing a range of colors can taste great, and freshly cut beef is actually darker than the bright red steaks you might pick out at the meat counter. Butcher Evan Lobel breaks down the details of what you should be looking for when buying a steak.

As the co-owner of the 72-year-old butcher shop Lobel’s of New York on Manhattan’s Upper East Side and the author of multiple books on butchery, including Lobel’s Meat Bible, this expert might just convince you to skip the bright red steak the next time you’re shopping. What color should raw steak be? According to Lobel, the color of the raw meat isn’t the deciding factor when it comes to the taste and quality of a steak.

Instead, he notes that “color is more about oxygen exposure than flavor.” That being said, the hue of a steak can help indicate how much marbling — the fat around the muscle that looks like white flecks or fine lines — is in the meat, which can impact its final flavor and texture. “Typically, more marbling in a cut will show as a lighter color and will affect the taste in a positive way,” says Lobel.

“Conversely, less fat equals darker color and could mean a chewier steak.” While the white fat around the meat can tell you one detail about a cut of beef, what about the color of the muscle?

That’s where oxygen comes into play. The red color of steak primarily comes from a protein found in muscles called myoglobin. “Freshly cut beef is typically a deep purplish-red when first exposed,” explains Lobel. That’s because myoglobin is purple-red before it's been exposed to air. However, when myoglobin meets oxygen, it turns into oxymyoglobin, which is bright red. This reaction is why vacuum-sealed beef looks darker than beef wrapped in less-airtight materials like paper or plastic wrap. It’s also why ground beef may look bright red on the outside but grayish on the inside. If beef is exposed to oxygen and light for long enough, it eventually turns from bright red to brown-red.

That’s because oxygen and light help create a new compound called metmyoglobin, resulting in a darker hue. As the USDA confirms, this brownish-red beef hasn’t necessarily gone bad. If the meat is slimy or smells off, then you should probably toss it, but mild oxidation is normal and won’t have an impact on flavor. There are several other factors in addition to oxidation that can affect the color of beef. “Working muscles (like chuck and round) are naturally darker,” explains Lobel. Diet plays a part too, and the butcher says that grass-fed beef can appear to be a “slightly darker” shade because of different myoglobin levels and a lack of marbling.

Even age can impact appearance: Older cows produce darker meat because they have more myoglobin than younger cows. How to pick the best steak When you’re scanning the aisles of the grocery store, deciding between the different steaks on display, there are a few characteristics Lobel says to consider before analyzing color. “First, decide how you will be cooking it: grill, cast iron, or broil,” the butcher recommends. If you’re cooking your steak exclusively on the stovetop, Lobel says to choose a steak that’s between 1 and 1.25 inches thick.

If you’re broiling or grilling your meat, you can go with a cut that’s a little thicker, in the range of 1.25 to 1.75 inches thick. The butcher also suggests looking for marbling, emphasizing that “fine, evenly distributed intramuscular fat equates to flavor and tenderness.” Fat marbling will matter less for leaner cuts of beef, but for steaks like a rib-eye or New York strip, it’s a green flag for flavor. Next, Lobel recommends identifying the grade of beef you want to buy. “I like a robust flavor with a good chew, so I choose dry-aged [USDA] Prime all the time,” he explains. “However, if you’re on a budget, USDA Choice can be a [good] option.

It all comes down to personal preference and budget.” After you’ve looked at marbling, thickness, and the grade of a steak, it’s finally time to examine color. “Look for a fresh appearance — lighter, not too ruby red — and avoid excessive browning or gray patches,” the butcher details. Another helpful visual cue is moisture.

Per Lobel, you should try to “avoid steaks sitting in excess liquid; they should look slightly dry, not wet.” And of course, always look at the packaging and sell-by dates to make sure you’re getting meat that hasn't already gone bad. Lobel says that the final decision should all come back to fat. “If everything looks equal, choose the steak with the best marbling every time — that’s what delivers the eating experience.”