Steak Problems

More info would help but yes, most likely poor quality. If the cow was on the younger side when slaughtered sometimes that can lead to pale looking meat (think veal vs. beef), grass fed vs. grain fed, amount of fat, etc.

What cut was it?

 

BIG steak. What grade meat do you buy? Do you temp it? Do you trust you butcher, I have had them try to sub lower grades?

 

Well, it's not always your butcher fault in the sense that he doesn't get to choose what meat he is sent (I'm assuming), but maybe he should know better than to send you the pale ones. Sounds like you have to talk to your butcher or find another source for meat.

the 4kg wasn't one steak obviously, right? That's 9 lbs...I assume you're talking about the sub-primal ribeye...

You also don't say where you are located...

Did you have problems with the rest of the meat? Or just that one steak?

 

Yeah I doubt that it's oxidation. Oxidation tends to turn the meat gray and is pretty easy to identify.

Sounds like a simply quality issue. I would either talk to your butcher or change where you get your meat. If your butcher is able to identify these sub par cuts and prevent them from getting to you then you should be fine. I'm assuming that he/she will be willing to help since you (I assume) buy beef from them regularly.

If they can't or won't try and work with you, I suggest you find a new source for beef.

 

Could it be some sort of brine has been added to the steaks before you receive them? That might account for the soft/rubbery texture and the grey colour after cooking.

 

That truly is sad - I mean - every place should have a grading system for all sorts of protein

And - agree with what has been said - sounds like an inferior quality meat and definitely would take it up with the supplier.
I've had a similar case a few years back (not beef, but pork) and the supplier did everything he could to convince us, that it was prime quality.
In the end, I invited him for dinner, cooked him one of his own pork chops and when he sent it back to the kitchen, complaining that it was not a good quality....let's just say, the next order we received were quality cuts from quality pigs

 

I have always had my own grading system and it was enforced at the back door for anything (not just protein) coming in. At one place I didn't have good access to a vendor with whole fresh fish, my meat guy used to go to a big city to pick up his meat and I worked out a deal with him where he would go to seafood vendor that was right down the street from his meat vendor and pick up fish for me (for a percentage). I kept refusing fish he brought until one day, he asked me to educate him on what to look for when selecting fish. Problem solved.

 

And that is the core of it - education
Most of the time, the vendors believe word for word what the supplier is telling them and pass this on to the customer - who, is an expert in this field.
I've worked with so many vendors over the years that, in the beginning, kept sending me their young, fresh out of college type sales people who, yes, could wear a suit really well, could pronounce even the most obscure ingredients from god only knows where, and yes, I'm sure they were all eager and hungry for business - BUT - you gotta know your produce....
Not saying that I only buy from vendors who cook themselves - but there is a pattern to my madness hehe
Almost all the vendors that are currently supplying us - I think 90% of them cook at home, for their families, using their own produce - AND, have educated themselves plenty