Illustration by Edel Rodriguez

• Is there really a difference between steak that costs $14.99 a pound and $28.99? In a word: Yes. Or so we discovered when BLT Steak proprietor Laurent Tourondel inspected five cuts of bone-in rib eye from different purveyors. Our expert examined the raw steaks for color, thickness, and marbling before brushing them with butter, rubbing them with sea salt and fresh-ground black pepper, then grilling them up for a blind taste test.

• Fifth Place

• The Food Emporium

  Various locations; $14.99 a pound

  �This is not choice meat,� Tourondel sniffed as he eyed the anemic slab. �The flavor is almost nonexistent. The meat is thin and dry.�

• Fourth Place

• Whole Foods

  4 Union Sq. South, 212-673-5388 ; $16.99 a pound

  Fat-wise, the Whole Foods entry would have been a contender. But the color was pink instead of the ideal deep red. �It hasn’t been aged enough,� Tourondel said. �It tastes just okay.�

• Third Place

• Eli’s Vinegar Factory

  431 E. 91st St., 212-987-0885; $21.99 a pound

  Eli’s entry was thick but insufficiently marbled. �This doesn’t have as much flavor as the other thick pieces of meat, and it’s dry,� Tourondel said. �It did form a nice crust while it cooked, though.�

• Second Place

• Citarella

  1313 Third Ave., 212-874-0383; $23.99 a pound

  �Great marbling and thickness,� enthused Tourondel. �There is quite enough fat in between the meat, which makes it delicious.�

• WINNER

• Lobel’s of New York

  1096 Madison Ave., 212-737-1372 ; $28.99 a pound

  There’s a reason, apparently, that this high-end butcher is widely considered the best in town. �The meat is thick, marbled with fat, and dark, meaning it’s been well aged,� said Tourondel. Grilled, the steak has �a great, buttery flavor,� he added. �It’s definitely the best-quality meat.�

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