[US Navy Vet]

Definite "food" for thought here.

[PieterCasparzen]

Industry pitch for the unknowledgeable.

[discostu]

Numbers 1 and 7 are kind of at odds with each other.

[LoveUSA]

A woman behind the beef counter at Wegman's told me something interesting:

If you want to buy ... say ... strip steaks, it's better to buy the multi-packs in their general counter than to buy individual steaks from behind the glass in butcher service area. The reason being that the steaks displayed in the service area have been sitting out for hours while the packaged steaks were sealed up as soon as they came in the store. Keep in mind that both options are exactly the same price.

[6SJ7]

The more marbling (i.e., fat) meat has, the more succulent it is...

For me, that is everything about a cut of beef or pork. I'm forever searching for a nice marbleized cut. They're increasingly hard to find. If I do find a nice marbleized pork or beef roast, I'm never disappointed. That fat self-bastes the roast, keeping it moist and it ads great flavor.

[Beagle8U]

My tip on buying meat in a grocery store with a meat/butcher dept...

When it comes to buying the stuff in the ‘discount for quick sale’ items, avoid any type of ground beef or pork cuts. Pork is never aged for sale and ground beef is more likely to contain bacteria, so fresher is better.

I stick to the better cuts of steak, rib eye, sirloin etc.
They are actually better if they are slightly dark and you often get a $1-$2 per pound discount.

I seldom pay more than $3.99 a pound for choice steak, so tender you can cut it with a fork.

[kevkrom]

I agree that beef does freeze well, but all the better so if, after you wrap it properly, you place it in the coldest part of your refrigerator to get the temperature as low as possible before sticking it in the freezer. (This is true for anything you freeze, actually.)

The closer it is to the freezing point before you put it into freezing temperatures, the fewer ice crystals will form inside the product. Ice crystals cause problems because they tear/puncture cell membranes, which gives frozen items "freezer burn".

Removing air is also a good idea -- if you can vacuum seal it instead of just plastic wrapping, all the better.

[Wilum]

First rule when visiting the meat counter, DON'T call them a butcher. They are meat cutters.

I know this because my father was a meat cutterfor 40 years and he always reminded me of the differences between the two.

[Peter W. Kessler]

"Skirt steak is a fabulous piece of meat. It's super flavorful and economical..."

Yes, it's delicious when marinated properly, but economical?

No way. It costs $8.00 a pound in these parts.

[PrincessB]

Interesting that the skirt steak is the recommended cheap cut. The woman I purchase beef from at the local farmer’s market told me that she prices it at $18 lb, because that’s what she can get for it since there are two per head and it’s become trendy with foodies. Her sirloins, tri tips, bones, etc. are competitive with the counters that sell prime meats.

[count-your-change]

Here’s a couple more buying tips:

1. If flies won’t land on it, ask for a discount.
2. If the butcher wears gloves, it’s for your health. If he wears a bio-hazard suit, it’s for his health.
3. Never buy meat from a butcher shop that shares a building with a dog pound.

[Springman]

Bump for later.

[WOBBLY BOB]

meat ping

[Lurkina.n.Learnin]

Bump for later