Ten Proven Tips for Buying the Best Meat Available

Ten Proven Tips for Buying the Best Meat Available

Looking through the meat section at your local grocery store, you’re probably, like so many others, wondering if the steaks you’ve chosen are really any good. Here are some tips on how to make sure you buy good meat.

The quality grade does not necessarily mean that you will get good meat. Some cuts of meat are naturally more tender than others. You should look for cuts of lesser used muscles along the back, such as the rib and loin sections. Shoulder, flank, and leg cuts will be harder.
How to make sure you buy good meat

Looking through the meat section at your local grocery store, you’re probably, like so many others, wondering if the steaks you’ve chosen are really any good. Here are some tips on how to make sure you buy good meat.

1. The quality grade does not necessarily mean that you will get good meat. Some cuts of meat are naturally more tender than others. You should look for cuts of lesser used muscles along the back, such as the rib and loin sections. Shoulder, flank, and leg cuts will be harder.
2. The USDA beef quality grade is like this prime, choice, select, standard, commercial, utility, cutter, and canner. The best beef you can find is, of course, prime beef, but it is very hard to find and comes at a high price. Most of the beef you find at your local grocery store will be select, choice, or standard. Standard is usually sold ungraded or as “brand” meat
3. Roast and steaks should be firm. Don’t buy roasts or steaks that feel mushy or mushy regardless of the type of meat.
4. Check the sale by date and do not buy after that date. You must buy the meat before or on the day that is the “use by” date.
5. Check the packaging for any kind of damage. The meat must be cold and well wrapped.
6. The package must not contain moisture. This could mean that the temperature of the meat has been above 40 degrees and that will make your meat taste of lesser quality.
7. Look for beef that is bright red in color and has a thin, creamy-white fat evenly distributed throughout the roast or steak. On the other hand, the veal should not be bright red; It should be almost white or slightly pink in color.
8. Before you buy any meat, find out if it has been flavored. You don’t want to buy any meat that has been injected with flavorings, this can cause the meat to break down and become musky.
9. Do your own softening. Don’t buy meat that has been tenderized by the butcher. Use pungent products that allow the flavor and natural juices to escape from the meat and this will result in a tough, flavorless meal. Try to buy dry aged if possible. This type of meat will probably only be found in a butcher shop. Dry aging is a process where meat is taken out of the bag it arrives at the butcher and hung in a cooler for a set amount of time to dry. This will drive the cost up, but aging adds more flavor and also tenderizes the meat. If you buy your steak at the local grocery store, the steak has been cut up, wrapped in plastic, and aged on the way to the store.
10. When in doubt, talk to your butcher. He can answer all of his questions about the different types of meat, cuts, and may even have some great recipes for you to try.