Noah's Ultimate Red Meat Thread

[Jman]

The local A&P seems to have a lousy meat department--that is, whenever I would buy something there, it seemed that it was already bad/was about to go bad. After checking things out, I decided that they must not keep their meat room and display counters cold enough--the fat on the cuts always seemed squishy instead of firm. So, this is a two-part question:

1. What large supermarket chains are known for having good meat departments, if any?

2. How can you check out your local markets to make sure that they have good practices? Are there any simple indicators?

 

[JJS]

Fixed it for ya.

Take out the lips part and you're dead on.

 

[Liam]

Is it the lips or assholes that are the key to that rich hotdog flavor?


Are the hotdogs that you pay $8 for at Fenway Park packed with extra lips and assholes?

lips and assholes are always adding flavor

Fenway hotdogs i cant comment on - what is the brand?

If you buy a CAB (Certified Angus Beef) hot dog there are no Lips or assholes - they only use whole muscle

 

[johnny4ever]

How long before the ULTIMATE RED MEAT THREAD?

URMT

?

 

[Liam]

you're best bet of finding good meat is at specialty stores or small butcher shops. Surprisingly Whole Foods have nice well aged beef...and will cut to order.

Questions you should ask the butcher are
1. what grade of beef is it
2. how long do you age it and how do you age it - wet or dry
3. is it cut from a "beef" animal and not a dairy cow - i.e. what part of the country does it come from. If he says NJ, WI, or any known dairy state then you have your answer

If you ask these questions you will less likely get s***ty beef.

careful when you say "prime" ..... Prime rib is usually USDA Choice or Select....

Make sure you see USDA in front of Prime, Choice, and Select

Also Dairy animals grade out as USDA prime as well, but are no where near as good as a USDA Prime beef animal

ditto where-o-where

this sums it up

 

[40Flipper]

lips and assholes are always adding flavor

Fenway hotdogs i cant comment on - what is the brand?

If you buy a CAB (Certified Angus Beef) hot dog there are no Lips or assholes - they only use whole muscle

I'm from Boston and I wouldn't eat a Fenway frank for $1,000. They barely taste like meat. Lips and assholes if you're lucky on those.

 

['74 UA FJ]

I don't give a s*** what is in hot dogs. They taste good. That's the bottom line.


Noah, are grocery store cuts of meat overprices?

 

[Sporin]

Is it true I shouldn't buy chicken on Monday's? (I realize it's not beef but I'd bet you know, thanks)

 

[Liam]

This might come as a surprise to most of you, but the most famous/sought-after beef in Japan is not Kobe, but Matsuzaka or Hida beef.

To have them in Sukiyaki is just heavenly!

Question for Noah, when I tried to have people in the meat department at grocery stores cut the meat REALLY thin for "yakiniku" (Korean BBQ) they just could not slice them thin enough.

Is there anything I can tell them as to how they should slice them; freezing or prepping before slicing, etc... or just try to do it at home?

hummmm...how thin do you want it, just above shaven?

What i would do is tell them to put it on a slicer - they prolly dont want to do that b/c they would have to wash it afterwards....

You can buy a really nice slicing knife that is usually used in Japan to cut - you would look for a knife that is long so you only have one direction of motion - when you get into a "sawing" motion your beef will fall apart.

 

[JJS]

I'm from Boston and I wouldn't eat a Fenway frank for $1,000. They barely taste like meat. Lips and assholes if you're lucky on those.

That was my point. Those things are nasty, and they're literally like $7.

 

[Liam]

The local A&P seems to have a lousy meat department--that is, whenever I would buy something there, it seemed that it was already bad/was about to go bad. After checking things out, I decided that they must not keep their meat room and display counters cold enough--the fat on the cuts always seemed squishy instead of firm. So, this is a two-part question:

1. What large supermarket chains are known for having good meat departments, if any?

2. How can you check out your local markets to make sure that they have good practices? Are there any simple indicators?

go to http://certifiedangusbeef.com and look for retailers that carry CAB......it is your best bet for bigger chains stores.

Whole Foods is good, Wild Oats - basically stores like these will have decent beef - be sure and ask questions though.

squishiness = dairy animal in most cases - they tend to have a watery look and taste to them


You really dont know if they have good practices unless you keep having a bad experience each time you shop there or unless you go into the back room. I would suggest you find a butcher you like and stick to them.

 

[Liam]

How long before the ULTIMATE RED MEAT THREAD?

URMT

?

if i can get a Mod to change the Title on this one we will have one!!!!!

 

[Liam]

I'm from Boston and I wouldn't eat a Fenway frank for $1,000. They barely taste like meat. Lips and assholes if you're lucky on those.

hotdogs also have fillers which decrease the price of the dog, which in turn decreases the amount of actual meat in the dog as well..

 

[40Flipper]

Should I start a WINE Mythbusters thread? seems like a good match

All this beef talk is making me want some steak tips and cabernet....


NOAH- What is your favorite marinade and beef cut combination?

 

[Liam]

Noah, are grocery store cuts of meat overprices?

two part answer

typically they are cheap b/c they use s*** beef and dont have to hold beef inventory very long , but if their "shrink" is a lot then they have to pass that price on to the consumer.

shrink = meat they have to toss b/c it didnt sell

 

[beaufort-fj60]

go to http://certifiedangusbeef.com and look for retailers that carry CAB......it is your best bet for bigger chains stores.

that link listed every grocery store here except two, the publix and the foodlion.

 

[Liam]

Is it true I shouldn't buy chicken on Monday's? (I realize it's not beef but I'd bet you know, thanks)

depends on when they get their delivery's - Sunday is a big shopping day, so if the chicken case looks picked over and not full then i would pass on a Monday buy...

 

[Liam]

Should I start a WINE Mythbusters thread? seems like a good match

All this beef talk is making me want some steak tips and cabernet....


NOAH- What is your favorite marinade and beef cut combination?

i dont marinate beef unless it is ribs or something i will cook for more than 3 hours......

I put olive oil, course sea salt, and cracked pepper on my steaks - that is it...

 

[Liam]

that link listed every grocery store here except two, the publix and the foodlion.

it will depend on what they are buying - it could only be a CAB hotdog or some other CAB item......also depends on location.

These are the CAB licensed retailers, it doesn't mean that all of their beef is CAB or any of it for that matter....

 

[Jman]

go to http://certifiedangusbeef.com and look for retailers that carry CAB......it is your best bet for bigger chains stores.

Whole Foods is good, Wild Oats - basically stores like these will have decent beef - be sure and ask questions though.

squishiness = dairy animal in most cases - they tend to have a watery look and taste to them


You really dont know if they have good practices unless you keep having a bad experience each time you shop there or unless you go into the back room. I would suggest you find a butcher you like and stick to them.

Interesting. I've stuck pretty much to Whole Foods, Fresh Direct, and then Shop Rite as the #1, #2, and #3 sources. Shop Rite is the store most frequently listed on the CAB site among the big chains, so looks like they simply buy better beef.

By the way, not sure who you hook up with professionally, but Fresh Direct is getting more and more of my business--they are on the way up. Do you sell to them?