Attention meat lovers! If you love a good steak and know how to manage meat on a grill you might be very interested in what a grocery store butcher has to say about buying meats from your chain grocers.
This insider insight will have you up and running for your next trip to the butcher. Youโll be an expert and not run into the perils of paying too much for meats that arenโt worth the price.
Mashed.com is the โultimate destination for all things food.โ Their YouTube channel has so many videos that cover so many food-related topics.
โWhether youโre looking for the latest foodie news, the dirt on your favorite celebrity chefs, or inspiration for tonightโs dinner, weโve got you covered.โ
This video gathers some great advice from a Butcher who has worked at a large national grocery chain since 2013. You get some behind the counter advice on what not to waste your money on when it comes to meat.
Some of the tips and insights are shocking. So get your pencil and paper ready to take some notes for your meat buying crib sheet.
The number one โno-noโ on the list is ready made meats. Sure the fine folks behind the counter did all the leg work to prepare and marinade these โready for the barbequeโ meats, but it might not be best for the meat.
Instead, pick out your favorite cut of meat, looking for something on sale, and then ask your butcher for their favorite marinade that they sell at the store. The already marinated meats might be over marinated which can cause the meat to be mushy.
Although you might think itโs a great idea to save time cutting up vegetables for your kabobs by purchasing the pre-made kabobs, this butcher says itโs never worth the 60% markup.
Instead, ask the butcher to cube your meat and then you customize with a wider variety of vegetables for your homemade kabobs. Pineapple anyone?
Donโt buy filet? That sounds strange as filet is one of the finest cuts of meat that beef has to offer. The butcher says itโs an overrated cut of meat with a premium price to match.
This behind the counter expert says to go for terus major instead, which is a similar tender cut of meat with about 1/3rd of the price.
When it comes to chicken, itโs best to avoid chicken labeled โwater chilled.โ The chicken will absorb the chlorinated water and then it evaporates when cooked leaving a smaller and possibly rubbery chicken.
Instead, look for chicken labeled โAir Chilled.โ And note, if there is no label you can assume it has been water chilled.
A YouTuber Jason S commented on thisโฆ
โโWater chilledโ seems like one of those marketing terms created to disguise what is really happening with your food. The birds are chlorinated to disinfect them and cooling them at the same time is more like a side effect.โ
And look for chicken labeled โNo Antibiotics.โ
Donโt just settle for โNo Added Hormones,โ which is already required by the United State Department of Agriculture in the first place.
One fun easter egg with this video is their use of clips from popular movies and television. These clips have entertainment stars enjoying all things meat. How many famous folks can you point out?
To name a few, we saw Mike Myers, Nick Offerman, and John Candy. Who else is can you tag in this video?
So there you have it. Take these notes from a โbehind the counter insiderโ and take your next barbeque to the next level. Your family and friends will thank you once they taste the goods.
Watch the video below for this butcherโs great advice!
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