Last Updated on May 24, 2021 by Ed Joven
Things to Consider When Buying a High-Quality Meat
Hey, meat lovers out there! When you are thinking of your favorite food, you think of different types of meat dishes - fried chicken, steak, or burgers. Just thinking about it makes your mouth water.
Meat is something that is never missing from your grocery list. You must know how to choose the right one when buying. You want to be able to cook and eat high-quality meats for you and your family to enjoy.
For those of you who are clueless on how to select good meat products, here are some things you should consider when buying.
Color
Visual appearance is one of the first things you will notice. Naturally, when you are grocery shopping, you want to buy products that look good and presentable. The color of the meat will tell a lot about its freshness.
If you are getting chicken, it should be white or have a pinkish shade. Other types of meat like pork or beef should ideally have a bright red color. Meats that are vacuum packed will have a slightly brownish tint. These colors will indicate that the meat is fresh.
Make sure that there are no discolorations. You should not see any green patches or other unusual colors. If the colors are off, this can mean that the selection is old or have poor-quality.
Cut
Meat’s quality is based on which part of the animal it came from. Just like what the folks behind Grutto.com say, meat is offered in several cuts. Each cut has a unique characteristic.
Aside from the different cuts, high-quality meat is seen in how it is actually chopped. Good meats are correctly butchered. You will be able to see clean cuts and no jagged edges.
Meat Smell
Another thing you will notice first is the odor of the meat. Naturally, it will have that raw meaty smell. However, if it smells rotten, that is a bad sign.
You can easily differentiate whether the pork, beef, chicken, or lamb has its natural scent or an odd odor. So make sure to watch out for that.
Texture
Check meat quality by looking at its texture. The meat should be firm and tight. If it falls apart, the meat was handled poorly or had a really low quality to begin with. Similarly, you do not want it to be too tough because this might mean that it is from old stock.
The meat should be dry, not sticky as well. You should stay away from meats that are slimy and sticky when touched.
Meat Storage
Of course, when you go to the market, try to see where they display or store the products. Check if it is cleaned and well-maintained. This can also be a tell if the meat products they sell are high quality or not.
These are some things you should look out for when buying any kind of meat. You want to analyze the quality with the use of your senses. See if it looks good visually. Check if it smells fresh. Feel if the meat is in perfect condition.
It is essential to scrutinize the quality of meat because it affects your health. You do not want to eat and serve food that will cause diseases because of low-quality ingredients. Keeping these five things in mind will help in your next grocery shopping.
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Lily Bridgers says
I'm delighted you mentioned that one way to determine the quality of meat is to examine its texture since flesh should be tight and firm. If it crumbles, you said the meat was handled carelessly or was of really poor quality to begin with. This is helpful advice, especially for moms like myself who are trying to locate a nearby meat supplier for my family. This advice means a lot to me as I only want to buy fresh ones!