What's the Beef?

[bobmark226]

I was already disgusted with a ShopRite I went to for the first time after going through a fairly nasty produce section when I hit the meat department in search of ground beef.

All the packages were labelled by percentage of leaness, in this case 80, 85 and 93% and just "ground beef."

I like to know what my hamburger is going to taste like, thank you, by the cut, chuck, round, or sirloin, thank you.

So I asked a butcher who was stocking a nearby case if he could tell me what the cuts were or if there was any other that was labelled, answer to which was a curt "no."

Is this some nasty new trend, presumably for health concerns, but really fobbing off odd cuts?

In any case, I could live without it and I won't be back!

Bob

[sneezles]

'Round here it's labeled with both the cut and the percentage. I buy the sirloin that's 95% (according to the package). Since it's the fat that gives it the flavor I'd say that information is more important than the cut...not as if ground beef is tough, grissly maybe but not tough, JMHO!

As for the customer service you rec'd that would be more important than the labeling...

[nowimcooking]

We have three supermarkets in my town, two of them do the same labeling you described and the other one labels by ground chuck, sirloin, etc. I fear it IS a trend.

I agree with you and prefer that they would all label by cut. Hopefully they read the CLBB! :D

[bobmark226]

'Round here it's labeled with both the cut and the percentage. I buy the sirloin that's 95% (according to the package). Since it's the fat that gives it the flavor I'd say that information is more important than the cut...not as if ground beef is tough, grissly maybe but not tough, JMHO!


Yes, we have that kind of labelling here, Susan. The Food Emporium (A&P) labels the sirloin, etc, but they also have that mystery ground beef labelled 93% which I refuse to buy because I don't know what's in it.

I'm not sure I agree with you about what's more important. I think it's a given for most of us who know what we're doing that chuck is fattier, round is leaner, etc., but for me, they have very distinctive tastes, which doesn't have to do with the "flavor" that fat gives. I know of another market that sells a percentage beef, but it's also labelled as part chuck/part sirloin. I mostly use ground sirloin for plain burgers because I like it best. With that labelling system, I can't find it.

Besides, what if I wanted to make Alton Brown's meatloaf, which uses half of each of the forementioned? :rolleyes:

I still think it's a way to include or mix inferior cuts and combinations!

Bob

[Lrimerman]

One more reason that I am glad I buy organic, pastured, local beef from a farmer. He sends it to the processor and we tell them how we want it cut, packaged, etc. They don't label it by cut, but if asked they probably would. I just know that last year was the first year we did this and the beef was so good, the quality was terrific.

Lisa

[funniegrrl]

Most supermarkets these days get the meat shipped in already packaged, so the "butcher" in the store has no knowledge or control of what's in it other than what's already on the label.

Maybe you should start buying all of your meat from someplace like Omaha Steaks ... :D

OR ... buy the cuts yourself and start grinding your own!

[jtoepfert100]

I've never seen meat labeled any other way around here. It might be different at Wild Oats or Fresh Market, but I probably can't afford it there anyway. It's not just the ground beef either. The cuts of "steak" are also labeled such that I have no idea what they are half the time.

As far as butchers go, the ones in the grocery stores don't seem to do much but man the counter and pull out items from the freezer. Usually, if I request a specific cut, they tell me they can only sell it the way it has already been prepared. This is why I laugh when I read recipes that tell me to have my butcher prepare a certain kind of meat, etc. :rolleyes:

[Canice]

I was just going to ask if you could either have them grind it for you or do it yourself at home. No way I would buy the mystery meat. Not just because of unpredictable flavor, but unpredictable other stuff too.
Charming employee, eh? He must be the exception, because it seems most times I deal with butchers they're pretty into their goods!

[AndreaU]

That's why, if I do need beef, I buy ground buffalo meat... it's a bit leaner, lower in cholesterol and, IMO, tastier! More $, but I don't mind paying more to get a quality product.

[funniegrrl]

This is why I laugh when I read recipes that tell me to have my butcher prepare a certain kind of meat, etc.

In specialty markets -- NOT supermarkets -- they do still have real butchers. And, in my city there are actually a couple of actual butcher shops and fishmongers. However, if you live in a rural area or even small city that just might not be an option.

Just for the record, at Kroger where I shop 98% of the time, cuts ARE labled specifically, and ground beef IS labled with both the cut it came from and fat %.