So whatever the occasion is, you’re perhaps thinking of treating your family and guests to some tasty beef, there are plenty of choices depending on your style of cooking. Choosing the best cut of meat can be an overwhelming experience, especially when you are looking for something specific. It’s easy to find what you want in your local grocery store or a butcher shop. But when you are looking to buy meat online, this is where your exercise utmost caution or you risk ending up with some low–quality meat.
When shopping for online meat packages, you need to be careful on what to look at. Get to understand the basic element that makes cut of beef tender or tough as well as their qualities. This will help you choose the meat based on how you intend to cook, whether you’re pan-broiling, pan-frying, braising, moist heat or any other cooking style. A research conducted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), indicates that the average American consumed about 198 pounds of meat in 2014. Although this figure plummeted in 2015 and 2016 consecutively, meat’s popularity in U.S. is projected to rise as a result of lower prices and increased variety in the market.
The following guide will help you choose the best meat for your special occasion.
Marbling
Fat dispersion in lean meat is what determines its quality grade. The streaks of fat give the meat a more delectable taste. If you are at your local butcher shop, be sure to access the meat and the best way to do this is by feeling and squeezing it. Cold fat is often hard, and this is what you should feel. A fatty coating is an important element in beef steaks, it not only adds moisture and coating of sorts, but also ensure the steak retains its tenderness. Therefore, as you purchasing online meat packages, look at its fat level to find meat rich in flavor and mature taste.
Tenederizing
While meat from certain animals like chicken, pig, veal and lamb are readily consumable, beef requires tenderizing since it’s mostly tough. There are various ways you can tenderize tough cuts of beef and the most common are pounding, marination with acid, enzymes, salt–it or slow–cook it. This process aims to remove excess liquid and a well tenderize meat develops deeper, yummy taste.
Feeding
Ensure you are buying a grass fed beef as it has a low-fat composition and it’s rich in protein. This kind of meat will significantly reduce the cooking time by up to 30% and it further cooks even after being removed from heat source. Unlike corn–fed chicken, animals that graze has equal lean and fat proportions and they give more tastier beef. This is an important consideration when buying meat bundles.
Meat pricing
A cheap meat does not mean it’s great meat, but you can also buy an expensive piece of steak only to realize you’ve been duped. So, when considering online meat packages, it’s preferable you stick to small sized finer cuts that have fewer chances added salt water.
With these few tips, you can be sure to find a quality meat for a delicious meal. Other important factors to for on an online steak bundle include meat firmness, moisture content, color, pieces shapes and smell.