One of the many hidden methods of price inflation is putting more water in meat. I have no way to quantify it, but there’s a lot more drippage in beef and pork than there used to be. This is across two different grocery store chains, a big box, and an independent butcher shop, so I doubt it comes down to a single supplier, though it may be a Northeast regional thing.
There’s enough water in the meat that I can’t stir-fry any more; it always turns into a braise, where I have to boil off or spoon off the water. Roast beef and turkey typically have so much water in the drippings that I can’t make gravy. Broiled something or other had so much liquid it overflowed the drip pan.
What can be done about this? I’ve tried setting beef roasts up on end to see if anything drips out. Nothing much. Other than changing the way I cook to accommodate the new meat, I don’t know what to do. Suggestions, O Great and Powerful Preparers of Food out there?
Are you buying branded meats, or stuff from your local butcher (or even your supermarket?) I made the mistake of buying a Hormel pork tenderloin last winter, and yeah, it was bloated with water. OTOH, meat from College Hills (local butcher shop) and Schnuck’s (Midwestern supermarket chain) only becomes soup when I make it so.
Believe it or not, the only place I’ve bought the larger cuts from in the last couple of years that did not have this problem (Disclaimer: I don’t buy from local custom-cutters, their prices are always higher and their apparent quality isn’t any better than the chains), is at Costco.
My remedy on steaks (mostly, I buy only sirloin, and then – from a regular market – it has to be a really good buy) is to stack two or three on a grill rack faced with heavy foil that’s pierced at intervals, over a drip pan in the fridge, and put some heavy things (canned goods work well, or a couple of thick books wrapped in plastic wrap) on top, with a piece of plastic-wrapped card stock in between. I like somewhat-aged beef anyway – 2 to 3 days like this takes out most of the excess water.
I’ll tolerate doing this once in awhile, if the meat’s a really good buy – but mostly, I buy larger cuts at Costco now and re-cut the way I want it.
I don’t buy roasts or whole filet, etc. from regular markets anymore – but, when I still did, I was buying top grade, to cut up and freeze/store most of it for later use. If I got one where it was that wet – and that did start happening more frequently – I took it back, complained, and got either a replacement that was better, or my money back. I’ve never tried the pressing-gimmick on a roast; I’m not sure how that could be done.
The only pork in larger cuts I ever buy is for barbecuing (smoke-cooking, not grilling), and that’s seldom these days, so I can’t help you there.
SteveF, you are right to be somewhat paranoid.
Water added meats have slithered into the market over the last 30 years. It goes to show that you need a local butcher for the most part. Someone that you can trust, who will present you with good meat that hasn’t been over-processed. It would behoove you to develop a good relationship with a good butcher, especially now.
Let me tell you why.
The heat wave we’ve all been experiencing from the Midwest to the East has got cattlemen totally rattled. The slaughterhouses have been going full bore during July. Aging comes next, before packaging for market.
The market is going to be inundated with cheap beef and pork, so you can be selective. Look for for good cuts of beef and pork at good prices, and then go for the cheap cuts. The cheap cuts are really the best if you know what to do with them. Braises and long smoke/grilling cuts are what you’re looking for. Go for those first; they’ll come to market first. Prime cuts will be aged longer, so they’ll come on the market later. Grab them as the price goes down due to supply. I’m assuming you have a good deep freeze.
Akatsukami is making a good point; the best stuff he’s getting is relatively local or regional. That’s what you want to look for.
Another thing: Look at the damned labels, people!
That’s one good thing about USDA. They require the labels to reflect additives, including water.
Look on the label for the word “enhanced.” Replace it in your brain with “degraded”.
Costco is an interesting store. They’ll sell whatever sells well in that market. In some places, that means “enhanced” meat. In other places, that means the same cuts, not enhanced. I”m lucky that I live somewhere it sells non-enhanced meat.
Yeah, an interesting non-intuitive phenomenon is that when feed prices rise, meat gets cheaper. Ranchers would rather slaughter beef and pork than feed them. Hence, an oversupply.
Doc, if I recollect, you’re in Philly, right?
Second J.S. Bridges’s on branding. I’ll get some poultry at the supermarket, but pork and most beef only at the butcher. Whenever you see the ‘Moist and Tender’ or ‘self-basting’ on the label, it’s been loaded w/ brine.
I buy my beef and pork in bulk at Costco, and their quality has been consistently good. Like JB, I buy primals and break them down the way I want them. Usually buy choice instead of prime, too.
I’m about due to buy beef again, but I’ll try to hold off till I see the price dropping, then buy a lot. That’s the way I shop for most things anyhow.
Lived there as a child, but I live in Minneapolis now