Wal-Mart meats and Q

quote:

Originally posted by WVHillbilly

If the same percentage of the American public bought from local producers as the percentage here at RF who claim to do so, the family farm would not be a nearly extinct.

This is a good possibility. I now live in an area that has farm land in my back yard, and buy "local produce". Why not?--It is so much tastier than anything you could possibly get in a grocery store! Granted, some is not from here, but as season kicks in, there will be much more "locally grown".
V960--
If only everyone that eats beef could taste how much better "organic"-(I use that term loosely), tastes, they would be following in my footsteps.
I have not tried it with pork or chicken yet, but will soon.
I have only been buying the beef.

quote:

Originally posted by Bushie

Think local, buy local. If everyone focused on their friends and neighbors, and worried about doing right by those people, instead of trying to stick their nose in everybody else's life, I believe we'd all be better off.

and...

quote:

Originally posted by Bushie

And if the same percentage of the American public bought from local restaurants and businesses (instead of chains and large corporate stores), we'd have more of them, too.

Once again, words to follow, if not live by.

I wish I knew of a local producer. I know that Florida produces a lot of beef, but I am not sure where to find one - and, more importantly, one who would sell in parcels small enough to accommodate my single lifestyle.

Instead, though, I do support a local market, which I find to be wonderful, and very affordable for top quality product. I have mentioned them before, but if you are in the Melbourne< FL area, I would encourage you to seek out Petty's Meat Market. They are a gourmet/deli/butcher/wine shop, who sell top of line meats, cheeses, and various cooking sundries. They also have a geat deli department, which sells Boar's Head cold cuts - often cheaper than the local Publix. The deli department also does some hot entrees each day, plus soup and veggies. It is a great way to grab lunch relatively inexpensively.

Oh...and they have a keg of beer available for free to anyone shopping! Drinking and shopping - two thumbs up!

http://www.pettysmeatmarket.com/gettoknow.htm

just when I thought Sam's club was safe for chicken..this morning, I noticed on the packages of Perdue wings and whole chickens ( I didn't check the rest) that they contained up to 12% solution..now the oven stuffers did not...but still alas Purdue is as guilty as the rest when it comes to adding salty water to plump up their products...guess I'll have to find another source for my wings....

Linda, I recently learned that virtually all commercial poultry in the U.S. is water-chilled, usually using some kind of salt solution. Again, adds weight to the finished product. Many organic producers and a couple of commercials are now offering air-chilled chicken which in my opinion cooks up crisper and meatier tasting than soaked birds (and I'm a longtime fan of Perdue).

MBA is one producer that markets the "Smart Chicken" brand through some grocery chains. In my area it's only available at Big Y and demands a premium price, but I buy it whenever it's on sale.

Like many cookteams,we buy our comp,and cater meats from Sam's.

Although wallyworld pumps everything,I have yet to find any injected pork,or beef at Sam's.

We travel much of the SE and Midwest.

Tom
FireHouseBBQ

Like many comp cookteams,we buy our meats for comps and caters at Sam's.

We have yet to see injected pork or beef at the Sam's around the SE and MW and the OK,TX cooks don't seem to find it.

Tom
FireHouseBBQ
Certified BBQ Judge KCBS,MIM,FBA

I shop at the Sam's club in Latham NY...and the Perdue packages were clearly labelled...of which I'm greatful...I knew the price was too good to be true...and Hannaford's ( one of the 2 major grocery stores in the area) many times sells chicken wings marked as previously frozen in their fresh chicken dept..I'm sorry...but if I wanted frozen wings..I'd buy them frozen...not defrosted only to possibly go back into my freezer...YUCK..and the other major chain..Price Chopper...seems to have the Natural Purdue....but prices are much higher......oh well...guess I'll have to keep looking...

My daughter asked me to help last year with a cookout for her sorority. She and her girlfriends bought the burgers at a SuperWalmart--they bought the prefab, frozen patties. Only 100% beef, the label proclaimed

When I threw them on the grill, they immediately flamed up, then shrank at least 40%. The smell was a little wierd too.

Only then did I have the presence of mind to check the ingredients--the first ingredient was beef hearts, the second was beef tripe, the third, beef tallow, then ground beef, then water. The label was right, though, 100% beef was the only meat they contained. Still nasty.

We threw them away and went to a real store.

I think it's possible to buy untreated, uninjected meat in most of the country, if you're willing to look and, often, to pay the price. If you live anywhere near a city and you've got a cooler, there's likely a Whole Foods, Wild Oats, Trader Joe's or other natural foods supermarket around. There may even be decent butchers around.

Or you might be able to go directly to the source: maybe there's a farm near you that sells its own beef, pork or poultry! Here in Boston, my wife and I get our beef from River Rock Farm out in Brimfield ( www.riverrockfarm.com ), which sells its own farm-raised natural dry-aged beef not only through local farmers markets and stores, but directly through its website. Prices are entirely reasonable for what they offer (brisket for $6.95 a pound!) and they offer free delivery in the city! For pork, we go to Winrose Farm in Greenfield NH ( www.winrosefarm.com ), which also offers chicken and turkey. Chicken is definitely the hardest thing to find locally, probably because chicken farms are so heavily regulated.

I bought a new picnic shoulder from a Martin's (Giant(Ahold corp)) store yesterday, did it on the Q last night for 12 hours. Nothing like a great pulled pork sandwich for breakfast!

The shoulder was a Smithfield brand out of Pa.

MikeS.

I believe Swift packs the best Baby Backs. I get them at Costco, although the Smithfield brand is starting to show up.

why do they add the solution?
so the beef can be frozen
thatz how it comes now - like pork and chicken it comes through the supply chain as frozen, pre-packaged shelf keeping items
without the solution beef gets a funky look when thawed
if it does not "look good" it won't sell
same thing in produce
that is the dollars and cents of it
look in the cutting room - there are no saws - they don't cut at store level any longer
payroll and waste go down and margins go up
overhead goes down and financial rating goes up, along with the stock price
thatz the american way
ps- i don't buy it either