Just thinking about “steak au poivre” makes your mouth water. However, no matter how many ingredients and flavors you use in the dish, it will not have the same high-class taste like a five-star hotel if the beef is of poor quality. Here let’s know ‘How can you tell what is good quality beef?’.
How can find good quality beef?
There are different types of beef available in supermarkets and grocery shops, and while they may look to some to be the same, there are always ways of recognizing the best one if you pay attention to key details while purchasing it. Let’s delve further to know more.
What kind of beef is best for your supper?
A good quality beef can be identified by its color, smell, texture, and visible fat. Look for prime grade beef, which is the highest quality grade mark. Good packaging is also necessary for determining the quality of a product. Let’s have a further discussion of these factors:-
1. The right color of beef
Color is the most important factor in determining the grade of meat. The color of the beef should be cherry-red, with a hint of purple. Avoid any beef that is grey or brown in color, even if it is just a small bit.
Initially, new beef has a purplish color, but when exposed to air, the flesh soon turns brilliant red due to myoglobin.
2. The right smell
Simply smelling the meat can tell you if it is fresh or not. This is the quickest technique to determine the freshness of meat. Fresh beef should have little to no odor. However, if you smell a sour or rotten egg, don’t use the meat since it has spoiled.
3. Fine Texture for great quality
The meat should have a firm, dense, cohesive, and dry texture to it. When I say firm, I don’t mean tough, rather, the meat should be neither too soft nor too hard, this is the optimum texture of fresh beef. It should not be misty or shaky. If the meat looks to be coming apart, it might be due to improper handling or poor quality.
4. The better the fat surface, the better the flavor.
What makes a steak taste the most appetizing is its juicy and soft texture However, your beef will only have that taste if it has considerable marbling. The white specks of intramuscular fat in meat are known as marbling. An excellent cut of fatty beef will have a fair amount of white flecks dispersed throughout the cut.
5. Good packaging that is safer
Perhaps you’re thinking what role does packaging have in determining the quality of beef? However, packing is equally crucial. Because meat is a type of product that cannot be exposed to oxygen, which can cause bacteria to grow and cause the meat to spoil, proper packaging protects goods against contamination and deterioration, extends the product’s life, provides product visibility, and displays label information is also important.
6. Grade of beef
Beef is graded by USDA meat graders who are highly experienced. From a consumer viewpoint, beef is graded in two ways:
- Quality ratings for tenderness, juiciness, and taste
- Yield grades for the amount of useable lean meat on the carcass.
The beef has been graded by the USDA into eight categories based on its quality as follows:-
- USDA Prime
- USDA Choice
- USDA Select
- USDA Standard
- USDA Utility
- USDA Commercial
- USDA Cutter
- USDA Canner
Conclusion
When the market is flooded with options, it might be difficult to find the best quality goods, especially for those who aren’t used to purchasing kitchen items. So, rather than nagging your head over which one to buy, just go with the one that has the best flavor and quality. If you know how to recognize them, you may pick any of them since your cuisine will taste the greatest in the end.
Frequently asked question
- How long can you keep cooked beef in the refrigerator?
According to USDA Cooked beef should be used within 3 to 4 days if kept refrigerated (40°F or less). Refrigerators can only slow the growth of bacteria, not stop it altogether.
- How long can you freeze ground beef?
According to USDA, Ground beef is safe indefinitely if kept frozen, but it is best if used within 4 months. Refrigerate or freeze ground beef as soon as possible after purchase.
- Is meat bad if it turns brown in the freezer?
Color changes can occur in frozen foods. It happen, Because of the oxygen presence, myoglobin undergoes oxidation, which causes chemical changes. But they are still safe to eat.
- Between prime and choice, which one is better?
Both are high-quality beef, but prime is far better than choice. Because it has more marbling than the choice.
