Tips On Buying Meat

Heading out to the grocery store? Chef Corey has some great tips for choosing meats!

​Beef & red meats 
- Should be firm and bright vibrant red color, there should be no grayer browning. 
- There should be no excess liquid.
- When it comes to the fat around the beef it should be pure white, no yellowing, 
- The meat should be tight not pulling away from other muscle fibers.
- If it looks mushy its been frozen and re frozen.

Pork 
- Pork should be pink with a slight gray to it, the tender loin it more of a red color and it the darkest part of the pork.
- Fat should also be creamy white, no off colors.
- Meat should have a silky touch, not slimy, nor dry.
- the smell should almost be neutral.

Chicken/ Poultry 
- Chicken breasts should be firm and have a pink/tan hue, once some grayness starts to appear its getting old.
- Avoid excess liquid.
- Smell is the best indicator of bad chicken, the nose knows. However free range organic Chickens can have a much different smell than commercial chickens, they have a much stronger sent, often baryard / musk its easy to mistake this sent as the chicken login bad.


Fish 
This can get a little fishy….(pun intended)
-The gills (should they still be intact) should be bright red, full of oxygen.
- The eye should be clear and not glazed over.
- The meat should be firm, if you touch with your finger the spot you touched should spring back immediately.
- If a whole fish with scales it should be a bit slimy, this is naturally on the fish and it helps them swim, if the fish’s body id dry and leathery its old.


So for all proteins; follow your senses and trust your instincts.

Look: There should be a fresh looking quality to it, if it just doesn’t look right don’t settle with it.

Touch: All proteins should have a firm to semi firm feel to them, the spring test is the best way to tell, if your finger print just stays where you pressed its not that fresh, it it pops back, you're good to go.

Smell: I say this all the time, the Nose Knows!

​Best of luck with your shopping!