5 Things to Look For When Buying Quality Meat

If you’re on the hunt for a quality piece of meat, there are a few pieces of criteria the meat needs to meet (you can thank us for this play on words later…). From the packaging to the physical appearance of the meat, you want to ensure your money is well-spent on a delicious piece of meat for whatever the occasion is. Here are five things to look out for when shopping for quality meat.

• The Colour: Beef
  When it comes to buying a scrumptious, high-quality piece of beef, the colour is pivotal. Ensure that it’s a vivid red and not dripping any juices. Red meat should be dark in colour — if it’s anywhere near brown in colour, it simply means it’s been exposed to oxygen. Game meat should be closer to dark brown.

• The Colour: Pork
  Quality pork should have a light pink blush to it. A resilient and fatty surface should be obvious and should not be dripping any juices. Make sure you eat your pork sooner rather than later as it doesn’t last as long as beef. And make sure you know how to store your meat.
  

• The Colour: Chicken
  Chicken’s appearance should include skin with pores that bulge up and whose colour is vivid and translucent. High-quality chicken meat is also thick in density. The colour of poultry can vary from brand to brand because it all depends on the chickens’ respective diets.
  

• The Cuts
  Always look for clean cuts when buying meat that’s of a high standard. One can easily spot good quality meat by the way it’s been butchered. Look for smooth cuts that are uniformly sized and avoid meat with jagged edges. This is particularly important when buying chicken products as lower-grade poultry are not always butchered well which means little care has been taken when removing joints and bones.
  
• Meat Surface, Fat, and Texture
  With red meat, you should be able to see meat fibers when up close. The grain of the fibers will indicate where the meat is tough or tender. Course meat grains with multiple visible muscle fibers mean a slice of tough meat packed with flavour. These are great for low and slow cooking! When buying beef tenderloin, you’ll notice a lack of these grains and therefore a tender, cooked piece of meat. Additionally, meat with flecks and streaks of fat distributed throughout the muscle — also called ‘marbling’ — will mean a juicier and more tender piece of meat. Beef meat should also be firm, dense, and dry in texture and the muscle fibers should be tightly packed and uniform. If it looks like it’s falling apart, it could be due to poor handling, packaging, and quality. Poultry should also be firm and dry — if it looks even vaguely slimy or sticky, stay away!

Buying quality meat is never a waste of money. The culinary experience it could give you will be instantly noticeable when compared to lower-grade cuts of meat. If you’re looking for guidance when buying a quality piece of meat, our friendly team will be happy to help. Otherwise, browse our range of wholesale products today.