How To Get The BEST-TASTING Meat In Supermarkets

It is very important that the meat you are buying is fresh, but just how do you determine this.

Two of the main things to check are the colour and the smell of the meat.

Meat starts to turn brown when it sits for awhile. You want your meat to be a nice red colour. Watch that the supermarket does not have 'red lighting' above the meat section and it there is a red light inspect the meat away from the light. When you choose ground beef, avoid any meat that has a brownish hue to it. Smell the package of meat you select. If there is any odour to it, don't buy it. If it smells off you can be sure it is not as fresh as you want it to be.

When you purchase a vacuum-sealed meat, it means that the air has been zapped out of it and this will change the colour of the meat slightly to a purplish hue, so in this case if you plan to eat the meat in the next day or two, vacuum-sealed meats are a good option. However, inspect the vacuum seal. If you see air pockets around the meat and the package seems puffy or bloated, likely, it was packaged awhile ago and you should avoid it.

When you buy meat, even from a butcher where you see it is fresh and passes the colour and smell test, leave it wrapped in the butcher wrapping until you open it to cook it. Don't open ahead of time and let air onto the meat.

If you don't plan to eat the meat within two days then you can always freeze it in a zip lock bag. Use a good heavy duty freezer bag and be sure that you get all the air out.

When you take your meat from the freezer and thaw it, to know you have been successful in freezing it properly, again be sure to use the smell test prior to cooking.

Finding a great local butcher that you know is using good organic meat will go a long way towards making sure that the meat you put into your body is the best you can get.