Conference turris::cooks

    Hello,
    I don't know where you live but if you use a small butcher you can
    almost be sure of good meat if you ask his advice.After all your custom
    is his future.Steer clear of supermarkets as the pre wrapped meat is
    always displayed fat side down to look at its best and you can end up
    buying a load of gristly rubbish.Chickens are easy,buy the one that
    looks fattest for its size,rather than large and skinny at the same
    weight.This will ensure you get the most meat in the weight class.
    Also steer clear of frozen or previously frozen meats and poultry,one
    you don't know how long its been frozen and two you never get the same
    taste from frozen meat as fresh.
    One story that broke here in England was of 12 year old beef being
    brought out of storage in the EEC and put out for sale.Yuk!It was later
    described as being available only for sausage and meat products
    manufacturers but even so,12 years old! An expert queried about the
    incident said that the meat would have chemically altered state in 12
    years,what he meant by this is unclear to me.Perhaps our biology buff
    could tell us?
    Not extracting the urine this time honest,
    Geoff.

    
    I'm a veggie, and I can't pick out meats, I allwasy have the
    butcher help me, or a nice passer by who looks like hey know
    what they are doing.  I've learned, that you want some marbeling
    and rich color.
    
    Louisa

    A butcher can help but if you have a strict budget; be forewarned that
    he is probably going to offer you the most expensive pieces.  
    
    Steaks are going to be your biggest problem.  There are just so many. 
    Personally, I find a good london broil is always nice if marinated for
    a few days and cut across the grain.  Tenderloin's are high quality but
    sometimes I just don't find them tasty, just tender.  These two have a
    difference of several dollars in price.  I always look for as little
    fat as possible, along with minimal marble, and of course, a rich red
    color.  I use the bottom rounds for roasting.  I used to use the eye
    round but I have found these to be alittle tough lately.    
    
    I think you will find hamburg a personal preference.  I don't like any
    more than 20% fat in mine.  I also prefer freshly made ground turkey to
    hamburge most of the time.  If you are going to go with the turkey
    meats, don't buy frozen; always buy fresh. 
    
    Chicken was covered by a previous reply.  Remember to always check
    dates on everything you buy.  Oh, if you see alot of red blood in
    chicken, pass it by.
    
    I believe there is a note somewhere in here about meats and what cut is
    good for which recipes.  
    
    cj
    
    
    
    

    For poultry, chicken especially, be sure the bird is USDA Grade A.
    Or if you want to be snooty, buy Perdue exclusively. You can also
    buy boneless cuts, especially chicken breasts and thighs, which are
    somewhat more expensive but may be worth it in conveneince.
    
    For beef there are three quality grades you might encounter:
    
    USDA Prime - The best, most tender available, and not very widely.
    USDA Choice - Very high quality, available everywhere.
    USDA Select - Formerly "USDA Good", relabeled to sound more appetizing.
    		  You want to buy this if you're into "lean" beef.
    		  Often stores use this grade for their "house" brand.
    There are four other USDA grades, none of which you are likely to
    encounter in the meat section.
    
    In addition to the quality grades there are also "yield grades", which
    tell you how much of the meat is fat. Yield grades run from 1 to 5,
    1 being leanest and 5 being fattest. It's rare to see the yield grade
    shown in a supermarket but in case you run across it, that's what it is.
    
    About steaks: if you want a good steak with little effort, and hang the
    cholesterol and cost, then buy yourself a rib eye ("Delmonico") steak.
    Pop it on the ol' grill for a few minutes, turn it over once, and you've
    got yourself a fine entree that cuts easy and tastes great.
    
    Inexpensive cuts of beef are usually cooked slow and in a liquid, such
    as stew or chili. Sometimes they are marinaded or tenderized. You don't
    do that with the more expensive stuff.
    
      John

  Another thing. I live northwest of Boston and I don't know if this is rele-
vant to other regions, but don't take the date stamp as gospel. I have seen
beef, pork, and chicken in the local stores with time on the date code that was
obviously spoiled. For red meat, look for a bright red color, not a dull red
or gray. For chicken, it's harder to tell but I have sort of learned, at least
for Perdue chicken drumsticks. (Yes, Perdue chicken can spoil in the store 
before the date stamp expires. I have asked Perdue for a refund 3 times over 
the last 5 years because of this. Perdue has only limited control over its 
product once it leaves their facility.)