Pre-packed beef in supermarkets?

Legacy_user

Just curious here, the pre packed beef you buy in supermarkets I.E steak, roast etc is it just me who has this issue but is it all full of fat?

We don't buy it to often as its expensive but because my OH works in a supermarket she gets first pick of the reduced beef, so the other week she landed home with a nice piece of silverside, I cooked it and it was like chewing a tyre, it was full of fat, and I don't mean the fat thats round the outside, the actual beef was full of fat. My OH blamed me and the way I cooked it, I said you can't polish a turd, and she said well we will see.

So yesterday we had some nice sirloin at £7 each from Tesco which she cooked, again like chewing a tyre so much so I said !!!! than and never ate it.

Now compare that the the beef that comes out of our local butchers, the meat is soft and tender and just melts in your mouth but it is so bloody expensive its only bought on special occasions.

GettingHitched

I couldnt agree with you more.

I work at a Tesco, and I have several times bought home ( reduced ) meat and really really unimpressed with any of it. ( try the Pork, its much worse )

I also feel the same way towards most of the meat that supermarkets sell, even the "finest" ranges dont come anywhere near good butcher meats. FWIW, Im not a fish fan, but I force myself to eat fish at least once a week ( cos im a good gal ) never really liked it till I found a lovely fishmonger. Tastes so much fresher and smells so different to the prepack and so called "fish counter" in T's

System

GettingHitched wrote: »

I couldnt agree with you more.

I work at a Tesco, and I have several times bought home ( reduced ) meat and really really unimpressed with any of it. ( try the Pork, its much worse )

I also feel the same way towards most of the meat that supermarkets sell, even the "finest" ranges dont come anywhere near good butcher meats. FWIW, Im not a fish fan, but I force myself to eat fish at least once a week ( cos im a good gal ) never really liked it till I found a lovely fishmonger. Tastes so much fresher and smells so different to the prepack and so called "fish counter" in T's

I needn't just blame Tesco's, we have also been to Asda, Iceland, Lidl, Morrisons and all the same story, I wonder if Waitrose or M&S is the same?? I wonder where they get this meat but its rubbish.

Pretani

Sirloin Roasts (silverside) are tuff at the best of times, even from the butcher. They have to be slow cooked. A slow cooker is good for them. i've never ate the pre-packed sirloin steaks from the supermarket, but I've ate sirloin steaks behind the counter as they're generally aged longer. They're fine, plus you get to choose what thickness. Make sure he meat is a deep red colour. The pre-packed stuff seems to be bright red and not aged.

Sainsburys in N.Ireland were doing silverside 1/2 price. I bagged 3 of them.

Pretani

...and if you're getting the meat behind the counter, get the person to tenderize it.

Pretani

...and another thing. [sounding like a troll here with 3 posts in a row]

If you're cooking a roast like silverside, it makes a difference to how you cut it. Always cut against the grain, not with it. Cutting with the grain makes it chewy, even if you've cooked it right.

Burlesque_Babe

How did you cook it? I would always put silverside (plus other cuts such as brisket) in the slow cooker. I wouldn't roast the meat, it would be too tough. It just falls apart when it's been in the slow cooker - yummy!

Supermarket meat isn't particularly aged well, so it's going to be even tougher.

Pretani

here's a great video on cooking steak. Lots of info

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiQ0VOJmCbg&NR=1

System

The way I cooked it is the same way I always cook a roast, in the oven 150'c for around 4 hours in a casserole dish with some water and covered.

Pretani

nirelandguy wrote: »

The way I cooked it is the same way I always cook a roast, in the oven 150'c for around 4 hours in a casserole dish with some water and covered.

that should have cooked it. Presuming you cut it against the grain I would say it was a bad bit of beef, unfortunately it happens.

Pretani

here's another video on roast cuts of beef and how to age them in your fridge.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmfaeWEjGpM&feature=related