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Thread ID: 87493	2008-02-23 20:25:00	New Zealand Meat	bk T (215)	PC World Chat

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
642996	2008-05-22 05:06:00	I would never buy meat from Pak N Save. Ironically, our local Pak n Save has better fish than any of the local fish shops I've tried, and way better than Foodtown. I've no idea why it is but I assume they have someone clued up running the fish department. Like to get the meat from our neighbourhood butcher. Steaks, particularly, are better than at the super.	Biggles (121)
642997	2008-05-23 00:54:00	Whoops, something wrong here. I'll start again. The details are as much a mystery to me too, as they probably are to other average farming folk involved in the industry in those days. It is true, though, that we did get Ladas & Belarus's as payment and we did miss out on $100m (which in today's terms would be huge). I do know an ex Kiwi Dairies chairman & on occasions I run into him. Next time I see him (or any other ex-director), I'll ask about this, as I'm curious now myself, and I'll post on this thread. Just out of curiosity, Quaffer, can you tell me, in what respect are you involved in NZ Dairy's economic issues? Many thanks - I look forward to additional anecdotes if nothing else. My involvement is tangential, but am here doing some consulting regarding those markets, price risk, etc.	quaffer (13434)
642998	2008-05-23 09:03:00	The quality of New Zealand export meat is something I was very much involved with in 1966-75 at a local research insitute. Meat quality is primarily judged by its' tenderness and the focus of the work I was involved with was wholly concerned with avoidance of reduced eating quality through poor slaughtering and subsequent storage practices. The loss of quality can be substantial. I know nothing about local abattoir practices then or now but I doubt whether they would have the expertise or the will to carry out best practices. It was generally believed though that a home killed animal hung in a shed to stiffen (at ambient temperatures not below about 10C) and perhaps hung for a few days longer, would have a very good chance of being as good as or better than any professionally prepared meat. This was the normal practice in the days before modern refrigeration and blast freezers. I was able to demonstrate this once when deerstalking in the Kaimanawas during the roar (in sub zero temperatures). One of us got a deer and as was traditional, cut out the two loins and was about to put them outside into the food locker for the next mornings' breakfast. We'd been talking about the work I was doing so I grabbed one of loins wrapped it in Gladwrap and it spent he night in with me in my feather sleeping bag enjoying a cosy 30C+ temperature while the one outside was gradually going into rigor mortis at about -5C. Both loins were chucked into a frypan in the morning for breakfast and the difference between the two post-mortem treatments was remarkable. The sleeping bag one was delicious while the other was like old boots. If the two loins had spent another 4/5 days at their respective temperatures the difference in eating quality would have been even more remarkable. The lesson is that freshly slaughtered animals should not be chilled or frozen until the bulk of post mortem rigor is reached - under normal circumstances, 16-20 hours. The second lesson is that your local slaughterman/ butcher doesn't need to have a science degree to produce edible meat, but it would sure help.	brig (1359)
642999	2008-05-23 11:10:00	Meat is graded, the best is considered export quality gets exported - while a fair amount goes to the good restaurants(but they pay for it- and charge accordingly) Supermarkets generally buy as cheaply as they can, (although the don't use the same philosophy when selling) and the result can be experienced in the eating. Finding a good honest butcher is the knack or luck - our one in Mt Eden who has been trading there for well over 50 years they had the most weighed fingers in the business - but quite good meat even if a little short measured. In Australia - if you want good meat - go to a butcher - I am pleasantly surprised at the quality of Aussie lamb, prefer it to NZ,a lot leaner not nearly as fatty - probably because of lack of lush grazing, and reasonably priced - Legs $6.99/Kg mid loin chops $20 for 2 KG. Beef is accurately graded, and if one buys the cheapest, then it isn't top quality	KenESmith (6287)
643000	2008-05-23 11:38:00	I find Pac n Slave have the worst meat, and they try to hide all the fat behind the meat. They also add a great big absorbant thing into the back of the pack, which I am sure is part of the weight. It isn't just the meat, but also the fresh produce which is very poor quality. It is either not fresh or has mould growing on it. More people should complain about the quality, becuase they will keep serving it up, if they can get away with it.	robbyp (2751)
643001	2008-05-23 21:50:00	Meat is graded, the best is considered export quality gets exported Yes, in a regular export meat processing plant, meat is graded, for all sorts of things but not for the thing that ultimately matters most, that is the customer's experience when they sit down to a meal and take the first bite. Meat quality is determined by consumers and meat scientists mostly by its tenderness and despite many brave attempts to find one and many optimistic claims, no one has discovered a practical and reliable way to predict the tenderness of raw meat. It is possible to produce meat which has not been toughened during processing through lack of care or knowledge of best industry practices, and with subsequent aging (hanging) a superior product will nearly always result, but this costs and the consumer will to pay a premium for it. As I said above, I have no experience of local abattoir practices, but I imagine that most meat we buy in New Zealand is processed at minimal cost and will therefore not be as good quality that might otherwise have been possible.	brig (1359)
643002	2008-05-23 21:54:00	We get the USDA Inspected seals on our meats... ..but I wanna know if they PASSED the inspection, not that they just got inspected.	SurferJoe46 (51)
643003	2008-05-23 23:06:00	Brig... perhaps you could enlighten me... I've heard of many recommendations by some top TV chefs to only buy meat that's been hung for up to 30 days, or more. How come it doesn't go off? By the way, I have a technique of determining taste and tenderness prior to cooking, how well a steak will taste, by shaving off a few bits and eating it raw (with a touch of salt, pepper and lemon). If it's too chewy then it's an indicator that no matter how I cook it, it'll have less flavoursome taste. I have to add that it's quite an addictive thing eating some raw steak like this. But caution... steak tartare is a different thing altogether unless its been minced only moments before serving... reason being is that the more outside surface is in contact with the air, the more bacteria can affect the meat, leading to some nasty gastro affects.	Greg (193)
643004	2008-05-23 23:38:00	I've heard of many recommendations by some top TV chefs to only buy meat that's been hung for up to 30 days, or more. How come it doesn't go off? In a temperature controlled environment, not a warm room. Google it, theres lots on aging meat..............	pctek (84)
643005	2008-05-24 00:42:00	Brig... perhaps you could enlighten me... I've heard of many recommendations by some top TV chefs to only buy meat that's been hung for up to 30 days, or more. How come it doesn't go off?. Here is a pretty good explanation of the way to hang raw meat for a long time: bbq.about.com Firstly, meat from a healthy animal is sterile, it's only the cut surfaces of joints that can become contaminated and this is where rotting can set in. In "Dry ageing" rotting from bacterial action is controlled by reducing contamination during slaughter and cutting then reducing the ambient humidity and temperature to the optimal range during the ageing process. . A certain amount of "offness" will occur over a prolonged period but this is the gamey flavour that is highly sought after by the "connoisseur", due to a breakdown of enzymes within the sterile meat and won't lead to rotting during the normal period of ageing. "Wet ageing" is a different technique and more risky for the non-professional. See the URL above. One of the guys I worked with did some self-experimenting by eating raw meat and found it was very tender if eaten within an hour or two of slaughter. Later it was less tender, but it was only after cooking that it's full toughness developed. You might be on to something though.	brig (1359)
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