Example of poor quality meat cutting

[Rocklobster]

I was cleaning some photos off of my camera and came across this. Here is a AA strip loin we recieved a couple of days ago at work. As you can see the fat cap is very thick. Usually, we leave a thin strip of fat, so we normally trim some but, by the time we finished cleaning this whole piece it was about 33 % waste. I don't think that is very acceptable. Those are my bosses fingers. He wanted to show some perspective. He is a pretty big guy with pretty fat fingers, lol, so that is a lot of fat cap. I took photos to send to our supplier in hopes that we get some sort of partial credit. This happens from time to time and they usually come good on their guarantee......I will let you know how this one goes.

 

[CatPat]

Oh my! I can see without your boss's fingers there that it is much fat. The boss's fingers put this to perspective.

Those look like very nice meats without the fat on them. Did these taste good? Were they seasoned or marinaded? Were they grilled or broiled?

With love,
~Cat

 

[Rocklobster]

The AA meat we sell is good. Black Angus. I haven't eaten much of it. We have many customers that ask for leaner steaks after seeing our AAA beef because it can be quite marbled and some people prefer less marbling as they see the AAA and consider it too fatty. (you can lead a horse to water.) In the company's defense, though, you never quite know what is going on inside a piece of beef like that so these things happen. But, if I don't bring it to their attention, we end up paying good money for lots of fat and there goes our profit for that piece....

 

[Aunt Bea]

To me the fat cap is not a problem as long as it is factored into the price.

I wish our local butchers would leave one finger of fat instead of the 1/4 inch that is more common these says.

I also wish they would leave the tail on T-bone steaks.

Heck, I wish I could afford beef!

 

[callmaker60]

I guess it's all about making more money, more fat, more weight, more cost.
I find the same in things like kale, i buy a bunch of kale, and get 12 inches of stock, which i then take to the guy working in produce and have them cut off, i am not going to pay for something i will end up throwing away, grocery's are too expensive as it is.

 

[Rocklobster]

To me the fat cap is not a problem as long as it is factored into the price.

I wish our local butchers would leave one finger of fat instead of the 1/4 inch that is more common these says.

I also wish they would leave the tail on T-bone steaks.

Heck, I wish I could afford beef!

The problem is that we pay for all of that fat and we have to trim most of it off because the customer doesn't want that much. I can't believe how negative some people can be towards marbling and fat. I just have to shake my head sometimes. We save some for trim to add to the ground beef, but we can't use it all, so it goes in the garbage. Money down the drain...

Maybe you are better off not eating beef. I'll probably die of a heart attack because of the amount I eat 'cus I get a deal on it.

 

[Roll_Bones]

I once bought a whole tenderloin at Costco. Never again. After I got it cleaned, it was over 1/3rd lost.
I learned a lesson that time.
Buy the trimmed tenderloin and pay the price.

 

[cave76]

The problem is that we pay for all of that fat and we have to trim most of it off because the customer doesn't want that much. I can't believe how negative some people can be towards marbling and fat. I just have to shake my head sometimes. We save some for trim to add to the ground beef, but we can't use it all, so it goes in the garbage. Money down the drain...

Maybe you are better off not eating beef. I'll probably die of a heart attack because of the amount I eat 'cus I get a deal on it.

I agree----- the worst thing that happened to good meats is the low-fat craze. That's in my opinion, of course. And grass fed beef. My opinion also.

Before I get jumped on---- there are people who HAVE to control the fat content on their body and therefore don't want a lot of fat in their meat. Enough disclaimer?

My butchers feel the same way. But they have to comply with public opinion or sales go down.

 

[salt and pepper]

The trouble is most stores buy a primal and some don't trim the fat cap off. So you are paying for fat! I went out yesterday and bought a 14# prime rib for steaks, @ $4.49 per pound. Trimmed the fat which amounted to about 1 1/2# whitch I think is OK. I will still use that fat to add to venison bergers so it will not go to waste. I ended up with 16, 1" rib steaks which brings down the cost of just buying 1 or 2 steaks for 7 or 8 dollars a pound!
As far as fat goes, the USDA rates meat that is inspected as #1 USDA Prime, #2 USDA Choice and #3 USDA Select. While prime has the most marbling (fat) is comes from younger cows and are the most tender and flavorful. Choice has little marbling and not as much beef flavor. Select is very lean, comes from older cows, is much tougher with not much flavor. I eat lots of wild game, deer, elk and bison, which is very lean so for me having some beef with fat is OK as long as I'm not eating it too often.

 

[salt and pepper]

Rib Steaks

 

[cave76]

Rib Steaks

Man----- those look great! Do you know if they're prime, choice or what?

 

[salt and pepper]

Man----- those look great! Do you know if they're prime, choice or what?

Choice.

 

[Dawgluver]

I once bought a whole tenderloin at Costco. Never again. After I got it cleaned, it was over 1/3rd lost.
I learned a lesson that time.
Buy the trimmed tenderloin and pay the price.

I buy whole loins from Fareway and trim and cut them myself. They want to trim and cut them for you, but will charge the full price for the pretrimming, and keep the trimmings.

 

[Dawgluver]

Rib Steaks

I'm heading to S&P's for dinner....

 

[Rocklobster]

I'm heading to S&P's for dinner....

Looks like he has enough for all of us.....yipee!!

 

[cave76]

I'm heading to S&P's for dinner....

Right behind ya!

 

[GotGarlic]

The problem is that we pay for all of that fat and we have to trim most of it off because the customer doesn't want that much. I can't believe how negative some people can be towards marbling and fat. I just have to shake my head sometimes. We save some for trim to add to the ground beef, but we can't use it all, so it goes in the garbage. Money down the drain...

There's a new, old-fashioned butcher shop that opened near us last month. On their website, they say they will render trimmed fat and sell the tallow. I wonder if there's a similar butcher in your area who might be willing to buy your trimmings. You could recover some of the cost that way.

 

[dragnlaw]

You could grind it and sell it as suet? At the right price you won't be left with any in the garbage.

I used to buy suet and render it down with peanut butter & wild bird seed and stuff it in logs for bird feed! Until the grocery chains got greedy and started charging double.

Same for beef marrow bones/soup bones.

ridiculous!!!!

 

[Zagut]

Having extra fat is fine with me. There is always a use for it.

What I don't like is paying the price per pound for it.

Trim it back when you want 7 or 8 $ a pound.

Just seems petty and cheap if they don't.

 

[Mad Cook]

The problem is that we pay for all of that fat and we have to trim most of it off because the customer doesn't want that much. I can't believe how negative some people can be towards marbling and fat. I just have to shake my head sometimes. We save some for trim to add to the ground beef, but we can't use it all, so it goes in the garbage. Money down the drain...

Maybe you are better off not eating beef. I'll probably die of a heart attack because of the amount I eat 'cus I get a deal on it.

I have a friend who says beef "dripping" (ie rendered beef fat) is THE best fat for frying chips/French fries.

Once upon a time every butcher had packs of beef dripping on sale but you rarely see it now. They made their own from the fat trimmings from the meat they sold.

They sold pork dripping too. It came in a tub with the fat at the top, floating on a layer of tasty pork jelly. It was a great treat on a cold winter's afternoon to sit in front of the fire, with our legs getting all mottled from the heat, toasting thick slices of bread and then slathering them with the jelly and dripping and lots of salt - Yum. A heart attack on bread!