7 Good Qualities Of A Meat You Must Look Before You Buy

The perfect cut of meat has a few very important characteristics. When carnivores are out shopping for that perfect piece of meat, they may not be aware of all the things that can reveal a stellar cut of meat. Here are 7 qualities of good meat that you need to have your eyes out for when you’re shopping for a delectable cut of beef for your family’s dinner.        

1. Bone or No Bone?

Your first quality to look for is whether or not the bone is in the meat or out of it. Boneless cuts tend to be much more expensive, and so people often shop for bone-in meat. There’s another benefit to bone-in cuts of meat. You can use the bone for soups. If you’re on a budget and use bones for soups, get bone-in meat. If you prefer the tenderness and quicker cooking time of boneless cuts, that’s your best bet.

2. Marbling

Of everything people look for in meats, this is one of the most important qualities. A high degree of marbling looks a bit like it sounds. You’ll see white bits all throughout the cut of meat, not just on the edges. The higher the marbling, the greater the tenderness and quality of the meat.

3. Firmness

A soft clump of meat tastes about as good as it sounds (not good at all). What you want is a firm, sturdy piece of meat. Make sure you get a good feel of the meat you’re buying. If it’s firm, that’s an indication it’s going to be good for cooking or grilling.

4. Freshness

The fresher your meat is, the more expensive it will be, but that’s because you’re paying for quality. Fresher meat is going to taste better. Look for cherry red cuts of meat or brighter colors. Don’t buy a piece of meat if it’s a brownish color. As it ages, it begins to get less fresh, and brown color on a piece of meat is your clue to move on to a fresher piece of beef. If it’s pork, look for a piece of pork that has no dark spots on it. Those dark spots are a sign that it’s poor quality and not fresh. People who work in Jobs on Dairy Farms and other food industry jobs know how important freshness is to product quality.

5. Grade

It’s amazing how many grades of meat there are. Prime cuts are going to be better than choice. The choice will be better than select. Select will be better than the standard. It goes on and on like that until you get to the lowest grade of beef. If you’re shopping on a budget and have no choice, then obviously go for the lowest grade of meat to get the cheapest price. If you’re on the hunt for quality, look for prime!

6. Fat content

For those people on diets, the nutrition label is going to contain a lot of information you need to know, such as calories, fat, and sodium content. Always read the nutritional label if you’re searching for low-fat content. Remember that fat is part of what makes meat delicious. You don’t want a piece of meat that’s all fat, but the less fat there is up to a reasonable point, the dryer the cut will be. If you’re on a diet, it’s worth the sacrifice.

7. Sell-by date

If there’s a sell-by or use-by date, you have a clear indication of the window for when to consume that meat purchase. Always look for these dates, as they provide a clue as to the quality and freshness of the meat. You can also nab some great sales from meats nearing their use-by date, so people on the hunt for bargains want to look out for those butcher’s sales.

Meat composes a large part of our diets. Unless you’re vegan or vegetarian, you’re probably going to be shopping for meat year after year. Knowing these 7 things to look for helps you select a better quality of meat the next time you hit up the meat section. No one thing is more important than the other, but marbling on steaks and firmness will be a great sign that you’re taking home steaks the whole family will love.