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Food Thread: Where's The Beef?

When I think of aging beef, I think of high-end steakhouses and expensive aging rooms. or my refrigerator when I experimented with aging it myself (with modest success, and some failures).

But that stuff is pricey and rare, since it takes a long time, and most beef processors don't have a big enough market for it compared to conventionally processed beef, like this stuff...

That's how most beef is handled, because perfectly fresh meat just doesn't taste as good. So the carcasses are hung for a little while before further processing, which includes vacuum packing the primals for shipping, during which "wet-aging" occurs.

Regardless of which technique is used, the temperature, humidity and time are carefully controlled, otherwise bad stuff happens, like oxidation of the fats and even more complex reactions with the proteins. And of course little critters will multiply and produce nasty flavors and even get you sick.

And why am I talking about rancid, spoiled beef (Sob!)?

We get a half of beef every year from my brother in law. The last 2 we have gotten have tasted bad. We still eat it but the stuff we buy at the grocery store tastes, well, beefier.

I hypothesized that the butcher he takes the cows to is hanging the meet too long before butchering it, but I don't know. The off tasting flavor is worse the closer to fat it is, meaning some of the best fattiest cuts have the harshest taste.

Does anybody have any expertise they would like to offer or similar experience.

Posted by: Lemmiwinks at June 05, 2022 05:58 PM (h1jJh)

And for you amateur food sleuths out there; it isn't the beef itself...same excellent supplier but different butcher.

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This actually makes some sense, because the weight of regulation in California is going to stifle commerce so much that people won't be able to eat pork anyway, so why not close down and move your operations to greener pastures?

Largest Pork Company in the US Shuts Down California Plant Due to High Costs

Food processing corporation Smithfield Foods will shut down its Vernon, California, plant and scale back operations in California, Utah and Arizona, the company announced Friday.

Smithfield “will cease all harvest and processing operations in Vernon, California in early 2023 and, at the same time, align its hog production system by reducing its sow herd in its Western region,” the company said in a Friday news release.

“Smithfield is taking these steps due to the escalating cost of doing business in California,” the company said.

A lot of people are going to lose their jobs, but that is a sacrifice that the California legislature and other assorted mandarins are willing for you to make.

Regulation, high fuel and other energy costs, and a state government that is actively hostile to certain businesses makes this decision a foregone conclusion.

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Crispy bacon and quartered Brussels Sprouts roasted in the bacon fat with some salt, pepper and a bit of garlic and fresh thyme is a very good thing. The question is: What is the appropriate ratio of bacon to vegetable?

I think that's pretty close, so I will have to add more bacon the next time I make this dish.

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Educate me...best hot sauce for my oh-so-awsome eggs...
Seriously. This is a serious question.

Posted by: COMountainMarie at June 06, 2022 11:06 PM (rGNV7)

A serious and huge question!

Tabasco Sauce, which is found pretty much everywhere, is a solid choice with eggs. I am never disappointed with it, and it certainly improves those crumbly overcooked eggs you find at most breakfast buffets.

Cholula is also a strong contender. I think it is a bit more complex, so it is delicious on French Toast! (Just kidding).

Franks Hot Sauce is pretty common too, and it is definitely on the sweet side, but still...hot sauce is good on eggs, so I won't complain if that's all that is available.

But there are thousands of hot sauces available, from the national brands to regional to local to homemade. And my guess is that the vast majority of them are pretty good. My only caveat would be to avoid the stupid ones that are pure capsaicin or puree of Scotch Bonnet. There is no point in using those because they are just too hot and will overwhelm those great eggs.

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I got a Baked Beans recipe from the mother of a friend, and it is fantastic. Of course the recipe was simply a list of ingredients and a temperature and time, so there was a bit of thought involved. In fact, all she does is tune up commercial baked beans. But damn...the stuff tastes good!

• 1 lb. bacon
• 2 28 oz. cans of the cheapest commercial baked beans you can find (I use the vegetarian version)
• 2 green peppers, chopped
• 2 onions, chopped
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Chop the bacon and saute in a heavy pot that can go into the oven.* Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve (Duh!). Leave as much of the fat in the pot as you want. I usually remove about half. Saute the onion and green pepper in the fat until they have a bit of color. Add everything else except the bacon, mix thoroughly and bring to a simmer on the stove. Then place uncovered in a 325 degree oven for about three hours, mixing once or twice. About 15 minutes before it is done, add the reserved bacon.

That's it.

*I use my frying pot because this recipe really bakes on the mess, and it is already stained beyond salvage.

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From commenter "JTB" comes an interesting video from Cowboy Kent Rollins on how to sous vide the simple way! I'm not a fan of Sous Vide for steaks. I think it is a technique better designed for thicker cuts with more fat and connective tissue. But it's difficult to argue the results!

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Romaine lettuce that is green, instead of the white crap they sell that has never seen a photon, pork rib roasts from the front end of the pig where all the good and fatty meat lives, carrots that don't taste like stalky chalk, spare bottles of Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Year Old Bourbon, an herb garden that actually produces herbs (but no basil!), well-marbled NY strip steaks and elk backstrap to: cbd dot aoshq at gmail dot com.

And don't think that you are off the hook with maple syrup and French Toast: I'm watching you...all of you! And I am watching you perverts who shake Manhattans and keeping a list for the Burning Times.