Tips for Choosing Good-Quality Meat

Good-quality meat is a good treat not only for the mouth and belly but the whole body. Meat provides our organism with the nutrition we can find anywhere else. Check what to look for when choosing the right piece of meat. Know where your meat comes from

Always choose a reputable butcher who has a trusted meat supplier. Ask where does the meat come from, when was it delivered and if it was cut locally. Poor-quality and unfresh meat has bad taste and can also cause health problems. Check the package

If you’re buying ready prepared meat, inspect the package carefully. Don’t get scared away if you see liquid inside, it’s a mix of proteins and water called purge. Water is naturally occurred in the muscles and, depending on a cut and type of meat, can be more or less visible inside the package. It shouldn’t alarm you but do not consume it. Pay attention to the type of cut, texture of the meat and amount of fat. You won’t be able to check the smell but you can judge the colour of the meat. Package and meat should be cold and stored in appropriate conditions. Check also if it’s torn or damaged. Look at the cut

You will most likely look for a specific type of meat and cut for the meal you’re planning to prepare. Unless you’re slow-cooking your meat, avoid choosing one with multiple muscles visible. More muscles mean more connecting tissue which can make your meat chewy. During long cooking with very high temperature, tissue has time to break down. However, briefly cooked meat with lot of muscles will end up being hard to eat.

Fat or no fat

Amount of fat on the meat is up to personal preferences. However, if you’re not fond of it, pay attention to the amount of fat you can see on sides and inside to avoid paying for something you will throw away later on. Fatty meat is believed to have more intensive flavour however, it can make it more chewy as well. When choosing more fatty meat it’s suggested to get it chopped up or shaved very thin to eliminate chewing issue. Texture

Give your meat a closer look. Pay attention to grains and how tight the meat looks. If you're looking for something to be cooked fast and more delicate, go for softer ones. However, very loose meat usually means it's low quality.

With or without bone

Choosing a piece of meat with or without a bone is a matter of preference. However, meat with bone has a shorter cooking time, as bones make good heat conductors. Also, some say that meat with bone has more intense flavour, which comes with a lower cost.

Check date

Last but not least, check the date of expiration. On a package and frozen products this is much easier. If you’re choosing the meat from the counter, ask the deli attendant when the meat was delivered and till when it should be cooked. Inspect the smell and colour of the meat. Fresh, good-quality meat should have rich, vibrant colour.

This article is brought to you by AMG Cold Stores Ltd, your local provider of high-quality meat products.

At AMG Cold Stores you can find a great variety of meat products including beef, chicken, lamb, horse, rabbit, veal and fish. Meat is imported only from trusted and reputable distributors in Europe, South America, New Zealand and Asia. For your convenience, the store is also offering already cooked products. Check out the vast range of meat products offered at AMG premises in Marsa.