Enhanced meats


 
Matt Gard

Matt Gard

TVWBB All-Star
What problems do you experience from using enhanced meats? Is it a flavor issue a texture issue or what? I've cooked both and never noticed a huge difference. Granted I haven't cooked a ton of them.
 
I think it's flavor, overall and saltiness. To me, the enhanced, or self-basting meats are incredibly salty.
 
For the Superbowl party, I cooked three racks of ribs that SWMBO picked up without supervision. They were enhance with a "7% solution". I didn't notice a difference in them and any other rib I've ever cooked. If given a choice I'd choose non enhanced. If not given a choice I'll take them.
 
This is one reason I refuse to buy meat at Walmart unless it's a cryovaced packer cut. Most of the problem I have is with flavor. Both flavor & texture come into play with seafood. The whole idea is for the producer to make a bigger buck (as if this was an excuse.) They soak cheap meat in a sodium compound (usually tripolyphosphate and spices). What that does is make the treated meat suck up water like a sponge. On cooking, all that water escapes from the surface and the meat shrinks back to it's original size. Texture suffers horribly.

With seafoods, it's even worse because of their light taste to begin with. Farm raised shrimp and frozen scallops in particular are a prime example. Up here in New England I can get fresh DRY scallops & clams all year 'round. Dry meaning they have not been frozen, nor soaked in some XX% solution of ... crap. In a nutshell, scallops that are 'enhanced' acquire an unappetizing chemical taste when cooked. FYI, they are totally unsuitable for sushi or sashimi also.
 
I have to disagree, repectfully, with the blanket assumption that all enhanced meat products are junk.

A year or so ago, my wife picked up a pork loin that was "enhanced". I added absolutely nothing to it. I removed it from the plastic pack, patted it dry and grilled it. I thought of the loin as having four sides. I had my regular indirect set up with my 22.5" OTG (two fire bricks limiting the fire to one/third of the grill). I used one chimney of lit charcoal. The coals are right up close to the food grate. The fire was HOT. I seared each "side" then moved to indirect and brought it to final internal temperature. It was very good fare.

They offer a variety of different marinates. I prefer to prepare my own, but this was just fine. If time is a factor then the "pre-marinated" loin is the way to go:

http://tvwbb.com/showthread.php?16330-Super-Market-Pork-Loin&highlight=super+market+pork+loin

FWIW
Dale53
 
I notice a difference between enhanced and un-enhanced ribs, they do seem to have a more ham like flavor and a little more saltier but thats the only meat I've come across that is enhanced, eh I can take em or leave em, I mean if ya want ribs you'll eat em if thats all ya can get.
 
I don't like to add any salt to enhanced pork but if that's all that's been added I'll still season it. Otherwise, if I'm cooking minimally processed pork (my local grocer carries Farmland's version and I try to use it exclusively) I'll use salt in the preparation.
 
My experience with enhanced pork has varied with the supplier and retailer. Kroger enhanced spares and St. Louis cut ribs have worked very well for me, and I don't notice a big flavor difference in these and "natural" ribs. However I purchased 5-6 packs of St. Louis spares from Target Supercenter, on sale for $1.97/lb, and they were beyond awful. In fact, I won't even insult the word 'awful' by comparing these ribs to it!!! :eek: Had the worst smell I've ever smelled, and left the smell in my kamado cooker. I cooked two racks, threw them away (without tasting them) and took the others back - still frozen.

I don't have a butcher near me, but for ribs I prefer to go to my local Publix - or stock up when they have them on sale. If I ever need larger quantities I have a Sam Clubs within walking distance of my home. Those are NOT enhanceed. I will purchase enhanced ribs from Kroger - and ONLY Kroger - when the price is right. But Publix is my go-to place.
 
W Tyler are the Kroger enhanced ribs the "Moist & Tender" brand? That's the only pork they carry at my local kroger chain (King Soopers).
 
Dave from Denver said:
W Tyler are the Kroger enhanced ribs the "Moist & Tender" brand? That's the only pork they carry at my local kroger chain (King Soopers).
Click to expand...

Yep, that would be them. It's been 2-3 yrs since I've tried those, but they were good (enough for me) then and are probably the same today. For my region Publix and Sam's Club are good enough for me.
 
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