Interesting reply from my buthcher...


 
B

Bill M.

TVWBB Member
While I was at BJ's yesterday purchasing my spare ribs, I saw the butcher and decided to ask a question. I asked what was the difference between the spare ribs packaged in cryovac and the one's packaged like you see in your local grocery store. The response was as follows:

"Nothing...the one's in the individual packages are from cryovac packages which tore."

To me, that's something. Who knows how long the packages were torn before they were repackaged. Did it happen when they were loading the truck, unloading the truck, at BJ's; who knows?

I may be making too much out of this, but from now on it's cryovac only for me when purchasing ribs from BJ's.

Bill
 
Interesting! I always thought the stores received the cyrovac packages of bulk meat from the meat distributors. Then the stores would open the cryovac and trim and wrap with the celophane and the store label?
 
Either way, I like the security in at least seeing a sealed product before I bring it home. Once I realized that the butcher in the little store in town got the ribs from a cyrovac 3 pack, I've never bought anything other than the three pack (or two
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In fact, do you know where the shrimp comes from in the seafood department? The frozen two pound bags you can buy and take home. They rip open the bags and pour them into the display case and charge you more per pound to let them 'age'. I always buy the full bag and defrost and cook as needed. This ensures a superior product for my family and guests
 
I agree with Peter. Unless I am sure the shrimp were caught locally (and we have some good suppliers around these parts), I prefer to buy the frozen packages. One caution, since the frozen packages weigh more than 2 lbs, be sure to have the butcher reset the scales.

I try to always keep at least one package (2 lbs) of frozen shrimp in the freezer. You never know when you may need them unexpectedly when someone stops by - and I can defrost them in cold water in about 45 minutes and have a quick and delicious appetizer. I heat up my Weber Genesis while I peel the shrimp. I then put a good rub and grill them. All in all. from the time someone stops by til the shrimp are done is just over an hour. And during that hour with friends and a few cold ones, the shrimp are a welcome treat.

Ray
 
Alton Brown says the same thing. Always get the frozen ... they will be fresher since they begin the freezing right off the dock, if not on the boat. Unless you live 45 minutes from the coast.
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I've never shopped at a BJ's. Perhaps the butcher meant that that's what they do if a cryo bag tears, otherwise they just leave them cryo'd.

I've hauled meat from all the major meat packagers and they all ship everything cryovac'd. The stores that don't offer cryo'd meats in their cases do what Larry says, cut or trim if needed, and repackage on a meat tray with plastic and their label. Very few plants are equipped to ship swing beef and there aren't that many buyers of swing anymore. In fact, very few chains buy primals. They buy cuts or sub-primals.

As much as I am not a fan of the meat plants (for reasons other than food-related) and no longer pull a reefer trailer, I can tell you that I've seen hundreds of trailers getting loaded. Though it's just me and certainly might not be a 100% thing (what is?) I've never seen a damaged box of meat loaded on a trailer. The inspection of the cryo'd meat before it goes into a box is pretty rigorous. The boxes are either hand-loaded on to the trailers, stacked on pallets and wrapped and fork-lifted in, or both. If a fork-lift operator damages a box the dock boss will pull the pallet.
Meat is usually shipped at ~28 degrees (fresh) or 0 (frozen). By far, most is shipped fresh. The box damage (and possible cryo damage) might occur when the truck is unloaded at the DC or when re-loaded for the individual store, or when unloaded there. Of course, the other concern is stability of temps throughout the packaging, journeys on the various trailers, and storage.

I, too, buy the 2-lb bags of shrimp, though at the stores where I shop the prices are the same in the case. Most chains but these IQF 2 or 5-lb bags though some still buy the 5-lb blocks. They take much longer to thaw so a lot of chains have gotten away from that.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by K Kruger:
I've never shopped at a BJ's. Perhaps the butcher meant that that's what they do if a cryo bag tears, otherwise they just leave them cryo'd.
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Kevin:
Here's what I said the butcher told me: "Nothing...the one's in the individual packages are from cryovac packages which tore."

Maybe I wasn't very clear, but the butcher said basically the same thing you did.

Bill
 
Ok. I had the impression when you said <BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content"> difference between the spare ribs packaged in cryovac and the one's packaged like you see in your local grocery store. </div></BLOCKQUOTE> that he was saying that non-cryo'd packages in any store--not just BJ's--meant that they came from torn cryo packs. My mistake.
 
Kevin:
After reading your response I can see that I was not very clear in my initial post.

I was just curious as to why BJ's had cryovac and celophane packaged ribs on the same display counter. That's why I asked the butcher that question.

Sorry for the confusion;
Bill
 
A person behind the counter @ Costcos said they are from 2 different suppliers. The Cryo items came from one place, and the ribs/steaks/burger, came from another place. Costcos/BJ's may be different, or this person may not have been on top of the ball game and knew what they were talking about. I'll have to take a better look at the labels if My Costcos membership is still valid, just joined BJ's and will ask there.
 
Probably the reason that they sell wrapped packages in addition to cryovac is that some folks do not want to buy in the quantity in the cryovac. The wholesale stores may be attempting to keep their customers out of the grocery stores. Also some cuts like steaks and london broil come cryovaced in much larger chunks; some folks may not want to buy a whole ribeye and cut the steaks themselves.
 
If you notice, the stuff repacked in to styro trays has been trimmed to some extent, too-- another thing some buyers may not be interested in doing for themselves like the in-cryo purchasers do.
 
At Costcos, both the Cryo and the plane packaged had 2 racks of spares in them. They were also the same price.
 
Grocery stores are repackagers, they make money doing it. They buy from packing houses just like Costco, BJ's and Sams. They open them on purpose.
You buy enought quantity of cro'd meat you will find some bad meat.
Jim
 
I have a buddy who works as a butcher at a local supermarket, Stop & Shop for those of you in the area. I was looking for a brisket to brine corned beef and I ended up watching him pull a cryovac out and trim up a flat...just my 2 cents.
 
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