Top Chefs

[chris]

Just came across an article (a wee bit late) that Top Chefs was in town when Foo Fighters were here at Thanksgiving. They're challenge was to cook dinner for the band. You would think that they would have shopped at Wegmans an obvious choice yet they chose a small (but excellent) grocery store in Webster, Hegedorns. I'm just wondering why. Connection maybe or not to publicize they're presence.

[Clipper]

They may have asked Wegman's for money to advertise their store, and Wegman's didn't want to pay, so they either used the smaller store because they paid, or because the chefs would rather focus the attention on the smaller enterprise.

Possibly Hegedorn's donated some of the food or gave them a much better price in exchange for a little noteriety and mention.

[chris]

Makes sense Clipper. (I'll just have to do some detective work. Of course I'll have to ask Swimmy for the spyglass back)

[Clipper]

I guess I advocate for the smaller grocers as opposed to the huge chains. I am still old fashioned enough to buy my meat at a meat market when possible, in order to get custom cutting and higher quality. I also use the farmers markets for produce rather than the super markets. Number one it supports local farmers, and number two, it is normally higher quality goods. I have a friend that manages a store here that has a custom cutting option, and I order all my meat there. I seldom buy prepackaged meat.

I ate plenty of lower grade cuts of meat, and "patty mix" in my younger days, and now I appreciate good quality meat, and have my burger fresh ground or grind it myself. I often buy roasts and have them ground, or bring them home, trim what fat that I want to trim, and grind it myself. I purchased an electric grinder a few years back to make my own italian sausage and breakfast sausage.

You would be amazed at the difference when you grind your own burger, control the amount of fat, and put NO WATER in it. Store bought ground meat has water added. Sometimes it has enough to almost reach a saturation point.

When you buy a roast and grind it at home, you don't end up having to steam the water off before it will begin to brown. Even some roasts and other cuts have some water added, but not as much as ground meat usually does.

Independent grocers are a vanishing breed, and need our support. It will be a sad day in history when only the big box Walmart super stores and Kroger or Wegmans is the only alternative for shoppers. I bet if it were known, the "angus beef" that is from Walmart, would never pass a dna test and actually be 100% angus. It is sad that government controls allow a percentage of fat, and a percentage of water and other things to adulterate our food.

Well Chris. I took this one astray didn't I? LOL Hey, what the hell, shop at Hegedorn's, the top chefs do, haha. Enjoy!

[concerned]

One thing I found out is that there is a great difference between wet packaged meat and dry aged meat. The dry aging makes the steaks taste much better. One more thing why does Walmart sell its packaged hamberger looking like it just had a permanent.

And on the cheaper hot dogs it says that the meat is mechanically scraped--I guess that means nerves and all. I only use Hebrew National brand. They are called to a higher standard.Sometimes I think Kosher Law is what we all should follow when it comes to how our food is prepared and packages?

[Clipper]

Walmart's hamburger looks like it has just had a permanent because it comes out of the grinder in squiggles like that.

Dry aged meat is definitely more tasty and more tender. Even when I buy steaks that are of a high quality, I usually leave them uncovered in the refrigerator for a day or two to age. Unfortunately meat now comes to the meat market in shrink wrapped portions. Few markets get sides and quarters any more. Even the choice cuts are shrink wrapped and usually wet when they arrive. Once cut, they need to be aged and dried somewhat to give them intensified flavor and time to break down the muscle fiber a little.

I have no idea what mechanically scraped meat is, but it doesn't sound good, does it? LOL I guess it could be roadkill that was scooped up with a payloader, haha.

[chris]

I'm thinking I should seriously become a vegetarian after reading these posts.

[Clipper]

Don't do that Chris. Then we will have to go find horror stories about produce production to tell, haha. Incidentally, I can tell a few of those also, haha. Especially about produce imported from other countries.