enhanced

[captndan]

I have read several old pages on enhanced meats. It was all interesting up to a point because I had never thought about it before. The terms used are parallel to those used to describe organic farming. Words like pure, natural, organic and fresh have absolutely no meaning because they are advertizing words and terms. There are no USDA or FDA restrictions on their use. Certification of a product by a Government, not private, agency is the real and only way to get the whole truth and nothing but the truth. My thought is why would anyone serious about BBQ and having invested hundreds or thousands of dollars in their cooker even consider using mystery meat. Why not use the unadulterated stuff in the first place? My 2c.

[MilitantSquatter]

Originally Posted by captndan

My thought is why would anyone serious about BBQ and having invested hundreds or thousands of dollars in their cooker even consider using mystery meat. Why not use the unadulterated stuff in the first place? My 2c.

You could ask the same question to just about anyone, even outside of BBQ. For some, it's all they may have access to, others don't care or aren't even aware to check a label. Remember, we are a culture that willingly consumes meat products sold at places like McDonald's.

[Lake Dogs]

Truth be told, I think 80% or more aren't aware. I even have a tough time explaining this to guys working in the meat areas of stores. The old school butcher is largely gone... For me, it's very tough to find unenhanced meat. Now, for comps, we special order everything and I end up driving for 6 hours (literally) getting all the meat together. I did finally find a place closer who can get an sell unenhanced ribs by the case. That's great. I'm still stuck finding anyone who can get or carry whole pork shoulders, much less unenhanced ones...

[jestridge]

I cook three slab of spares Sat that someone give me that was enchance , I couldn't tell that much difference, most turkeys you buy are enhance or a solution added

[Smiter Q]

Most folks just plain do not know. I was at the high end grocer the other day at the butcher counter. This counter is like 100 feet long, and they have amazing stuff. The lady before me was telling the butcher guy..."I want all my meat today to be NATURAL." He tried to explain to her that natural alone meant nil. She was not even listening, and told him... well that is what I want.

[bigabyte]

Because the vast majority of consumers only look at the price tag, and read nothing else.

[Soybomb]

I'm not a huge fan of enhanced but I don't always hate it as much as some. Sometimes I buy frozen enhanced chicken breasts or turkey. It makes for a nice quick cook that I don't have to brine. I also suspect that most consumers aren't going to brine and probably do wind up with a better product from enhanced meat than not.

[landarc]

The government certification is no more reliable in terms of assuring what you get is truly what you expect to get than are the private organizations. If you look at Certified Organic, there are loopholes that even allow the use of synthetic pesticides under certain circumstances, Oregon Tilth is much more strict, but, you have to be willing to believe they are being truthful, which is still a leap of faith.

I tend to buy my meats from a local grocery store, that has a full butcher shop, and all of the meats are branded or locally sourced with the farm readily identified if you ask. This is, in my mind, the best way for me to control quality and avoid enhanced meat. The butcher shop I buy from in Humboldt, they hang carcasses, so you get to see the meat is not enhanced. Yes, it is pricey, and not everyone is willing, or able, to spend money in this manner.

And that is the real core truth, enhanced meats are cheaper to produce, cheaper to store, suffer less loss, are more profitable and allow for larger consumption at the retail and discounted retail (consumer wholesale) level. It is how our industrial agricultural meat producers meet the demand consumers have identified.

An interesting aside, Hormel and Armour both produce and sell pork carcasses for the Japanese market, and the pork is not enhanced, as the government there will not allow it. The pork is a higher quality, costs a LOT and is quite tasty. But, the average Japanese person does not eat more than 2 to 3 ounces of pork at a meal. What I am getting at is, that we as Americans are getting what we have lead the meat industry to believe it is what we want.