SlickRockStones
Take a breath!
I think they are a waste of rub cause they are pumped up with solution. We prefer our hogs as they are in the sty. Natural.
Unmarked mystery ribs from Sam's Club
- Thread starter Charny
- Start date
dadsr4
somebody shut me the fark up.
I like the taste of meat. I've learned that ribs and other pork that look like that in the package lack flavor and have a disagreeable texture. I don't use a lot of rub and sauce on my meats, and don't wrap. The meat needs to stand on it's own.
ebijack
Babbling Farker
Sam's club sells what ever brand IBP/Tyson or Smithfield they get delivered.
If meat is touched (weighed/repackaged) by an associate then you pay 1-2 cents more per lb.
If you order 1 or 2 cases but require one or two more cryo's you do NOT get the case price on the extra since someone had to weigh/tag them. Been thru this many times with Sam's club. Another reason to stop buying meat there.
During the time Tyson was buying out IBP, no IBP were for sale around here till Tyson name was on the packaging. Took a few months.
Since then, Sam's club ( the one I go to) all the meat prices are extremely high. Brisket at $5.99 lb. Butcher price $3.89 lb both were choice. GFS was $3.19 lb. Non case prices.
I don't buy much meat at Sam's anymore. Better quality and better prices else where.
If meat is touched (weighed/repackaged) by an associate then you pay 1-2 cents more per lb.
If you order 1 or 2 cases but require one or two more cryo's you do NOT get the case price on the extra since someone had to weigh/tag them. Been thru this many times with Sam's club. Another reason to stop buying meat there.
During the time Tyson was buying out IBP, no IBP were for sale around here till Tyson name was on the packaging. Took a few months.
Since then, Sam's club ( the one I go to) all the meat prices are extremely high. Brisket at $5.99 lb. Butcher price $3.89 lb both were choice. GFS was $3.19 lb. Non case prices.
I don't buy much meat at Sam's anymore. Better quality and better prices else where.
jimbloomfield
Full Fledged Farker
Cook
Babbling Farker
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I'm not on the Smithfield dole, but they are simply owned by a Chinese company. Look, local farmers still produce for Smithfield. Those farmers are the guys down the road with families that have kids that go to your kid's school. The hogs still get slaughtered here by Americans...well, in America by workers who live in America.
I know many farmers who produce for Smithfield.
I know many farmers who produce for Smithfield.
dadsr4
somebody shut me the fark up.
I have had poor experiences with pale looking meats. I have discovered that the things I have learned to associate with poor results frequently are labeled Smithfield. I have nothing against the farmers, unless they are responsible for the lack of quality.
bgross88
Full Fledged Farker
Discussions like this are one of the many reasons I love this forum/website. Over the last several years, I too, have noticed a change in the quality of ribs I can buy in my area, both baby backs and spares. I too have stopped buying at Sam's Club due to price increases and an overall decline in quality--IMO.
There is a local grocery store that is known for their meat department. I have been buying most of my ribs from them, usually spares that I trim to St Louis cut. However, the last 2 racks I bought had a very "odd" smell to them. The 1st time I thought it might just be the 2nd plastic bag they had been wrapped in. The 2nd time, it was definitely the ribs. It's hard to explain the smell. They weren't bad/rotten, it was almost like a chemical smell. They weren't frozen/thawed because this store doesn't sell like that. Anyway, I haven't been back in a few weeks to talk to them about it.
Moral of my meandering story is that I'm not cooking ribs as much anymore for the reasons I mentioned, as well as the overall theme of this thread.
There is a local grocery store that is known for their meat department. I have been buying most of my ribs from them, usually spares that I trim to St Louis cut. However, the last 2 racks I bought had a very "odd" smell to them. The 1st time I thought it might just be the 2nd plastic bag they had been wrapped in. The 2nd time, it was definitely the ribs. It's hard to explain the smell. They weren't bad/rotten, it was almost like a chemical smell. They weren't frozen/thawed because this store doesn't sell like that. Anyway, I haven't been back in a few weeks to talk to them about it.
Moral of my meandering story is that I'm not cooking ribs as much anymore for the reasons I mentioned, as well as the overall theme of this thread.
dadsr4
somebody shut me the fark up.
Small stores don't have the turnover the larger chains have. You just need to pay attention to the expiration dates and the seal on the cryovac.
SirPorkaLot
somebody shut me the fark up.
^^^ This ^^^
I’m from NC and am well aware than many a farmer out east makes their living due to the hog industry.
However Smithfield has went the opposite direction than I have.
While I have been moving more and more towards foods with less chemicals and additives, Smithfield has doubled down with crap filled products.
They even have a whole bunch of professional cooks and judges convinced “Extra tender” ribs are the cream of the crop, when in fact they are one the worse offenders out there when it comes to “enhanced” ribs.
(I apologize for quality of photos, but I had to grab from google as I don’t have any of this junk in my house
)
Up to 8% water + “solution”
That’s 8% of total weight.
What’s the average rack weigh? 3 lbs?
So 8% would be almost 4 ounces or a quarter pound of “solution”
Let’s look closer at the “solution”
Sodium Phosphate (colonoscopy anyone? Is a form of salt): https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_phosphates
Potassium acetate (also known as Potassium Salt)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potassium_acetate
Potassium Lactate (also a type of Potassium Salt): https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potassium_lactate
:shock:
PS: Nutrition labels don’t require them to list how much of that extra stuff is in there, but according to their own label, we know ~2% is salt and other stuff, and salt is listed last
(yet there is 280mg of salt in 4 oz of Rib meat per their label, that salt does NOT include that “other stuff”, that’s also salt)
Yea I’ll pass.
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bgross88
Full Fledged Farker
That's just it..these weren't packaged/cryovac'd. He went in the back, got me a slab and weighed them. They were not frozen.
Sorry if that wasn't clear in my previous post.
mchar69
Quintessential Chatty Farker
Those "Extra Tender" ribs are gross and mushy.
There was a huge thread in the Competition section about them.
There was a huge thread in the Competition section about them.
dadsr4
somebody shut me the fark up.
I guess I should consider myself blessed in what I have personally experienced.
I can remember a pickup truck pulling into my grandmother's yard with a tarp over a bed of meat to sell.
I am still at awe, after several decades, at the language she used to describe the parentage of that person. In fluent German and in English.
Ever since, I've paid attention to what I've purchased.
Scared for life!
I can remember a pickup truck pulling into my grandmother's yard with a tarp over a bed of meat to sell.
I am still at awe, after several decades, at the language she used to describe the parentage of that person. In fluent German and in English.
Ever since, I've paid attention to what I've purchased.
Scared for life!
I've read that thread front to back several times and still can't tell if guys seriously compete with those or are just trolling us plebs.
They are serious. We don't do it much now, but had 6 events last year and two 1st places. So 33.33333% of the time, it works every time..........
I would take that 1st place % if we did it more all day long.
Charny
Knows what a fatty is.
Stopped at Costco today. Their back ribs were the Premium Smithfields. My hankerin' is still unsatisfied, so I picked up a pack.
If I leave a comment card at Costco asking for an alternative, what should I ask for? IBP? Something else?
I don't know why I always want to smoke when the temps get down bitterly cold. This weekend will be the coldest yet this season. A low of 5F tonight, 8 at 11AM, high of 13 tomorrow. And a high of 7 on sunday. Hmpf.
A nice surprise during the visit, the prime ribeyes were on sale, $10 off a package at checkout. The price was $14.99/lbs, so that worked out to about $10/lbs for what I bought. Got a couple packages of cap/deckel.
Probably should have just made chili.
Edit to add: The ribs were $2.89/lbs. Prime packer briskets were $2.99. I need to go back for a brisket soon, maybe after it gets above single digits.
If I leave a comment card at Costco asking for an alternative, what should I ask for? IBP? Something else?
I don't know why I always want to smoke when the temps get down bitterly cold. This weekend will be the coldest yet this season. A low of 5F tonight, 8 at 11AM, high of 13 tomorrow. And a high of 7 on sunday. Hmpf.
A nice surprise during the visit, the prime ribeyes were on sale, $10 off a package at checkout. The price was $14.99/lbs, so that worked out to about $10/lbs for what I bought. Got a couple packages of cap/deckel.
Probably should have just made chili.
Edit to add: The ribs were $2.89/lbs. Prime packer briskets were $2.99. I need to go back for a brisket soon, maybe after it gets above single digits.
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P
pharp
Guest
I would be excited to have picked up some of those. They are great ribs.
Joe Black
Babbling Farker
I am in Greenville, SC a Sams and Costco. I haven’t been in Sams since Costco opened. Before that, I was buying ribs at the grocery store. I now buy baby loin back ribs at Costco exclusively. They are Swift’s Premium, 3 to a Cryovac and the membrane is already removed. I have had excellent results with them and my friends really like them (I do not compeat).
I have noticed that the spare ribs at Costco are Smithfield. But, all I cook are baby backs.
I have noticed that the spare ribs at Costco are Smithfield. But, all I cook are baby backs.
Charny
Knows what a fatty is.
A bit late on my update. The Premium Smithfield back ribs (from Costco) were excellent. Very nice flavor and texture. I'll keep buying them from Costco.
Unfortunately, the snow the in the yard is knee deep and it is a long way to retrieve the smoker from the back shed. Last time, the snow was only a few inches and I was able to bring it up on a hand cart. I don't have a sled, or a team of dogs. The offset box smoker is hibernating for winter, well oiled and covered. That mostly leaves smoking on the gas grill, with pellets or chips for smoke, which is okay.
I had occassion to call Smithfield customer support with some questions. They were extremely helpful and friendly, and right here in the USA. I couldn't ask for better customer support from a company. With so many companies using generic overseas call centers, with mindless non-native speaking call-takers who know nothing of the product and who just read scripts and type feedback, it was a nice surprise. I'll admit to some concerns when I heard that Smithfield was bought by a Chinese company, but it is no longer a present concern for me.
Fwiw, I was at Sams a week ago and they still only had the unbranded Smithfield's. The price is roughly the same that Costco sells Premium. Seems like Sams is trying to increase their margins by selling a lower grade product at the same price. They're under a lot of pressure since Costco came to town. There has been an obvious decrease in traffic at the store and most of the checkout lanes have converted to self-checkout.
Unfortunately, the snow the in the yard is knee deep and it is a long way to retrieve the smoker from the back shed. Last time, the snow was only a few inches and I was able to bring it up on a hand cart. I don't have a sled, or a team of dogs. The offset box smoker is hibernating for winter, well oiled and covered. That mostly leaves smoking on the gas grill, with pellets or chips for smoke, which is okay.
I had occassion to call Smithfield customer support with some questions. They were extremely helpful and friendly, and right here in the USA. I couldn't ask for better customer support from a company. With so many companies using generic overseas call centers, with mindless non-native speaking call-takers who know nothing of the product and who just read scripts and type feedback, it was a nice surprise. I'll admit to some concerns when I heard that Smithfield was bought by a Chinese company, but it is no longer a present concern for me.
Fwiw, I was at Sams a week ago and they still only had the unbranded Smithfield's. The price is roughly the same that Costco sells Premium. Seems like Sams is trying to increase their margins by selling a lower grade product at the same price. They're under a lot of pressure since Costco came to town. There has been an obvious decrease in traffic at the store and most of the checkout lanes have converted to self-checkout.
Same here. Costco is 8 miles down the road with a better product all around. Don't think I'll be renewing my Sam's membership.
Charny
Knows what a fatty is.
No doubt, Costco is a much better store and business in every way. There are just a few things. Sams is my most reliable source for bone-in butts, and I like their 2 lbs bags of pre-cut slaw. Costco only has boneless and no slaw. Sams also does photo printing, which Costco does not offer locally.
Oh yeah - Costco does not have Sy Ginsberg corned beef this year. It is a seasonal item. I was *really* looking forward to that. I have not had better. Instead they have paddy o'neil's at the same price ($4.49, IIRC), but with a huge volume of excess curing liquid in the bag. SG does not put excess liquid in the bag. I haven't tried the PO, and couldn't find any info on it online. It looks like a newly created brand. Sams at least has Grobbel. Still too much liquid, but it is quite good, and a respected brand. Grobbel bought Sy Ginsberg last year, which is unfortunate.
Forgot to mention, when I was at Sams they were sampling prime tenderloin. It smelled good. How could it not be good? But when I tasted it? Liver! Yuck. I can't image if I prepared that for a meal and it tasted like that. I should have told the guy but I didn't want to be negative, since he is just the server. And I am not a terrible snob or anything - I ate a hot dog on the way out. I am convinced the Sams dogs have more and better flavor than Costco. The Costco dogs really seem to lack flavor.
