posted on June 24, 2003 08:35:20 PM new
Moved to Milwaukee metro area last March. Have tried every grocery chain store within fifty miles and they all sell the same terrible beef. Even whole tenderloins are impossible to cut with an axe. Other cuts of beef here resist a chainsaw even after dutch ovening for hours. Have lived in at least 25 different states and ain't never seen anything like the beef here. All the chains must be buying 100% range fed cattle & violating the anti trust laws by all agreeing to all sell the same old stuff so no one catches on & no one thinks anything of it. It is working too because no "native" I talk to thinks there is anything wrong with the beef here. The prices are similar to every where else that actually has good beef so, they are making a killing. I've seen USDA Choice labels on beef that would not be ground for hamburger most places so the local inspectors must be in on the game, don't even look, or the chains are flagrantly just labeling the junk any way they want to. Does anyone else out there from the Milwaukee area have the same opinion or am I just having 50 bad experiences in a row?
Backed by meatpackers, pork producers and grocery chains, House Republicans today will try to undo legislation that requires stores to tell consumers what country their meat and meat products come from, starting in October 2004.
The financial stakes are enormous. The meat and grocery industries contend that the labeling would impose huge administrative costs and possibly make consumers reluctant to buy products such as lean hamburger with a foreign label.
"What people want is low-fat beef," said Dan Murphy, vice president for public affairs at the American Meat Institute. "But we can't supply enough of that unless we import." U.S. meat processors grind several billion pounds of lean beef annually from Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Mexico.
But Tom Buis, vice president of government relations for the National Farmers Union, which supports the labeling requirement, said a "raised in
U.S.A." label could boost U.S. beef exports to countries such as Japan, which prize U.S. meat's quality and safety.
So, we import our beef and ship U.S. beef to Japan???
posted on June 26, 2003 11:39:20 AM new
My girlfriend's dad said the same thing. He's up off Hwy 50 and used to live in the Chicago burbs. He drives down over the border to buy meat.
He used to live on a farm in Vermont so I'll ask him if the meat's gotten any better up there and if not what he thinks the reason is.
posted on June 26, 2003 02:41:01 PM new
Helenjw:
Very interesting, thanks for the link.
The USA already exports lots of our best beef to Japan because the Japanese will pay a lot more for it than we will. Same with tuna & some other seafoods. You wouldn't believe what a good size (airfreighted in) frozen tuna sells for to the Japanese at the San Fransisco auction warf--they take their sushi very serious.
We do the same thing with lots of the highest quality & largest redwood and black walnut tree logs which the Japanese are storing underwater offshore until they can sell it back to us or someone for profit. A take possession futures market of a sort. Just capitalism in action--like ebay.
Kraftdinner:
Upscale restaurants everywhere in the USA get first dibs on a lot of the higher quality beef from producers, again because they will pay more for it, after all they charge enough to cover the cost at these restaurants. More capitalism. On a scale of 0 to 10 with ten best, let the Japanese have the 9 & 10, the restaurants the 6, 7, &8, but, where is the 4, & 5? All we get here in Milwaukee is 0, 1, 2, & 3. Yes, if one goes to a few specialty meat shops in the general Milw Metro area one can buy good beef at reasonable prices but, this is a hassle due to the distances involved and if one buys much at a time freezing becomes an issue & that is counterproductive to quality.
I am not a beef freak. I just like some good stuff once in a while between brats & beer. (both of these are excellent here)
posted on June 26, 2003 03:10:56 PM new
Valleygirl:
I agree. Costco has had good beef anywhere I've been able to shop them. However the closest Costco to Milwaukee is in Lake Zurich, Illinois-about two hours away. The Walmart Supercenters in the Milw area are only offering about a 3 out of 10 beef, which is unusual for them but, maybe they are under pressure from the other local meat retailers and local meat retailers and wholesalers lobbies against them in general.
Also, if I travel to Madison, WI (about one & one half hours away) and stay away from the major Milwaukee supermarket chain names there, everything gets good in the beef departments. Even some of the major Milw supermarket chain names in Madison have good beef-probably have to, to compete-also proves they can do it if, they want/have to.
posted on June 26, 2003 03:44:32 PM new
Are there any small mom/pop meat markets? Maybe the problem is with the chain stores. Even in big cities, I've found small hole-in-the-wall meat markets have great beef.
And you can't beat a great ribeye steak.
I forgot that different parts of the country have different names for cuts of beef. And its been many years since I took Home Ec.
I confuse Porterhouse Steaks with T-Bone steaks. On one of them, the smaller side is the Fillet Cut, the other side is the Ribeye (aka Delmonico?) cut.
Here in CA, a lesser cut than ribeye is what we call a New York Steak. I don't like them, tough and full of gristle.
For Chrismas, I get the Ribeye roast at Costco ($40) and cook it slow and long. It rivals any primerib I've ever eaten.
posted on June 26, 2003 03:54:35 PM new
Right, Valleygirl! In the east it's called Delmonico. If you get the real deal it's one of the best steaks available!
posted on June 26, 2003 05:16:32 PM new
So which is the better cut, Porterhouse or T-Bone and what is a tenderloin? Tenderloin must be known by another name here in CA.
posted on June 26, 2003 05:26:55 PM new
All you need to do in California is get beef raised on The Harris Ranch which is available in most major cities in CA. In Milwaukee I'd look in the Yellow Pages for a Kosher meat market.
posted on June 26, 2003 05:55:12 PM new
Valleygirl,
Tenderloin steaks are the most expensive per pound and usually the best...always tender. I'm pretty sure that the name is universal. The butcher will know. They are generally not as large as Porterhouse or T-Bone -- In size, they resemble a Delmonico.
posted on June 27, 2003 06:11:09 AM new
Valleygirl:
COSTCO in Calif sells great tenderloins (sometimes labeling them filet mignons), another "universal" name for arguably the most tender cut of beef. True tenderloins come from the inside of the ribcage. Some sell the center part of T-bone and porterhouse steaks (the porkchops of beef), as whole or sliced tenderloins but, these are not real tenderloins. Have to watch out for that "cheating". You should be able to cut REAL tenderloins with a FORK, BEFORE cooking, if they are top quality. Price per pound at Calif COSTCOS usually varies between $9 & $11 but, no bones, almost no fat & no gristle included. Recommend 1-1/2 to 2 inches thick & quick broiling to pink center. Wifey & I can each get two great meals out of 20 bucks worth. Average Calif restaurants want up to 40 bucks per serving for same.
posted on June 27, 2003 08:41:02 AM new
My friend had the same complaints when she lived in Chicago. Her solution: She stayed out of chains altogether for all meat, poultry and seafood, instead going to a local butcher shop. Because she was feeding a five-person family, she got to be fairly familiar with the guy behind the counter and he soon started steering her toward the "good stuff."
Some home food delivery services get high marks. I guess Schwan's is the most famous. My mom used them for awhile and she said their stuff was always very good - but it was also somewhat pricy. Still, you might want to check it out if they're available in your area. There is one delivery service that I have had friends tell me to avoid ... I think the name is Rich? ... complaining ofa habit of dumping extra food (and extra charges) on you when you're not there. There is also netgrocer.com, but I'm not sure how they work.
------------------- We do not see things as they are. We see them as we are.
------------The Talmud
posted on June 27, 2003 03:03:47 PM new
aussie beef is grass fed,could they be selling aussie beef??
argentina is big on beef,armour canned beef came from argentina/
i am in texas,we have a supermarket chain called HEB and they sell prime beef.
posted on June 27, 2003 07:31:04 PM new
I wish I knew what to tell you...gotta gloat a little tho', this fella (or a tiny piece of him) is on the grill as we speak:
the US meat industry is scary. People should know where their beef comes from.
___________________________________
What luck for the leaders that men do not think. - Adolph Hitler
That looks worth gloating about to be sure!
At this point I would take a hoof of that and have better than the chains will supply here.
One of our local USDA meat inspectors (actually is listed in the phone book) USED TO have a small meat market with good beef I'm told (I've seen the remains). Not too long ago it mysteriously burned down. I wonder if it was the "competition" or an irate buyer of the inspected beef?
posted on June 28, 2003 05:55:18 AM new
that texan suppermarket HEB once sold fresh osso bucco at 2.99 a lb as they ordered too much??
they are now competing with the large vietnamese /chinese run supermarkets with the same asian grocery at the same price.
what ever happen to prime beef,at one time i thought you can find it in any upscale supermarket or meat shop??
posted on June 28, 2003 08:18:26 AM new
stopwhining:
I think prime beef mostly disappeared from retailers inventories when beef import tonnages skyrocketed quite a few years ago. The retailers soon learned most consumers wanted to pay less for everything including beef. It no longer mattered to consumers if the products they bought were crap, as long as they were a lot cheaper. Retailers also soon learned that if the crap was just one cent cheaper than the good stuff the consumers would still buy the crap. Retailers are now making such huge profits on crap because of this consumer dementia they will not return any lower profit good stuff to the shelves. It is hard to find anything ordinary made in the USA or even Taiwan or Japan any more because they elevated their crap to good stuff over time. Now China and Malaysia rule in the crap production category. Unfortunately, they may learn to never elevate up from crap & thus not put themselves out of business. Even if they do elevate there are 80 other countries just dying to take over the crap making business. Looks dismal to me unless the consumers in the consumer countries just quit buying it--that isn't likely though. If USA consumers all started putting their money into savings (does not include the biggest casinos in the world, the stock markets) instead of crap, the economy would collapse. The economists, politicians, & financial sectors always promote everyone saving a ton but, if it ever happened in a big way they would be scared $hitless & do everything in their power (as always) to get the consumer brainwashed back into buying crap & to hell with saving. "Why save when all you will be able to do with the extra money is buy more crap so buy it now instead," would be subliminally messaged.
posted on July 1, 2003 06:42:21 AM new
Right about the tenderloin...also known as filet mignon.
We call the New York steak a New York strip.
Those steaks labeled "Delmonico" are sometimes not the superior cut that they are supposed to be. Some butchers substitute cheaper cuts and still call it Delmonico.
posted on July 1, 2003 12:23:35 PM new
Prof - I was wondering as I read this thread when you would jump in - I was going to suggest that SBC contact you and work out a deal
Mario Andretti - “If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough.”
