We love meat and consume it often. However, do you know hot to shop good meat? Beatrice Wanja shows us how.
Ugandans consume a lot of meat be it beef, pork or mutton. However, many don not know how to buy and store meat. Here are some tips on buying good meat.
First of all, look at the windows, walls and floor of the butchery you are buying the meat from.
If they are dirty, just imagine what the fridge at the back where all the meat is stored looks like. The hygiene of the butcher also tells alot about what kind of meat he is selling.
According to Mr Alfred Tushabe, the manager of Meat Masters Butchery, most people buy meat on their way home from work at their local butcher while others prefer supermarkets and meat stalls.
"This, however, does not mean that one should not pay attention to what they are buying", Mr Tushabe warns.
"I have customers who ask for meat and then look away without paying attention to how I handle the meat and I always wonder what would happen if I one day decided to give them stale meat," he says.
Be mindful of the hygiene of the butchery where you are buying meat.
So the next time you are out shopping for meat pay close attention to how the meat is handled especially during packing because chances of the meat getting contaminated are high inside the butchery.
Don’t be afraid to ask your butcher where the meat comes from. The source of the meat tells a lot about its hygiene and handling.
He says when shopping for meat, poultry and fish, you should choose carefully and take your time especially when it comes to packaged meat.
"Packaged meat may be "enhanced" with injected water, flavourings, and preservatives that you don’t need. Poultry is often a good choice, but remember that grocery store birds usually have a lot of fat," Mr Tushabe advises.
He says meat colour is not the best indicator of freshness. Instead, one should pay attention to the aroma and the feel of the meat. Meat should smell fresh and it should not be sticky or slimy.
Good-quality red meat should be marbled nicely, with thin threads of white or creamy coloured fat spread throughout the meat. This is what you want because this fat will melt and keep the meat moist during cooking.
Pork, too, should be dry-looking with no blood or juices around it, and with a good layer of fat and a thick layer of skin that’ll give you good crackling. Don’t worry if you see hairs or bristles on the surface of the skin, as these can be cut or singed off before cooking and won’t affect the flavour at all.
Chicken should have a high breastbone and creamy white or yellow skin without any blemishes or bruises. Bear in mind, though, that skin colour and shape can depend on the breed of the bird.
Depending on your need, there are different places where one can buy hygienic and quality meat.
Incase you are shopping the meat in a supermarket, before you go to the fresh meat department, take a few clear plastic bags from the produce department.
Put each selection of meat into its own bag to make sure there will be no cross-contamination of raw meat juices onto the rest of your grocery items.
After you’re done shopping for meat, how you store it is an important determinant on the fresh life of your meat.
Mr Tushabe advises that uncooked meat should be stored at a low temperature to help preserve its quality and prevent the growth of illness causing bacteria.
He says that refrigeration is a good way to store meat for short periods of time. Refrigerated meat should be stored below 35° F and wrapped to prevent dehydration, smell absorption and contamination of the meat and other foods in the fridge. The meat should be consumed within three days.
If you want to store meat for longer, then freezing is the best option, Mr. Tushabe says. It allows the meat to maintain most of its physical properties, taste, texture, smell and nutritive properties.
He however cautions that frozen meat will have a different colour than fresh meat. You should learn to recognise the "normal" frozen meat colour so that you can identify that, which may have may have gone bad.
Your freezer should remain at a constant temperature that is below 0° (-10°F is better).
Frozen storage time can be extended by proper packaging, which is sealed to prevent air and moisture exchange and protects against freezer burn.
However, not all meat can be frozen, sliced meats such as bacon and lunch meat should only be frozen if they are packed in air tight containers. If not packed in airtight containers, the meat will develop a sour taste within a few days.
