What to Put Into Wet Ground Beef
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What does the supermarket put in ground beef to keep it looking purdy?
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Wow, I was no help. Sorry.
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The bright red color of ground beef is often used by consumers as a selection factor when purchasing hamburger, but a dark gray-purple color may not necessarily be a bad thing.
All warm-blooded animals contain a pigment called myoglobin in meat tissues. This pigment is normally a dark grayish-purple but when it comes in contact with oxygen, it becomes oxymyoglobin and reacts by turning a deep red color. Meats that are vacuum-packed have not been exposed to oxygen long enough to turn red.
It is for that eye-pleasing coloration that most fresh ground beef sold in clear packages at the market is packaged using a clear film that is oxygen permeable. The oxygen goes through the film and allows the meat to turn that pretty red color we associate with fresh beef. This is why it is not recommended to freeze meat in store packaging.
Coloring can also indicate spoilage. If your package of ground beef is grayish all the way through and does not turn red when exposed to air for fifteen minutes or so, it is most likely spoiled. Usually your nose will tell you right off the bat, as spoiled ground beef will smell sour. It will also feel tacky to the touch. Don't take any chances with spoiled meat. When in doubt, toss it out.
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This is entirely correct. The inner ground meat had just not been exposed to oxygen yet and was still in it's native blood color. The oygenation of meat film is standard procedure and approved, but it will allow oxyen to pass so it should not be used for long term storage; repackage into sealable bags or containers.
Eventually the ground meat will turn bright red completely through if it has not been ground too tightly, as oxygen can seep between the strands of ground meat to oxygenate it. This is why it is 'squiggled' into a package, to allow the oxygen transfer into the package to 'bloom' the meat; eye appeal is buy appeal.
Now if they're selling soy protein additive ground meat then yes, water and soy protein is added in copious amounts, extending the profitability of the grinds, but also giving a more healthful product too. But, this has to be indicated in large letters on the packaging.
The third possibility is that they are 'constructing' their grinds; in other words using fatty trim and lean, local bull beef or imported bull beef. Usually from New Zealand or Australia (grass fed). Very lean and tough, but great to add to grinds as it is 90-95% lean. If imported it comes in 60lb. frozen blocks of frozen solid bull beef. You cut it up on the meat saw into slabs, then into sticks to defrost a little before grinding; sometimes very little. Being frozen, it is retaining some moisture and when thawed iwll leak more prominently.
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I didn't really believe that, but that was the only thing I could think of. Now I guess I know it's just that meat wasn't exposed to the air that the outside was.
But now I have another question...since it was ground, wasn't all of the meat exposed to oxygen? Meaning since it was all exposed to oxygen shouldn't the package be red all the way through?
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Someone needs to do an experiment now..
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