How Fresh Is Your Supermarket Meat?
Contrary to what you probably think, buying meat at the supermarket does not mean you are buying fresh meat. Meat spoils relatively quick, and you have NO idea for how long it's been in the display. In fact, that great "deal" they are advertising? It's probably beef that's about to go bad.
Vacuum Sealed Meat Has Changed The Game
That supermarket beef that looks "oh so fresh", is no fresher than vacuum sealed meat or even frozen. That meat could have been sitting there for 2 hours or for 5 days; certainly longer than our meat did before it was vacuum sealed to preserve the meat, and its freshness.
Moreover, all beef sold through supermarkets arrives in primals (the first cuts made from the carcass) that are vacuum sealed. All the beef is wet aged, even if it is for just 5-7 days, on the way from the processing plan to the supermarket.
The supermarkets will thaw it out (if it was frozen), cut the primal into steaks and put into trays. This is how the industry works.
Can Vacuum Sealed Beef Be Refrozen?
If you defreeze the meat properly (that is, in the refrigerator) you can re-freeze it with no loss in quality. That's because the concern with refreezing meat is a quality issue, not a safety issue. Usually meat that has been thawed will lose moisture but that doesn't happen if the beef is vacuum sealed.
If you defrost your meat in cold water, then it should be cooked before refreezing.
Vacuum sealed beef looks a bit darker. That is because it has been deprived of oxygen. It may also smell a bit funny right after opening it. This is what's known as "confinement odor" and is in no way an indication that there is a problem with the meat.
After a few minutes, the smell will disappear and the colour will return to normal.
Frozen beef can be the new fresh and vacuum sealed is definitely an indication of freshness!
That is why ALL the beef we sell is vaccum sealed and unlike most restaurants and supermarkets, we do not thaw and refreeze our beef.
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