15 Tips On Buying The Right Kind Of Meat

1. If possible, look for the inspected and passed stamped marks, especially in big cuts of meat. It is dangerous to buy meat from ambulant meat peddlers (maglalako). It pays to go early in the market to your favorite "suki" while the butcher is still cutting the beef carcass into retail cuts. This will more or less help in the identification of a carcass, whether it's really cow's meat or carabao's or a horse's.
2. Know the different meat cuts.
3. Select meat for specific use. For example, shank and brisket for stew and tender portion like the loin muscles for steak, braising and broiling. In general the tender cuts lie along the back. The less tender cuts are those involved in the excessive movement of the animal such as the leg, shoulder and neck.

Remember that bones of young animals are porous and red while white in older animals.
The use of pressure cooker, if available, shortens cooking time thereby saving fuel and improves the tenderness of the meat.

4. Beef must be firm, bright red in color with yellow fat, free from slime and off-odor. Avoid brightly off-colored meat as this is an indication of the use of artificial coloring matter like "achuete" and other food-coloring.
5. When buying ground meat of good quality select from a big cut and have it ground by the butcher in your presence.
6. Buy refrigerated meat in places where refrigeration facilities are available.
7. Thawed meat must be cooked immediately. Avoid refreezing thawed meat. When storing meat to be frozen, package in convenient family size units and identify properly as to the kind of meat cuts and date of purchase.
8. Freeze quickly at zero or lower temperature. Beef should not be kept frozen for more than 12 months, while pork not over 6 months. Frozen meat is just as good as fresh meat provided it is properly handled.
9. Never wash soiled meat. Soiled meat should only be wiped with damp cloth.
10. Meat should not be wrapped in newspaper; use plastic bags or other vapor resistant wrapping materials.
11. The meat stall's cutting table must be smooth, free from crevices and kept clean at all times.
12. Keep dust and vermin away from the meat stalls.
13. Store packages correctly in the refrigerators. Refrain from overloading the freezer and provide space for the air to circulate inside the freezer.
14. Buy meat where proper hygiene and sanitation is observed by the handler.
15. Find time to attend seminars, read newspapers and magazines, meetings and demonstrations where proper handling of meat and meat products are discussed.