Questions and answers about beef and more

Meat from the world, practical advice

Meat represents one of the most versatile and complete dishes on the Italian, perhaps European, or rather global, culinary scene. Its enormous popularity entails vices and virtues that are often difficult to dispel because they are well rooted in popular culture and properly distorted by who knows what word of mouth. Now, the time has come to put an end to the thousand doubts and start solving one by one all - or almost all - the enigmas that revolve around the world of butchery and even more so, towards the choice of buying meat online.

How to preserve meat

The methods of purchasing meat and not only in recent years have moved towards the world of online butchers, often people choose to purchase online for a series of reasons known to most and without the slightest idea of ​​what could come. This concept obviously does not concern the world of food products which are inspected down to the smallest detail before reaching the trolley and, as is right, only when there is certainty of full compliance with hygiene and production rules, concludes the purchase. The online butcher meets the same requirements but, once the meat has been purchased, how is it stored?

Vacuum-packed meat, What?

Vacuum packing is a rather recent practice to keep the properties of the product to be preserved intact and to increase the shelf life. The effectiveness of the technique can be attributed to the deprivation of oxygen inside the package, so as to prevent bacteria from proliferating and keep the product intact. Learn more in our article: vacuum-packed meat, between myths and truth .

Meat, how to freeze?

Freezing meat is the most used method to keep the quality of the product intact and avoid rapid deterioration, especially when you choose to purchase more or less full-bodied cuts and stock up in the freezer in preparation for parties, important lunches or simple "shopping". of the month." Meat in the freezer is a perfect way to preserve the product while keeping its organoleptic qualities intact, just place the vacuum package and apply an adhesive label with the name and shelf life.

How to defrost meat?

To defrost meat there are different methods, whatever your preference, you need to choose a solution that avoids excessive temperature changes so as to keep the elasticity of the meat fibers intact. Online butchers choose to share various solutions with their customers, here is a fast and effective method. How to defrost meat? Prepare a basin of cold water in which to immerse the vacuum-packed meat wrapped in a food bag. Replace the water every 30 minutes and continue the procedure until completely defrosted.

Meat, how many days in the fridge?

How long does meat last in the fridge? Five days at most six. Here is another added value in preferring online butchers that sell vacuum-packed meat. The preservation of meat is something very special, since it is directly linked to the type of product. For example, if we are talking about beef and steaks - more or less elite, the duration reaches 5 days, but if we are talking about meat in the form of sausages, the duration is very different. In short, in general terms to answer the question "How long does meat last in the fridge?" you can reply within 5 days - with reservations, of course!

For further information: read our article on meat preservation: rules and curiosities .

Curiosities about meat

Myths, reading, curious stories and absurd parables. Meat is a vast topic, rich in facets and details which offers many possibilities for interpretations, sometimes extremely different from each other. For some populations, for example, it is unthinkable to consider dry-aged meat or kobe meat as delicious foods, while for others, dried meat is.

How do you say meat in English?

Sometimes you want to bring international recipes to the table. Here we search online for the best online butcher's shop that offers particular, high-quality cuts of meat, used by other cultures and little known in Italy. Browsing one page after another you come across a recipe completely in another language, and Google translate becomes your best friend. But, how do you say meat in English? Here are some meanings to make your search easier and faster!

Beef=Beef, Pork=Pork, Veal=Veal, Rabbit=Rabbit, Lamb=Lamb, Duck=Duck, Goose=Goose, Horse=Horse, Chicken=Chicken, Turkey=Turkey, Pheasant=Pheasant.

Price of beef per kg?

But what is the price of beef per kg? Price is one of the elements that contribute most to the choice to buy meat online or directly in store. Exactly as happens in the best puzzles left unsolved, the answer unfortunately is: it depends.

The elements involved in the choice are multiple and quite different from each other:

• geographic area
• type of production and consequent product quality
• cut of meat
• quantity of product

In general and to answer in a very general way, prices vary between 5 Euros per kilo up to 8 Euros per kilo for a medium quality cut of meat.

Why does meat turn dark?

The meat in contact with the air, or rather with oxygen, triggers a chemical reaction which, when seen, translates into a dark red color tending towards purple. But when does the meat turn dark? The meat becomes dark when the oxidation process is active, it is a natural process that determines the change in color of the surface of the meat in contact with the air. What should be alarming is not the change in color, given that it responds to a completely natural process, but the change in odor which is easily recognizable from the moment you open the package. In the last case the combination of bad smell and spoiled meat is spot on!

What is dry-aged meat?

Dry-aged meat is a type of meat that requires a rather long and complex preparation process. The maturation of the meat can be understood as "maturation" which, especially for some types of beef, makes the product even more special since the meat becomes much softer, tastier and digestible. Maturing requires a particular process that uses ad hoc tools and specific and in-depth knowledge. Today it is easy to find matured Italian meat online and yes, it is worth tasting! If you are still not convinced of the answer, discover 5 other things to know about dry-aged meat .

What meat is called Kobe?

Have you heard of Kobe beef yet? Kobe is a type of beef with Japanese origins, where the particular breeding method makes the meat marbled to the right degree and at the same time soft and succulent. Kobe meat is very valuable because the production is quite complex, in fact the animals graze on steep and unusual terrain compared to what we are used to and it is possible to find the original Kobe meat online in many butcher shops that deal with meat from around the world. Today it is also possible to make beef similar to Kobe meat thanks to the use of the Wagyu breed and careful analysis of the animal's growth process.

Meat yes, meat no

Meat is a food capable of providing an infinite number of nutritional values ​​necessary for the correct functioning of the human organism. Many people say it's bad for you, just as many people say exactly the opposite, so who's right? The pessimist might respond with a decisive “neither”. The impartial person, on the other hand, could justify both theses with: "In the right amount it is good, excess is bad, including meat". It should be added that in addition to the right consumption, it is also essential to turn to farms that choose to raise animals in perfect harmony with the environment and nature, avoiding forcing and intensive breeding. Meat is good for you, no ifs or buts.

Which meat contains lactose?

Have you ever wondered which meat contains lactose? Well, traces of lactose can be present in beef, especially in the industrial supply chain, the preservative is an additive used to increase flavor and color. Lactose is therefore not the birth element of meat, but is often added during one of the processing phases to maintain the recognizable characteristics of the final product unaltered.

What meat can you eat raw?

The most appetizing cuts of meat for recipes defined as "cruditè" are: beef rump, rump, shoulder girello and walnut. It is beef and if it responds to particular breeds of cattle, the flavor reaches the pinnacle of pleasure, taste and also touches all the other senses. Tartare is the emblem of raw meat which, cut with a knife, expresses the characteristics of meat without masks and completely undressed. This is why the lack of added ingredients capable of resolving any shortcomings makes meat the exclusive protagonist.

Which meat during pregnancy?

During pregnancy it is preferable to choose white meats such as chicken, turkey and rabbit. Red meat is recommended in small doses or rather, it is preferable to choose lean meat as it contains less cholesterol and a good balance of saturated and unsaturated fats. Horse meat is an important source of iron, an essential element for the correct growth of the fetus.

Beef nutritional values. How many calories are beef?

Once again the correct answer to the question is it depends. Just ask your trusted butcher to receive the most classic answer, i.e. "it depends". Generally speaking, the nutritional values ​​of 100 g of adult bovine meat can be summarized as follows: 106 Kcal, 75.4 g H2O, 21.3 g Proteins, 2.3 g Lipids, 337 mg Potassium, 1.3 mg Iron, 3.3 mg Zinc, 17 mg Magnesium, 40 mg Sodium, 3 µg Selenium, 0.10 mg Vitamin B1, 0.07 mg Vitamin B2, 5 mg Vitamin B3, 0.55 mg Vitamin B6, 2 mg Vitamin B12. Among the elements involved in the definition of the list are: age, size, breed, diet and cut of meat. In short, elements that are not secondary at all!