Food & Grocery Best Posts in Thread: Chicken and Pork

@Philpots has covered this, but refrigeration and freezing only serve to slow down the growth of microbes - not kill them (vaccines containing live viruses and bacteria are often stored at low temperatures for that very reason). Often liquid nitrogen is used and that is at minus 196 degrees Celsius.

Refrigeration slows down the growth less and so food can still spoil at that temperature (around 4 to 8oC). The other factor is that bacteria and fungi produce toxins and, although the toxins themselves cannot reproduce, they will still be present after cooling or freezing - so how fresh the food is and how it was stored BEFORE we purchase it is a consideration (in that the amount of pathogens and/or toxins present will already be set).

Then we have to consider enzymes within the food - they are naturally there within a live animal but upon death of the animal they still have a continuing effect upon the food. Cooling/freezing will also slow down their actions but they continue to have an effect on the nature, and so texture and taste, of the food.

Some of this is true for plants - for example, ergot of Rye ( ) can cause gangrene and convulsions! It is even thought that the Bubonic Plague was exacerbated in people affected by ergotism. So RYE has a lot to answer for!

 

We wont buy meat from the big grocers anymore for the reasons you have stated. We use the public market and buy a months worth at one time.Takes wifey about 15-20 min and she chooses the meat and the type of cut she wants and watches him cut it up. We go fairly early..like b4 9am and I'm pretty sure the pork and chicken we are buying were walking around only a few hours earlier.

 

My experience is that this has to do with timing. I have had good luck at CityMall about an hour after they open.

Too early and the fresh cuts are not out yet. Too late and well it's too late.

The best time to go is about an hour after they have opened. The pork is sliced but still frozen and the Chicken pieces are usually very fresh between 10 - 11 am.

Actually I have found all of the stores are good at this time. Only on rare occasion at this time in the morning does the chicken look yellowish.

I used to go to the open market early in the morning shortly after the butchering of the animals and was able to find good cuts. I have since fallen out of the habit of going there early and have been shopping at CityMall.

 

The gf can't cook to save her life, that's why I learned how to cook to avoid getting explosive craps in the toilet lol. Or we eat out. I've eaten in local cafeterias and I can say that most of them really shouldn't cook for a livinghood

 

A good point about meat being out in the heat on market stalls - I would never buy it. My asawa buys fish but I would never accept her buying other seafoods.

Keeping frozen and thawing small batches in the fridge is the best approach possible.

I don't think your chicken stays anywhere long enough to be a health problem! I tend not to use a thermometer but check the texture, as we know when breast is not fully cooked, and for meat on bones I look for any signs of blood. But using a thermometer is, of course, an extra safeguard.

Just pity the locals who have no fridge and no idea.

 

So far, I've had decent ones from Belcris. Someone here suggested it. They can get pricey though. But totally worth it