Strange Occurance

[MikeC]

Went to the Grocery store with a friend of mine on Saturday.

The store is the Commisary at Maxwell Air Force base in Montgomery, Al.

A VERY large store and all kinds of selections.

Anyway, we went to the meat dept and was looking at prices, etc.

The "Select" beef was priced higher per lb. than the "Choice"!

We asked a butcher why.

His reply was that the demand for "Select" was higher than for "Choice" and they price accordingly. :shock:

Has anyone ever seen this before? I was floored!

 

[Ryan]

I think that it is because the term "Select" has a better sound to it. The average shopper probably does not know the order of quality (Prime, Choice, Select...), so they hear "Select" and it has a nice, good sound to it so that is what they go for. I don't know if they still do it, but I can remember Kroger advertising "Kroger Select" beef. People thought it was supposed to be really good, but it was just regular Select grade beef.

 

[Rod]

I tried to explain that to my neighbor but he still believes "SELECT" is the best you can buy. I guarentee you he'd pay more for it.

 

[DOC HARRIS]

I am certain that is exactly why the word "Select" is more in demand! Over the years, I have had the same fruitless discussion with several different people at different times, and the result is always the same - even after the explanation of Prime, Choice and Select grading labels. It is the same principle as appealing to one's ego by a salesman telling them that they can "...sell you this Life Insurance Policy . . IF you Qualify!" "Well, hah hah - you can bet your life that "I" can qualify!" It is the old challenge that "We're number ONE, by Gosh! NOBODY is better than WE are! WE are SELECT (ed)" Words mean things, and "Select" means better than just - - choice. Advertising agencys capitalize on psychological quirks of this type. The word "Fastidious" indicates a higher level of intensity of choosing than the word "Satisfactory."

For example: "The manufacturer of this product is fastidious in the use of the materials to make it!" as opposed to "The manufacturer of this product uses satisfactory materials to make it." Even the Exclamation mark following 'make it' in the first instance seems to imply that the 'materials' are of a higher quality than in the second example. Right? RIGHT! Even when you read it to yourself, your mind puts a different stress on the verbage.

Therefore, "Select" seems to be a "gooder" word than "choice".

DOC HARRIS

 

[bullpeddler]

Unfortunately, I am restricted to eating select beef (or none at all) because of a problem with high cholesterol. True, select is probably healthier but if you have eyes you can see that it lacks the marbling and thus the flavor of choice or prime cuts. I guess you could rename it extra lean or marble free beef.

 

[Horticattleman]

Tricky how words can bring more money...kinda like the word "certified"

 

[Ryan]

Unfortunately, I am restricted to eating select beef (or none at all) because of a problem with high cholesterol. True, select is probably healthier but if you have eyes you can see that it lacks the marbling and thus the flavor of choice or prime cuts. I guess you could rename it extra lean or marble free beef.

Try Longhorn beef

 

[Alice]

Unfortunately, I am restricted to eating select beef (or none at all) because of a problem with high cholesterol. True, select is probably healthier but if you have eyes you can see that it lacks the marbling and thus the flavor of choice or prime cuts. I guess you could rename it extra lean or marble free beef.

Try Longhorn beef

Ryan,

I've read what's been written here about longhorn beef...and I've decided I'm gonna try it. I looked on some websites that ship it, but it is expensive! Can you suggest anyplace that I might be able to buy a few steaks and some hamburger meat that's close by...close by being Mineral Wells or Stephenville...

Alice

 

[backhoeboogie]

Unfortunately, I am restricted to eating select beef (or none at all) because of a problem with high cholesterol. True, select is probably healthier but if you have eyes you can see that it lacks the marbling and thus the flavor of choice or prime cuts. I guess you could rename it extra lean or marble free beef.

Try Longhorn beef

Ryan,

I've read what's been written here about longhorn beef...and I've decided I'm gonna try it. I looked on some websites that ship it, but it is expensive! Can you suggest anyplace that I might be able to buy a few steaks and some hamburger meat that's close by...close by being Mineral Wells or Stephenville...

Alice

Alice, you won't be sorry you tried it. Just remember not to overcook it. It is lean, healthy and has good flavor. The absolute best for some dishes. Easy to overcook.

 

[Alice]

Unfortunately, I am restricted to eating select beef (or none at all) because of a problem with high cholesterol. True, select is probably healthier but if you have eyes you can see that it lacks the marbling and thus the flavor of choice or prime cuts. I guess you could rename it extra lean or marble free beef.

Try Longhorn beef

Ryan,

I've read what's been written here about longhorn beef...and I've decided I'm gonna try it. I looked on some websites that ship it, but it is expensive! Can you suggest anyplace that I might be able to buy a few steaks and some hamburger meat that's close by...close by being Mineral Wells or Stephenville...

Alice

Alice, you won't be sorry you tried it. Just remember not to overcook it. It is lean, healthy and has good flavor. The absolute best for some dishes. Easy to overcook.

Lean is becoming more of a requirement around here with me and Van. But neither one of us is prepared to cut down on our consumption of beef. I'm anxious to try the Longhorn beef.

Alice

 

[Ryan]

I don't know of anything right off the top of my head. But I'll ask around and see what I can find for you.

We have just about finished off the last one we kept for our freezer... and he was delicious.

 

[3waycross]

I sell food for one of the major foodservice companies in the USA.

You wouldn't believe how many time I have had to explain the quality grades to owners of restuarants. I gave up trying to explain yield grades a long time ago.

The really sad thing is they all start out using choice or top choice, and within 6 months most of them are trying to squeeze a few cents per pound off the top thinking people won't notice the difference between choice and no roll, on a sirloin steak

 

[ga. prime]

Tricky how words can bring more money...kinda like the word "certified"

Or... "Cadillac"

 

[MikeC]

The really sad thing is they all start out using choice or top choice, and within 6 months most of them are trying to squeeze a few cents per pound off the top thinking people won't notice the difference between choice and no roll, on a sirloin steak

I have found that "No Roll" beef is most times just as good as any. Especially with tenderloins. There is very little marbling in a tenderloin anyway and it's always tender because it is an unused muscle.

Some packers choose not to pay a USDA grader and grade it themselves, it can't have an official stamp but if the packer stands behind it, some foodservice sellers don't care about the stamp.

"On a sirloin steak", you may be right.

 

[Frankie]

Went to the Grocery store with a friend of mine on Saturday.

The store is the Commisary at Maxwell Air Force base in Montgomery, Al.

A VERY large store and all kinds of selections.

Anyway, we went to the meat dept and was looking at prices, etc.

The "Select" beef was priced higher per lb. than the "Choice"!

We asked a butcher why.

His reply was that the demand for "Select" was higher than for "Choice" and they price accordingly. :shock:

Has anyone ever seen this before? I was floored!

I think he's either pulling your leg or just doesn't know. The local supermarket doesn't price according to demand. They price according to what they pay, plus their costs, plus a profit margin. The commissary is a bit more complicated because you have government contracting involved. But prices there have little to do with demand. What they keep in inventory has to do with demand.

Once upon a time our commissary stocked only Choice beef. But about five years ago, they got rid of the butchers, went to boxed beef and started selling Select alongside Choice. I talked the meat manager at that time. He was pretty upset about the change and has since retired. Actually, he told me commissary shoppers were't willing to pay for Choice beef. They were going downtown to WalMart and buying cheaper, Select, beef.

I've just about stopped buying beef there and go to a local meat market to buy Choice. I don't think it matters much with Tenderloins since they aren't marbled anyway.

I've spent time talking to meat market people at my commissary and several major supermarkets here in OK and in Texas. Generally, they don't have a clue about meat quality grades. Most of them, though, do know that "Angus" is best.

 

[3waycross]

The really sad thing is they all start out using choice or top choice, and within 6 months most of them are trying to squeeze a few cents per pound off the top thinking people won't notice the difference between choice and no roll, on a sirloin steak

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I have found that "No Roll" beef is most times just as good as any. Especially with tenderloins. There is very little marbling in a tenderloin anyway and it's always tender because it is an unused muscle.
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Are you a chef? How many meat CUTTINGS have you attended where this has been proven to be true? I guess good is a relative term. Because there is no way no roll will have the flavor that you get with Choice. If what you say is true CAB would never have gotten off the ground. I realize it's a marketing program but there really is a difference. I have seen it proved too many times, to buy into what you are saying. Wheter you believe it or not there is still a difference between Choice and no roll in tenderloins. However I do usually recommend the most restuarants use Select because of the difference in price. The tenderloin in addition to being little used does as you say not marble very well, but it does marble.


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Some packers choose not to pay a USDA grader and grade it themselves, it can't have an official stamp but if the packer stands behind it, some foodservice sellers don't care about the stamp.
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I am thinking that would be Bubba's packing house out on county road 121. Certainly not any of the major packing houses in this country. That 'Foodservice seller" would probably be Bubba's cousin. Willie from Willie's country meats who sells it from the back of his truck out of a plastic cooler. This is also the same guy who when you bring in the other 4H steer that the kids raised will rip you off and sell the 4H steer out of his meat case and give you a truck load of no roll meat back. That's probably why you don't think there's a difference.



"On a sirloin steak", you may be right.

Some of my answers ended up in the body of the above quote, because I was trying to answer you point by point. Sorry for that

I know I'm right. The sirloin marbles worse than the other cuts, it is also inherently less tender. I have customers that have gone out to 60 days on Top Sirloin in the cyrovac. It stinks like heck when they cut it open but the smell dissipates quickly and the meat is fork tender.

By the way here is the aging recomendations I usually give my customers.

Top Sirloin-35 to 45 days
Strip loin-21-35 days
Ribeye- 21-30 days
Flatirons use before 21 days(after that they seem to develope a liver flavor. I'm not sure why)

Tenderloin cut it when it comes of the truck.

Mike
I'm not trying to be a smarta$$ but I sell meat on the end of the business where things like Tenderness, and flavor, really matter. What you said here is a perfect example of the mindset I was trying to portray with my remark about how restuarants rip people off by starting out with premium meat and when they get the business built up a little they start looking for ways to screw the public. You in effect have said marbling doesn't matter. As a cowman do you really want to make that statement. I am guessing not.

 

[MikeC]

I think he's either pulling your leg or just doesn't know. The local supermarket doesn't price according to demand. They price according to what they pay, plus their costs, plus a profit margin.

One example of where you are wrong. :roll:

I sold watermelons to a local Big Bear grocery store just last month for $2 each. They put "Locally Grown" on the price sign and sold them for $5.99 each retail.

When I was negotiating my price with the manager he told me he was buying Mexican melons from the produce broker for $2.50 each and had them priced at $4.99 retail.

The melons I delivered sold like hot cakes. In fact, I could not supply all they wanted. When I delivered the last load to them on a Saturday morning, I noticed they had added "Limited Supply" to the sign and had $6.49 on it.

Don't tell me that local stores don't price on the demand.

I see'd it wif my own two eyes! :lol:

Take your BS elsewhere. :roll:

 

[mnmtranching]

I've always found it interesting how naive the average consumer is. When they buy steak in the raw form they look for lean, when they go to a steak house they demand that the prepared steak be tender and juicy [well marbled choice or prime] Go figure. :roll:

 

[mnmtranching]

When I have my fed cattle butchered, they hang 10 days and are as tender as can be. I really can't see the point in all the aging.

Can somebody explain.?

 

[Frankie]

I think he's either pulling your leg or just doesn't know. The local supermarket doesn't price according to demand. They price according to what they pay, plus their costs, plus a profit margin.

One example of where you are wrong. :roll:

I sold watermelons to a local Big Bear grocery store just last month for $2 each. They put "Locally Grown" on the price sign and sold them for $5.99 each retail.

When I was negotiating my price with the manager he told me he was buying Mexican melons from the produce broker for $2.50 each and had them priced at $4.99 retail.

The melons I delivered sold like hot cakes. In fact, I could not supply all they wanted. When I delivered the last load to them on a Saturday morning, I noticed they had added "Limited Supply" to the sign and had $6.49 on it.

Don't tell me that local stores don't price on the demand.

I see'd it wif my own two eyes! :lol:

Take your BS elsewhere. :roll:

Your niche market of locally grown melons is hardly to be compared to other items at a major supermarket or a military commissary. :roll: If the manager had indicated the Mexican melons were "imported" they might have outsold yours. :lol: