Tips on Buying the Right Kind of Meat

1. Buy meat where proper hygiene and sanitation is observed by the handler. For instance, check the meat stall's cutting table. The table must be smooth, free from crevices and kept clean at all times. See that dust and vermin are kept away from the meat stalls.
2. If possible, look for the inspected-and-passed stamped marks, especially in big cuts of meat. 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 the carcass, whether it's really cow's meat or carabao's or horse's.
3. Know the different meat cuts you will need in your menu. Select meat for specific use. For example, shank and brisket for stew. 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 movements 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.
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 indicates the use of artificial coloring matter like achuete.
5. When buying ground meat of good quality, select from a big cut and have it ground by the butcher in your presence. Don't buy pre-grounded beef or pork.
6. Buy refrigerated meat in places where refrigeration facilities are available.
7. Meat should not be wrapped in newspaper; use plastic bags or other vapor resistant wrapping materials.
8. Thawed meat must be cooked immediately.
9. 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.
10. Store packages correctly in the refrigerator. Refrain from overloading the freezer and provide space for the air to circulate inside the freezer.
11. 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.
12. Store packages correctly in the refrigerator. Refrain from overloading the freezer and provide space for the air to circulate inside the freezer.
13. The use of pressure cooker, if available, shortens cooking time thereby saving fuel and improves the tenderness of the meat.