Costco Meats

[rotuts]

Ive become quite a bit more interested

 

in Costco Meats.

 

ie :  you go there , you get your quality cut

 

in a three pack.   and its good stuff .

 

there is the jacquard system ,

 

which in the past I had the impression you

 

co8uld get the Non-J'd

 

Im interested in the cry-vacd

 

items , for use w the 

 

WHPS ( a pellet grill )

 

if you go to Costco to buy meat :

 

what sort of cry 

 

packs do you get ?

 

when you do get something :

 

what have you gotten in the past ?

 

and what sort of prices do you look for ?

 

many thanks .

 

 

[Paul Bacino]

you could always get the rib primal.. there price is pretty decent.

 

I have  done a combo wet and dry..  probably 30 wet/30 dry

[Bernie]

Well in Australia, I have found Costco meats to be more expensive BUT the quality is high and very consistent.

They do offer cryovac but only on full cuts and roasts.

Once it is cut, it is packed in clingwrap type styrofoam trays. I take it home and decant into "meal packs" and vacuum seal (ready for SV) and freeze.

It is the consistency I go for. I have used other butchers that cut and pack to my requirements is not as consistent as Costco.

The specialist butcher near me that my friends rave about the quality  but I found the quality is actually inconsistent and even the cut dimensions are variable.

I don't think Costco here do any jacquard but that may be a regional or country thing.

They do pork  ribs (full ribs not already cut) that are cryovaced and I freeze as is or usually unpack, divide in 2 repack and freeze. These i usually brine and smoke.

Individual pork bone in cutlets i brine and hang vertical (fat side up) and smoke, then sear to serve.

As a general case i find pork needs to be brined otherwise it dries out, but I hot smoke (~80c) to speed up the process.

I generally  do ribs "plain" but finish them in foil with sweet baby rays BBQ sauce.

Not a fan of smoked chicken as such but each his own.

I have smoked fish but i catch my own and the quality is actually way too good to smoke. I have smoked some of of the lesser species and the results were excellent, so i don't buy Costco fish.

 

[lemniscate]

I usually buy what Costco calls "Hot Buys" in the few days between expiration of old coupon book to new coupon book.    The "Hot Buys" are inevitably cryopack pork loin (which I make into back bacon), pork shoulder (which I do as pork SV in differing flavorings) and just recently pork belly (which turned into green bacon).  

 

We have done the beef filet that's packed cryo'd for Holiday dinners.

 

I'm also pretty sure baby back ribs were offered at special and I bought them sometime in the last year.  

 

I've been pretty happy with those, even though pork-heavy.   It puts stuff in the freezer for easier meal planning.

 

The Costco Business has a large room of cryo'd primals for restaurants.  That's a sight to behold.

[heidih]

My father (100) and wife (92) are still fat-phobic but are in love with the 3 per cryovac pack pork tenderloin. Finally got them to understand a quick saute or broil is fine, tender result and to drop the old school OMG trichinosis fear.

[gfweb]

Our Costco had a downturn during Covid.

NY strip got pricey and tough.  Even now it isn't what I'd call a fair price.

But we have a new Wegman's.  NY strip is 4 decent steaks for about $30.  Tasty and marbled.  About t he same price/lb as flatiron at Food Lion!.

[scubadoo97]

I use to pick up whole tenderloins and briskets but we eat so little beef these days 

[FeChef]

Costco in my area has a terrible selection of meats. I almost joined, but im glad i told the wife im going to check out the meat department first.

And yes, it was when they just opened up the store in my area, but i checked them out a year later and nothing changed.

Edited January 24, 2023 by FeChef (log)

[gfweb]

1 hour ago, scubadoo97 said:

I use to pick up whole tenderloins and briskets but we eat so little beef these days 

 

Their meat prices and quality aren't what they used to be at least at my costco

[TicTac]

Correct me if I am wrong, but doesn't Costco tenderize their meat?  Certainly their beef products. 

 

Much prefer to support local farms vs. big multi-national conglomerates that don't really give a shit!

[rotuts]

i have not been to Costco in ages.

 

I went one to ask about jaccarding the meat in their meat cases.

 

they did tis at the time , but would pull out meat from the buttering area 

 

on request ,  this was a concern of mine re SV

 

I have no idea what they do w cryovacc'd hunks 

 

it might be possible that their  meat selections have declined

 

based on costs.

 

 

[eugenep]

I get cryo-vacced brisket, pork belly, pork shoulder etc. 

 

I don't think they taste different from normal wrap and I think the quality of Costco meat and seafood has always been high. 

 

I actually eat their tuna raw. I used to eat their salmon raw also for sushi (supposed to be ok if farm raised)

 

I think meat prices have come back to almost pre-pandemic levels. 

 

The one thing that hasn't has be scallops. It's still $24 a lb and not the $16 a lb pre-pandemic. I haven't had scallops for almost 2 years now. 

[rotuts]

ive had their tuna , at a friends 

 

a few years pre-pandemic.  he had purchased it the day before 

 

and kept it refrigerated at his home.

 

opening the pack  ( styrofoam + sealed plastic wrap )

 

there was no odor what so ever , and it was delicious as sashimi.

 

my friend did the chef-ey sear on each side of his , w a rare middle portion.

 

I asked him to taste the cooked bits by them self.

 

and he agreed :  tastes like tunafish, not sashimi.

 

which should be a crime.

Edited January 24, 2023 by rotuts (log)

[gfweb]

2 hours ago, TicTac said:

 

 

Much prefer to support local farms vs. big multi-national conglomerates that don't really give a shit!

I wouldn't say Costco doesn't care about their food. Apparently their meat safety and testing is stellar.

 

But, hey, you can decide on whatever valid or invalid grounds that makes you feel righteous.

[rotuts]

I now support what I can get to

 

where there are very very few people

 

no more than twice in the same week 

 

maybe less 

 

so that i don't drop dead on the way home.

 

MC can get very annoyed if his 1/4 can of Friskies Fish Pate

 

( 4 flavors  ! )

 

is not exactly on time

 

the neighbors would complain .

[AlaMoi]

beef that has been mechanically tenderized must, by Federal law, state that on the label.

so, there is that . . . .

 

I buy Costco pork chops - splendid stuff. 

I buy Costco USDA Prime beef because it's same or less than supermarket USDA Choice.

and it's dang good beef.

 

we have a local butcher - his stuff is always top notch - they supply the resto trade in a wide area . . .

when I'm looking for a special cut - he's my goto.

 

I also make a point to not over-cook my beef or pork or chicken or duck or . . . .

[TicTac]

3 hours ago, gfweb said:

I wouldn't say Costco doesn't care about their food. Apparently their meat safety and testing is stellar.

 

But, hey, you can decide on whatever valid or invalid grounds that makes you feel righteous.

It better be stellar after so many e.coli and other similar outbreaks due to their blade tenderizing practices 10 +/- years ago. 

 

And if supporting local farmers (or butchers who do) who raise animals in humane methods (see; Costco's roasted chickens) in (green) free pastures is not sufficiently valid grounds to feel groovy and righteous, I do not know what is!

[Dr. Teeth]

On 1/24/2023 at 1:48 PM, AlaMoi said:

beef that has been mechanically tenderized must, by Federal law, state that on the label.

so, there is that . . . .

 

I buy Costco pork chops - splendid stuff. 

I buy Costco USDA Prime beef because it's same or less than supermarket USDA Choice.

and it's dang good beef.

 

we have a local butcher - his stuff is always top notch - they supply the resto trade in a wide area . . .

when I'm looking for a special cut - he's my goto.

 

I also make a point to not over-cook my beef or pork or chicken or duck or . . . .

Agree.    The pork loin at 1.99 a pound is a great bargain.   The Teeth family gets a round of schnitzels with enough for the boys to take sandwiches, a round or two of center cut pork chops and usually country ribs from the plate end for Sunday sauce.   Plan to cut the plate end for a roast and do Marcella Hazen’s Pork in Milk with the next one.

 

Foodsaver and a chest freezer helps.

[AlaMoi]

anyone concerned about meat sellers not properly labeling stuff . . . .

 

buy bone-in beef/pork.  check the videos of how blade/needle mechanical tenderizing is done -

bones in the meat are not going to work with that process. . . .

[donk79]

I have watched Costco change and grow ever since they merged with Price Club in 1993.  They have changed immensely over the years.  Some of those changes I have approved of.  Others I have not.  I would confidently say that an opinion formed a decade ago is not well informed about the business today.

 

I have habituated several different stores in different regions over the years, and have stopped in at least a dozen.  I can also confidently say that while some things are a constant, many others vary significantly from store to store.   So once again,  I would not presume that what is true at my local store is the same at another location,  even one relatively close by.