Heard a guy at the meat counter say something that's been bugging me

I was picking up some chuck at a local shop in Portland and overheard this older butcher tell a new hire to always trim fat right before grinding, not after. He said leaving it on overnight lets the meat get this sour tang from the fat oxidizing. I've been doing it the other way for like 4 years. Has anyone else heard this or am I overthinking a random comment?

2 comments

2 Comments

jason_fisher412d ago

Wait, the butcher said it gets a sour tang from leaving fat on overnight? I've never heard that before, and I grind my own meat pretty often. I always thought keeping the fat on helped keep everything colder and less exposed to air before grinding. Honestly, I'd be surprised if the average home cook could even taste a difference from one night in the fridge. Maybe it's more of a concern for a shop that's leaving big trays of meat out for days, but for a home batch, I wouldn't overthink it.

blairm4411d ago

That actually reminds me of a time I watched a buddy smoke a brisket and he left the fat cap on too long before cooking. He was dead set on letting it sit overnight with the rub, but by morning the fat had this weird smell, kind of like old popcorn or something. He chunked the whole thing and started over with fresh trim. So I guess that butcher might be onto something, even if it sounds like an old timer's tale. Have you tried doing it both ways to see if you catch that tang in the grind?