Tip from a butcher. When looking beef in a display cabinet, take the beef out of the cabinet and look at it before buying. A lot of supermarkets have a redish light in the display to make it look more red.
Back in the day, we used a spiked mallet to tenderize meat, typically right before we cooked it. Seems less invasive than blades and keeps more of the juices
The label also says “For safety the USDA recommends grilling to a _minimum_ internal temperature of 145 degrees as measured with a food thermometer with a 3 minute rest. That is a “well done” steak, not a “medium rare” steak.
Black and Blue: 115°F and below Rare: 120-125°F Medium Rare: 130-135°F Medium: 140-145°F Medium Well: 150-155°F Well Done: 160-165°F Extra Well: 170°F+
There is an exception. For a ribeye, you can cook sous vide at 131ºF for a couple hours or more (I recommend about 2.5 - 4) and it will be safe. Douglas Baldwin has good food safety information.
@@daqtheduck6296 it actually is. after the steak rests for 3 minutes its going to raise in temp up to between 150-55, medium well. this is a heinous crime, I work at costco and I will never support our trashy machine tenderizing. it completely ruins the steak by introducing pathogens. if you buy meat at costco just buy a subprimal cut and cut the steaks out yourself. way cheaper per lbs and you can cook blue rare and medium rare steaks without risk of illness.
I am surprised you never saw it on the label. Although it makes for a better steak, it is actually a bad thing as you can introduce bacteria into the steak if the needles poking the steaks aren't thoroughly cleaned, so they recommend to over cook your steak. I only buy uncut steaks at Costco. By the way, I am not implying Costco doesn't clean their equipment, they are actually very clean, I buy uncut meat because you get more bang for your buck.
I WAS ONE OF 5 BUTCHERS OF 300 EMPLOYEES IN A FACTORY.- I. NEVER. BUY. INJECTED. MEAT. (OUTSIDE OF PEAMEAL BACON, BACON, HAM… I MEAN, NOT BEEF FOR STEAKS, ROASTS ETC.) F THAT. THEY HAVE TO BE FULLY COOKED, WELL DONE! SO WTF IS EVEN THE POINT. THE NEEDLES GET CLOGGED. COMMON PRACTICE IS TO SOAK IN HIGH CON MEAT TENDERIZER OVER NIGHT, AND BLOW THEM OUT WITH COMPRESSED AIR, AND RINSE THEM WITH SANITIZER… HOWEVER THE HOLES START 2” ABOVE THE HOLOW TIP. MEANING THERE IS 2” OF UNKNOWN USUALLY STUCK IN THERE. IVE SEEN EXPENSIVE AND CHEAP NEEDLES. THE CHEAP ONES ARE THOSE FULLY HOLLOW. FOR INJECTED (NOT JUST CUTTING) THE JUICE IS RECIRCULATED THOUGH EVERY SINGLE PIECE. THE EQUIVALENT OF SLUTTING THE BEEF OUT WITH MANY A PARTNERS… “SALLY SLEPT WITH 10 GUYS, AND YOU SLEPT WITH SALLY, YOU GET EVERYTHING THOSE 10 GUYS HAD” KINDA THING… SO ANY BEEF NOT 100% CONTAMINATES ALL THE THOUSANDS OF OTHERS RUN THROUGH THE MACHINE THAT DAY… DONT FORGET, MACHINES ARE USED, NOT ‘CLEAN CLEANED’ IN ORDER : BEEF, PORK, POULTRY. SO IN THE END, THERE MAY BE BEEF DNA IN YOUR POULTRY. HAPPY EATING EVERY ONE, OR JUST BUY WHOLE CUTS AND LEARN TO CUT STRAIGHT 😂
THINGS PEOPLE ALSO F UP… THEY DONT LOOK, GET INJECTED TENDERIZED PORK SHOULDER FOR PULLED PORK, AND WONDERS WHY IT DOESNT SHRED… BUT CHUNKS LIKE HAM… WITHOUT THE FULL HAM CURE… IT WILL NEVER SHRED. IT WILL BE SPRINGY CHUNKS. CHICKEN AND TURKEY, COOL SURE, BUT IF YOU WANTED TO DO YOUR OWN HOME INJECTING LIKE BUTTER, ONE WILL FIND THE FLESH IS ‘MAXED OUT’ FOR HOLDING ANYTHING. THIS SHT IS EVERYWHERE, COSTCO, WALMART. ETC.
@@nhmooytis7058 Yes, you obviously didn't understand my comment. I only buy uncut meat (steak, cow) because I don't want it tenderized with needles to avoid bacteria due to lack of cleaning of the needles.
I have used a blade "Jacquard" tenderizer for years. Works wonders on tougher cuts of steaks like london broil or sirloin to really make them tender. It can also work wonders on thick pork chops, chicken and just about any meats. It also allows marinades to penetrate deeper into the meats for more flavor. Meats also cook quicker as the heat penetrates the meat quicker. amazon has many versions listed.
Back in the 70's we used a needling or needler machine at a restaurant I worked at. It was a machine with hundreds of little flat blades that pierced the steaks. Its been around for a long time..
Yes, actually, it's been around for about 1100 years. The Chinese use a spiked tool to process and tenderize meat. Which is basically a wooden handle with a bunch of nails sticking out of it.
I prefer to avoid blade tenderized as my preferred doneness for most cuts lies in the 125-132° temperature range. Blade tenderized steaks specify for safety they should be cooked to a minimum of 145°. This is because bacteria on the outside of the meat is pushed into the inside, therefore requiring cooking the steak to medium-medium well range, which is not as delicious. For this reason when at Costco I get the Primal Ribeye cut which is not tenderized, and will occasionally get steaks at Sam's Club in lieu of Costco.
I've been using a Jacquard for many years and have never had any issues with "bacteria" and I cook my meats medium rare always, even pork chops. Meats also cook quicker after "jacquarding" and marinades penetrate deeper for more flavor.
Sorry but the usda min temp is 145 for meats with a 3 min rest for meats, 160 for ground meats, and 165 for poultry. There is no particular spec for blade tenderized steaks. Most chefs have their own temp scale which is much lower.
@@bobdbeck You may have never had a problem . But all it takes is one steak with the bacteria present on the outside to have a major problem. Costco had to change there labeling years ago because someone did have a problem with a steak. They were very sick from eating a steak cooked less than well done.
@@markennes5208the usda is rather conservative. They kept pork at 165 twenty years after trichanosis stopped being an issue. They also only define rest times and not hold times. Chicken at 155 for an hour is better and as safe as chicken at 165 and rested for five minutes.
I believe it allows more juices to escape while cooking. Plus I prefer my steaks around medium rare at most. I like to buy a primal rib roast or new york and dry age for a minimum of 30 days. I then custom slice it and individually vacuum pack them for the freezer. I've aged a rib roast for as much as 60 days, and it it is as tender and delicious as anything. Just be sure you have a clean fridge or it can absorb the smell and give an off flavor.
Blade tenderizing pushes surface bacteria deep into the meat which is why all costco steaks come with a warning to cook them to well done. Blade tenderizing anything normally cooked to medium rare is an abomination.
Chemicals are added because the blades are more like needles and are chemically washed so they don't push bacteria into the meat, the product weight goes up like 5-10% after processing.
back in the seventies , this process was called a different name . but the steak was called " Salisbury steak " whatever that meant , but it was delicious with a little gravy sauce on it . yummy . I ate many of these things as a teenager
As was pointed out in other comments, doing this potentially pushes bacteria from the surface (and the machine blade) into the meat, which is why they suggest cooking to =>145. One could cook it Sous Vide at a lower temp,
Sorry but the usda min temp is 145 for meats with a 3 min rest for meats, 160 for ground meats, and 165 for poultry. There is no particular spec for blade tenderized steaks. Most chefs have their own temp scale which is much lower.
I never read that disclosure either but I saw the machine in the meat dept. stopped buying steaks from there. An old professional trick is to marinate beef in papaya juice!! Works!
Search the term jaccard tenderizer to see what the blades look like. Most restaurants will use a tenderizer on many proteins, beef, chicken etc. The blades do not work on bone in product. Tenderized products are great for marinating. Thanks for the info on Costco.
I've known many years. I think it was from a CBC Marketplace video. We stopped buying steaks from Costco because of this. It increases the risk of foodborne disease when consuming undercooked (we prefer medium rare) meat.
Show us the tenderizing machine! Does the process let the juices escape during cooking? If it introduces bacteria that means I could now only have well done steaks.
More open surface, yes that means more bacteria. If you do that right before cooking, this is no issue. But store bought food has a lower best before date and it says on the label cook well done.
I have seen how a regular ham was tenderized and also prepared to be injected with a solution of salt water and spices. It made me think of a sewing machine for some reason. It also lowered my appreciation of this prepared ham. Regular Dutch pork was transported to Italy, there they tenderized the pork and injected the salt/spices solution, which also increased the ham's volume by almost 100%.
We use a an $11 needler,makes everything tender and awsome. Cosco has good steaks though the walmart ranger reserve ribeys are dam good to.I miss living out west where frys grocery store ( Kroger) would occasionally sell porter house steaks for like $6.99 a lb 😢
lots of places in east here like restaurant supply stores used to sell really good strip steaks for only 5 dollars a pound just a few years ago before the second great depression joe has put us in
@@Mind69420 I figure a lot of farmers sell off cattle at end of summer or before winter because they don't want the expense of feeding them hay all through the winter and all the grilling holidays are over now with Labor Day so prices on beef should come down now.
You can get smaller cuts that are not tenderized given the blade treatment if you knock on the window and ask one of the butcher staff to do that for you. Also years ago I noticed that my Costco was selling top sirloin cap steaks, but I wanted the whole cap uncut, not tenderized or the fat cap removed, and I talked to someone in the meat department and they sold me the vacpack whole cap, and later one that year, they started selling them in the meat displays.
There has to be something more. I've purchased Prime Steaks at Sams, which were so tough I had to slow cook for hours to get them tender enough to chew. I'm done with Sam's meats. I seem to recall reading in a Costco publication that Costco gets almost all of its beef from one location it controls, not multiple producers.
I only buy Prime Angus ribeyes from Walmart, but one day I didn't want to go to another store. Bought some pork chops and when I get home the label states Pork Flavoring Added. Pork needs to be flavored. WTF
A good properly aged cut of steak doesn’t need to be blade tenderized. Blade tenderizing introduces bacteria into the internal part of the meat. When you cook a steak the exterior surface is seared under high heat killing off any bacteria and the internal meat is safe from bacteria. Blade tenderized meat needs to be cooked to well done temperature to kill off any bacteria that has entered the interior meat during the tenderizing process. Costco meat is good quality but if you want to avoid blade tenderizing, then buy a whole loin or rib section and cut it into steaks. Cheaper and much less risk of bacteria exposure.
This is not meant to stop anyone from buying it. Costco has great steaks! And I don't see anything wrong with blade tenderizing. I just wanted to share this with my viewers because I found it interesting.
Nice to see your Cost Co kept the meat section in front of the butchers window....Here in Staten Island,NY , they move all the fish in front of the window , meat was pushed to the aisle.....after 20 years , it looks so strange now.....Another managers bright decision??? I
The label in larger print says USDA choice. The beef carcass is graded by government before Costco orders it into the store. The quality is in the steak before Costco let's it in the store. Big sign on the wall explains it better. " only the top 10%". The beef grade system is yours to learn about.
@@FoodChainTVCooking to higher temperature also has to do with mechanical blade tenderizing potentially pushing surface bacteria into the middle of the steak, so higher temperature needed to assure that bacteria are killed off.
My understanding is that the reason we "can" eat steak rare and medium rare, is because bacteria cannot get into the meat itself, so cooking the exterior is enough. Hamburgers must be cooked to well done because they are processed meat, and the use of machinery may allow bacteria to get into the meat. Wouldn't the use of a blade tenderizer cause the same concern? Maybe that's why the USDA recommends it is cooked to 145 when "blade tenderized"? I did not see that warning on the whole ribeye ... just wondering if it's not a bit scary eating medium rare blade tenderized steaks?
Maybe if you're cooking it the traditional way, but sous vide allows you to cook at a much lower temperature for longer in order to pasteurize the same as at higher temperature. Killing pathogens is a sliding scale of temperature and time. You just have to know what's safe.
This process does tenderizes meat, nothing you can't do at home. Problem with process is one bad piece of meat can contaminate 1000's of steaks behind it. Which is why if you pay attention you will see so many recalls. Best advise is to let the steak sit for a few minutes after cooking to allow the heated juices to flow back into the meat.
There is nothing new about tenderizing beef that way. As an immigrant in the 70s, I was shocked to learn this was regular prictice in some grocery stores.. I never saw this as safe because I like my steak rare to medium rare. It is not worth, in my opinion, risking safety for a mushy piece of meat. I also noticed that beef raised in pasture, fed on grass, is usually leaner and tougher, and worth it.
You missed the another key piece of information. It tells you to cook it to 145 degrees because it is tenderized. Meaning if you are looking for Med-Rare Costco is telling you can't eat this steak. It is all because of the tenderizing process and the possibility of cross contamination.
holy fuck look at those prices.... I remember back 5years ago I was eating a 30oz steak every single morning when I got back from the gym. never more than like 15$. and they were all that amazing spicy rubbed coating they had at walmart at the time.
USDA Choice Angus Ribeye used to be $8 per pound before Trump’s trade war. Instantly shot up to $10 after trade war. Now it is around $14-16 a pound depends on the
The main issue with blade tenderized steak is a somewhat higher risk of E. Coli contamination. You will need to cook it well done, and that would be a shame to do to a steak!
@@genesispuredeaf2390 You don’t HAVE to, but if there was any E. Coli contamination on the surface of the steak it could easily get pushed internal to the steak. Similar to the same reason hamburger should be cooked well done. Granted, the risk is probably very low. I always cook my steak medium rare myself so I will accept that risk.🥩♨️
@@JMWexperience more accurately, you don’t NEED to…..there is no additional concern with blade tenderizing that doesn’t get addressed in exactly the same way when blade tenderizing isn’t used. The reason that hamburger is a bigger concern is because exposed surfaces of the grind which will not get external heat requires more cooking to achieve a safe internal temp. Most Important to understand food safety is the big picture of contamination. You are more likely to get E. coli from eating a salad …especially with romaine lettuce harvested from Southern California. If you want to do a search on hospital/death related illnesses from food poisoning, beef took measures to move it from one of the worst to a point now that it is almost completely resolved.
@@genesispuredeaf2390 puncturing the meat with the blades is the same theory of grinding what's on the outside is now on the inside! Thus the internal temp needs to be high enough to kill bacteria! U could take a non punctured steak and literally sear the outside and eat the internal meat raw and it would be safe. Not once u puncture it u can't.
@@edg5218 it is not the same at all, the blade tenderization only goes so deep (micro) and doesn’t put any exposed meat inside. The grinding process absolutely puts the external meat (exposed potentially to pathogens) inside the product. While your common sense concerns will protect you against exposure, they are not correct. Don’t take my word for it (like you might have done with someone else)….look it up. I stand by my earlier comment that if a sear is sufficient for a non-blade tenderized steak, it will be just fine for a blade tenderized steak; the only exception being a steak cooked rare…hang your hat on that one if you must.
Exactly! And most people don't realize this. As you said, blade tenderizing meat does transmit bacteria in the product, it breaches the meats natural barrier to bacteria. Blade tenderized meat is no longer safe to be cooked medium rare, and definitely not rare. What confuses me even more is Costco so addicted to blade tenderizing - they needlessly do it to there choice cuts of meats rib-eyes, fillets etc as well. It's bonkers 😳
Wait a minute, isn't that risky if someone wants their steak medium, or rare ? Doesn't some of the surface bacteria get transfered to the center of the steak, similar to when you make ground beef for hamburgers that have to be cooked well at certain temperatures ?
Exactly. The Costco beef and steaks is way overpriced. I wonder who is making all this extra cash? $$$ Sams club beef and the local stores are just as good, less $$ I am a Master Chef and we shop all the stores.
Blade tenderizing may make the steak more tender but it won't make it juicier or better flavor. Juicer and better flavor comes from better marbling. A prime cut of meat is just going to be a better steak.
In Canada, any meat that is mechanically tenderized must be printed on the package. It's one thing to tenderize this way at home, using and washing your own equipment but done at a factory is using same blades on multiple meats raising chances of bacteria infiltration. That's why it states to well cook the meat. You can also use a flat meat hammer or edge of plate to pound the meat to tenderize without piercing it.
Blade tenderized. It’s like all the planets became aligned when I found out this information. And it makes so much sense. That’s why local butcher cuts don’t taste as good as Costco. I understand now 👍
I don’t like my steak medium well at 43°. There’s a reason for this. Years ago it was explained, it has to do with the tenderizing process and what it leaves behind. No thank you, I’m surprised the commentator didn’t mention this.
This is actually just a blanket statement that the FDA Food and Inspection Service puts on ALL beef. Whether it's tenderized or not. It says these on all the packages of meat at Costco. Even non-tenderized packages. FDA General Statement: "Cook all raw beef, pork, lamb and veal steaks, chops, and roasts to a minimum internal temperature of 145 °F as measured with a food thermometer before removing meat from the heat source. For safety and quality, allow meat to rest for at least three minutes before carving or consuming."
You would be worried about the puncture method of tenderizing..... there's all kinds of living bad stuff on the outside of a hunk of meat, if you poke holes in the hunk of meat you drag them little critters to the inside.,..all the little critters get killed by the frying process, if they get hit by the heat, if they are inside the hunk of meat they don't get killed Thus blade tenderizing, it doesn't cut the meat, it just beats it, if you look at the meat there's no cuts or punctures The good/bad thing about Costco cuts is they are soooooo thick, the little critters could live on the sides thru the cooking.......of course an oven would deal with them, but the Costco steaks are so thick you can flip them to cook on the sides....and they will stand in the pan until flip again
You can buy a hand meat blade tenderizers for your own kitchen, I use one every time I cook a steak it also helps the marinade to get into the core of the meat faster...
you probably will need to cook tenderized meat to a more well done state to avoid any potential bacteria/contamination. I've stopped buying the cut steaks and only buy the ones that will be cooked longer/slower. You can never be too safe.
Treat these steaks like ground beef for doneness purposes. Unless you cook something fat like ribeye sous vide at 131ºF or more, you can't get medium rare because you have to cook it all the way through. Sous vide, however lets you cook with higher heat for the same temperature (sounds weird, but physics) which means you can maintain medium rare or lower. Douglas Baldwin has good info on food safety. PS: I cook ground beef at 133º or 135º (sous vide), actually, because I want them to cook faster. Slower is better for steak.
I think you should have mentioned that a HUGE factor in the flavor and juiciness is the grade of beef. Much of Sam's beef is PRIME, while Costco tenderizes its lower quality, SELECT grades.
I never read this either. But it works, they are better than what I can get at the grocery store. But I still prefer good meat from a local farmer over Costco anyway.
@@robertwarner-ev7wp Saw a funny bumper sticker back when Obamacare was being discussed and it read: "If you think healthcare is expensive now, just wait 'til it's free!" So, we waited and we saw! KA-CHING!
I have grilled a lot of Costco’s steak, mostly ribeyes. I usually stock up and throw a bunch in my freezer. My question is why do they only give a best by date of only two to three days.
No, that's not why it says that. That's the FDA's recommended guidelines for cooking ANY beef. They have to print it on the package. It has nothing to do with whether it's tenderized or not.
Exactly why we don’t buy cut meat from Costco, they even blade tenderize filets 🤦🏻♀️ We do however buy whole pieces from the business center and cut them ourselves.
Agreed. and it creates an opportunity for bacteria to get inside the meat. The reason we can cook steaks to medium rare is because the inside of the steak hasn't been exposed to air and potential bacteria, and why it is recommended to have hamburger cooked to at least medium well.
![TOP 5 Best Bladed Meat Tenderizer [ 2024 Buyer's Guide ]](/img/n.gif)
Tip from a butcher. When looking beef in a display cabinet, take the beef out of the cabinet and look at it before buying. A lot of supermarkets have a redish light in the display to make it look more red.
Back in the day, we used a spiked mallet to tenderize meat, typically right before we cooked it. Seems less invasive than blades and keeps more of the juices
And a whole lot cheaper.
Safer because you are cooking it right away and eating it soon after.
Bam Bam!
@@thejohnbeck :-))
Back in the day people would say back in the day.
We don’t anymore
The label also says “For safety the USDA recommends grilling to a _minimum_ internal temperature of 145 degrees as measured with a food thermometer with a 3 minute rest.
That is a “well done” steak, not a “medium rare” steak.
Black and Blue: 115°F and below
Rare: 120-125°F
Medium Rare: 130-135°F
Medium: 140-145°F
Medium Well: 150-155°F
Well Done: 160-165°F
Extra Well: 170°F+
There is an exception. For a ribeye, you can cook sous vide at 131ºF for a couple hours or more (I recommend about 2.5 - 4) and it will be safe. Douglas Baldwin has good food safety information.
no, thats not "well done".
Buddy just woke up and decided to spread misinformation, huh. That is not "well done"
@@daqtheduck6296 it actually is. after the steak rests for 3 minutes its going to raise in temp up to between 150-55, medium well. this is a heinous crime, I work at costco and I will never support our trashy machine tenderizing. it completely ruins the steak by introducing pathogens. if you buy meat at costco just buy a subprimal cut and cut the steaks out yourself. way cheaper per lbs and you can cook blue rare and medium rare steaks without risk of illness.
I am surprised you never saw it on the label. Although it makes for a better steak, it is actually a bad thing as you can introduce bacteria into the steak if the needles poking the steaks aren't thoroughly cleaned, so they recommend to over cook your steak. I only buy uncut steaks at Costco. By the way, I am not implying Costco doesn't clean their equipment, they are actually very clean, I buy uncut meat because you get more bang for your buck.
I WAS ONE OF 5 BUTCHERS OF 300 EMPLOYEES IN A FACTORY.- I. NEVER. BUY. INJECTED. MEAT. (OUTSIDE OF PEAMEAL BACON, BACON, HAM… I MEAN, NOT BEEF FOR STEAKS, ROASTS ETC.) F THAT. THEY HAVE TO BE FULLY COOKED, WELL DONE! SO WTF IS EVEN THE POINT. THE NEEDLES GET CLOGGED. COMMON PRACTICE IS TO SOAK IN HIGH CON MEAT TENDERIZER OVER NIGHT, AND BLOW THEM OUT WITH COMPRESSED AIR, AND RINSE THEM WITH SANITIZER… HOWEVER THE HOLES START 2” ABOVE THE HOLOW TIP. MEANING THERE IS 2” OF UNKNOWN USUALLY STUCK IN THERE. IVE SEEN EXPENSIVE AND CHEAP NEEDLES. THE CHEAP ONES ARE THOSE FULLY HOLLOW. FOR INJECTED (NOT JUST CUTTING) THE JUICE IS RECIRCULATED THOUGH EVERY SINGLE PIECE. THE EQUIVALENT OF SLUTTING THE BEEF OUT WITH MANY A PARTNERS… “SALLY SLEPT WITH 10 GUYS, AND YOU SLEPT WITH SALLY, YOU GET EVERYTHING THOSE 10 GUYS HAD” KINDA THING… SO ANY BEEF NOT 100% CONTAMINATES ALL THE THOUSANDS OF OTHERS RUN THROUGH THE MACHINE THAT DAY… DONT FORGET, MACHINES ARE USED, NOT ‘CLEAN CLEANED’ IN ORDER : BEEF, PORK, POULTRY. SO IN THE END, THERE MAY BE BEEF DNA IN YOUR POULTRY. HAPPY EATING EVERY ONE, OR JUST BUY WHOLE CUTS AND LEARN TO CUT STRAIGHT 😂
THINGS PEOPLE ALSO F UP… THEY DONT LOOK, GET INJECTED TENDERIZED PORK SHOULDER FOR PULLED PORK, AND WONDERS WHY IT DOESNT SHRED… BUT CHUNKS LIKE HAM… WITHOUT THE FULL HAM CURE… IT WILL NEVER SHRED. IT WILL BE SPRINGY CHUNKS. CHICKEN AND TURKEY, COOL SURE, BUT IF YOU WANTED TO DO YOUR OWN HOME INJECTING LIKE BUTTER, ONE WILL FIND THE FLESH IS ‘MAXED OUT’ FOR HOLDING ANYTHING. THIS SHT IS EVERYWHERE, COSTCO, WALMART. ETC.
An uncut steak is a cow 🐂😅
@@nhmooytis7058 Yes, you obviously didn't understand my comment. I only buy uncut meat (steak, cow) because I don't want it tenderized with needles to avoid bacteria due to lack of cleaning of the needles.
@@dominicd2694 whatever.
I have used a blade "Jacquard" tenderizer for years. Works wonders on tougher cuts of steaks like london broil or sirloin to really make them tender. It can also work wonders on thick pork chops, chicken and just about any meats. It also allows marinades to penetrate deeper into the meats for more flavor. Meats also cook quicker as the heat penetrates the meat quicker. amazon has many versions listed.
Yup, especially if you vacuum marinade after blade tenderizing. It just sucks all the marinade deep into the meat and the flavor is that more intense!
Back in the 70's we used a needling or needler machine at a restaurant I worked at. It was a machine with hundreds of little flat blades that pierced the steaks.
Its been around for a long time..
Yes, actually, it's been around for about 1100 years. The Chinese use a spiked tool to process and tenderize meat. Which is basically a wooden handle with a bunch of nails sticking out of it.
I used to work in a meat market that used a tenderizer machine. It was massive. We kept the blades spotless.
Wow! I did not know this. Costco is opening a new store just up the highway from my house. Can't wait. 👍
Don't waste your money. You don't really need that pack of 4 dozen rolls of tp.
Good for you! I wish I could join you..... lol. God bless!
I prefer to avoid blade tenderized as my preferred doneness for most cuts lies in the 125-132° temperature range. Blade tenderized steaks specify for safety they should be cooked to a minimum of 145°. This is because bacteria on the outside of the meat is pushed into the inside, therefore requiring cooking the steak to medium-medium well range, which is not as delicious. For this reason when at Costco I get the Primal Ribeye cut which is not tenderized, and will occasionally get steaks at Sam's Club in lieu of Costco.
Excellent comment.
I've been using a Jacquard for many years and have never had any issues with "bacteria" and I cook my meats medium rare always, even pork chops. Meats also cook quicker after "jacquarding" and marinades penetrate deeper for more flavor.
Sorry but the usda min temp is 145 for meats with a 3 min rest for meats, 160 for ground meats, and 165 for poultry. There is no particular spec for blade tenderized steaks. Most chefs have their own temp scale which is much lower.
@@bobdbeck You may have never had a problem . But all it takes is one steak with the bacteria present on the outside to have a major problem. Costco had to change there labeling years ago because someone did have a problem with a steak. They were very sick from eating a steak cooked less than well done.
@@markennes5208the usda is rather conservative. They kept pork at 165 twenty years after trichanosis stopped being an issue. They also only define rest times and not hold times. Chicken at 155 for an hour is better and as safe as chicken at 165 and rested for five minutes.
I believe it allows more juices to escape while cooking. Plus I prefer my steaks around medium rare at most. I like to buy a primal rib roast or new york and dry age for a minimum of 30 days. I then custom slice it and individually vacuum pack them for the freezer. I've aged a rib roast for as much as 60 days, and it it is as tender and delicious as anything. Just be sure you have a clean fridge or it can absorb the smell and give an off flavor.
Im ok with it, no added undesirable chemicals and saves a processing step for me. Store to grill. Perfect.
Blade tenderizing pushes surface bacteria deep into the meat which is why all costco steaks come with a warning to cook them to well done. Blade tenderizing anything normally cooked to medium rare is an abomination.
Definitely !
It's only good if you like fully cooked steak.
all it does is make the beef less healthy by cutting into the raw meat
Chemicals are added because the blades are more like needles and are chemically washed so they don't push bacteria into the meat, the product weight goes up like 5-10% after processing.
Good marbling is the magic to a good steak.
All that food glue makes for good marbling.
Tenderness, marbling and how it’s prepped, seasoned and cooked.
That’s the magic in my opinion.
Nonsense. Filet mignon has very little marbling. Prep and cooking method is the key to a good steak.
@@AsAugustSleepsthat's if you want to eat a meat sponge that doesn't have its own taste
@@johngibson3837 It's not my preferred cut either but I doubt the top steakhouses in the world would be serving a meat sponge with no flavor.
I suppose you could further tenderize steaks from a loin. I have a handheld tool that has many small blades that is spring loaded, does a great job!
Jacquarding has been around forever It is used by many restaurants
back in the seventies , this process was called a different name . but the steak was called " Salisbury steak " whatever that meant , but it was delicious with a little gravy sauce on it . yummy . I ate many of these things as a teenager
@@robertmcmillan5640 Salisbury Steak is just a seasoned ground beef patty covered with mushroom gravy.
As was pointed out in other comments, doing this potentially pushes bacteria from the surface (and the machine blade) into the meat, which is why they suggest cooking to =>145. One could cook it Sous Vide at a lower temp,
Sorry but the usda min temp is 145 for meats with a 3 min rest for meats, 160 for ground meats, and 165 for poultry. There is no particular spec for blade tenderized steaks. Most chefs have their own temp scale which is much lower.
Those prices are crazy. Thanks, Joe.
the last table said $5.99/LB
Joe and the hoe. Gotta go!
Joe and the H@O gotta go
Joe and the .. gotta go
I never read that disclosure either but I saw the machine in the meat dept. stopped buying steaks from there.
An old professional trick is to marinate beef in papaya juice!! Works!
Search the term jaccard tenderizer to see what the blades look like. Most restaurants will use a tenderizer on many proteins, beef, chicken etc. The blades do not work on bone in product. Tenderized products are great for marinating. Thanks for the info on Costco.
Yeah, he wasted a lot of time rambling when he should have been showing or explaining what it means
When all you had to do was READ THE LABEL! 🤣🤣🤣
This is how meat gets diseased. Unbelievable they do this to prime rib ! I’ll never buy their beef !
I've known many years. I think it was from a CBC Marketplace video. We stopped buying steaks from Costco because of this. It increases the risk of foodborne disease when consuming undercooked (we prefer medium rare) meat.
Show us the tenderizing machine! Does the process let the juices escape during cooking? If it introduces bacteria that means I could now only have well done steaks.
More open surface, yes that means more bacteria. If you do that right before cooking, this is no issue. But store bought food has a lower best before date and it says on the label cook well done.
I have seen how a regular ham was tenderized and also prepared to be injected with a solution of salt water and spices.
It made me think of a sewing machine for some reason.
It also lowered my appreciation of this prepared ham. Regular Dutch pork was transported to Italy, there they tenderized the pork and injected the salt/spices solution, which also increased the ham's volume by almost 100%.
Thanks for the great tips!
Grocery is such a beautiful mind game ........so many angles .....congrats to Costco 🎉🎉🎉🎉
You mentioned Sam’s Club and then didn’t mention Sam’s Club. Do they do the same thing? Which is better? Thanks
At this time (2024) in Florida. Sam's Club has way better quality of beef than Costco does.
We use a an $11 needler,makes everything tender and awsome. Cosco has good steaks though the walmart ranger reserve ribeys are dam good to.I miss living out west where frys grocery store ( Kroger) would occasionally sell porter house steaks for like $6.99 a lb 😢
Doing it at home, right before cooking is fine. The microbes introduced that way in the meat have no time to multiply.
lots of places in east here like restaurant supply stores used to sell really good strip steaks for only 5 dollars a pound just a few years ago before the second great depression joe has put us in
Huge discounts at my local frys the past 2 weeks, almost all beef was half off.
@@Mind69420 I figure a lot of farmers sell off cattle at end of summer or before winter because they don't want the expense of feeding them hay all through the winter and all the grilling holidays are over now with Labor Day so prices on beef should come down now.
You can get smaller cuts that are not tenderized given the blade treatment if you knock on the window and ask one of the butcher staff to do that for you.
Also years ago I noticed that my Costco was selling top sirloin cap steaks, but I wanted the whole cap uncut, not tenderized or the fat cap removed, and I talked to someone in the meat department and they sold me the vacpack whole cap, and later one that year, they started selling them in the meat displays.
In the UK I buy the whole Ribeye, that way I know it hasn't been tenderised or messed with in any way.
If you listen to the entire video, you will see that is the way you buy a whole Rideye here in the U.S.
I do the same thing.
There has to be something more. I've purchased Prime Steaks at Sams, which were so tough I had to slow cook for hours to get them tender enough to chew. I'm done with Sam's meats.
I seem to recall reading in a Costco publication that Costco gets almost all of its beef from one location it controls, not multiple producers.
Nice variety of beef cuts 😮👏
As long as they're not also injecting water (with additives to retain it), like Dutch chicken suppliers were (are?) doing to fillets to bulk them up.
I only buy Prime Angus ribeyes from Walmart, but one day I didn't want to go to another store. Bought some pork chops and when I get home the label states Pork Flavoring Added. Pork needs to be flavored. WTF
A good properly aged cut of steak doesn’t need to be blade tenderized. Blade tenderizing introduces bacteria into the internal part of the meat. When you cook a steak the exterior surface is seared under high heat killing off any bacteria and the internal meat is safe from bacteria. Blade tenderized meat needs to be cooked to well done temperature to kill off any bacteria that has entered the interior meat during the tenderizing process. Costco meat is good quality but if you want to avoid blade tenderizing, then buy a whole loin or rib section and cut it into steaks. Cheaper and much less risk of bacteria exposure.
oooooh, no! I didn't know. Thanks for telling us out here in the 'public'. While it doesn't stop me from buying, I WANT to know.
This is not meant to stop anyone from buying it. Costco has great steaks! And I don't see anything wrong with blade tenderizing. I just wanted to share this with my viewers because I found it interesting.
I have been home tendering for years, the tool is called Jacard, works excellent.
Nice to see your Cost Co kept the meat section in front of the butchers window....Here in Staten Island,NY , they move all the fish in front of the window , meat was pushed to the aisle.....after 20 years , it looks so strange now.....Another managers bright decision???
I
That happened here too every recently in Albuquerque, NM. I was like why the meat snd seafood switch places the last time i went.
Same in Las Vegas
Same in IL.
The label in larger print says USDA choice. The beef carcass is graded by government before Costco orders it into the store. The quality is in the steak before Costco let's it in the store. Big sign on the wall explains it better. " only the top 10%". The beef grade system is yours to learn about.
Good short, informative video.
With doing that tenderizing they also say to cook to 145 internal temperature. So much for medium- medium rare.
The 145 statement doesn't have anything to do with the tenderizing. That's just the FDA's recommended temperature to cook ALL beef at.
@@FoodChainTVCooking to higher temperature also has to do with mechanical blade tenderizing potentially pushing surface bacteria into the middle of the steak, so higher temperature needed to assure that bacteria are killed off.
It has everything to do with blade tenderizer do your research before you make a statement like that
I’ve been grilling Costco NY strip steaks for 20 years and never got any food poisoning or other issues with blade tenderizing.
Interesting. Thanks for taking the time to share this info.
Thanks for watching!
Yeah, saw this covered for years already!
My understanding is that the reason we "can" eat steak rare and medium rare, is because bacteria cannot get into the meat itself, so cooking the exterior is enough. Hamburgers must be cooked to well done because they are processed meat, and the use of machinery may allow bacteria to get into the meat. Wouldn't the use of a blade tenderizer cause the same concern? Maybe that's why the USDA recommends it is cooked to 145 when "blade tenderized"? I did not see that warning on the whole ribeye ... just wondering if it's not a bit scary eating medium rare blade tenderized steaks?
Maybe if you're cooking it the traditional way, but sous vide allows you to cook at a much lower temperature for longer in order to pasteurize the same as at higher temperature. Killing pathogens is a sliding scale of temperature and time. You just have to know what's safe.
My uncle worked in a steak house franchise. They used the same machine to turn leather into something slightly more palatable
LOL!
I buy quality beef from local ranchers and cook it low and slow. The blade tenderizing gimmick is why I stopped buying packaged steaks from Costco.
Can blade tenderizing force contaminants into the meat?
I'm pretty sure that they spray the blades with a lot of sanitizer.
Yes
This process does tenderizes meat, nothing you can't do at home. Problem with process is one bad piece of meat can contaminate 1000's of steaks behind it. Which is why if you pay attention you will see so many recalls. Best advise is to let the steak sit for a few minutes after cooking to allow the heated juices to flow back into the meat.
There is nothing new about tenderizing beef that way. As an immigrant in the 70s, I was shocked to learn this was regular prictice in some grocery stores.. I never saw this as safe because I like my steak rare to medium rare. It is not worth, in my opinion, risking safety for a mushy piece of meat. I also noticed that beef raised in pasture, fed on grass, is usually leaner and tougher, and worth it.
Seriously , don't ruin the steak before you even buy it. Tenderize it at home.
@@AmandineClaireDubois Too much work? We do not even grind our own coffee beans. It takes at least 3 minutes. Too long.
You are both funny and a sport to admit it! :)
You missed the another key piece of information. It tells you to cook it to 145 degrees because it is tenderized. Meaning if you are looking for Med-Rare Costco is telling you can't eat this steak. It is all because of the tenderizing process and the possibility of cross contamination.
No, that's just the FDA's general guidelines on how to cook beef. Has nothing to do with tenderizing.
I have cooked Costco steak for years, to 130 degrees. Never an issue.
Can we tenderize them ourselves after purchasing
Yes! You can do what you want with it.
is there a machine or tool i can use at home to blade tenderrize my own meats?
Yes.
We buy the whole section of beef and cut it down ourselves and it is still very tender and juicy 😊
holy fuck look at those prices.... I remember back 5years ago I was eating a 30oz steak every single morning when I got back from the gym. never more than like 15$. and they were all that amazing spicy rubbed coating they had at walmart at the time.
USDA Choice Angus Ribeye used to be $8 per pound before Trump’s trade war. Instantly shot up to $10 after trade war. Now it is around $14-16 a pound depends on the
The main issue with blade tenderized steak is a somewhat higher risk of E. Coli contamination. You will need to cook it well done, and that would be a shame to do to a steak!
You do NOT have to cook [a blade tenderized steak] to well done. Where did you get that idea?
@@genesispuredeaf2390 You don’t HAVE to, but if there was any E. Coli contamination on the surface of the steak it could easily get pushed internal to the steak. Similar to the same reason hamburger should be cooked well done. Granted, the risk is probably very low. I always cook my steak medium rare myself so I will accept that risk.🥩♨️
@@JMWexperience more accurately, you don’t NEED to…..there is no additional concern with blade tenderizing that doesn’t get addressed in exactly the same way when blade tenderizing isn’t used. The reason that hamburger is a bigger concern is because exposed surfaces of the grind which will not get external heat requires more cooking to achieve a safe internal temp. Most Important to understand food safety is the big picture of contamination. You are more likely to get E. coli from eating a salad …especially with romaine lettuce harvested from Southern California. If you want to do a search on hospital/death related illnesses from food poisoning, beef took measures to move it from one of the worst to a point now that it is almost completely resolved.
@@genesispuredeaf2390 puncturing the meat with the blades is the same theory of grinding what's on the outside is now on the inside! Thus the internal temp needs to be high enough to kill bacteria! U could take a non punctured steak and literally sear the outside and eat the internal meat raw and it would be safe. Not once u puncture it u can't.
@@edg5218 it is not the same at all, the blade tenderization only goes so deep (micro) and doesn’t put any exposed meat inside. The grinding process absolutely puts the external meat (exposed potentially to pathogens) inside the product. While your common sense concerns will protect you against exposure, they are not correct. Don’t take my word for it (like you might have done with someone else)….look it up. I stand by my earlier comment that if a sear is sufficient for a non-blade tenderized steak, it will be just fine for a blade tenderized steak; the only exception being a steak cooked rare…hang your hat on that one if you must.
I buy Costco sliced boneless ribeye steaks and they are deliciously tender.
Now, I know why and will examine the label next time.
Blade tenderized mark up as well
It's advised that you should cook blade tenderized meat to medium. I think that defeats the purpose of a med rare prime steak FYI..
You can buy a blade tenderizer. They're great.
I stoped buy meat at costco as soon as I knew that. This tenderized process only transmits bacteria. It is crazy!!!
Exactly! And most people don't realize this. As you said, blade tenderizing meat does transmit bacteria in the product, it breaches the meats natural barrier to bacteria. Blade tenderized meat is no longer safe to be cooked medium rare, and definitely not rare. What confuses me even more is Costco so addicted to blade tenderizing - they needlessly do it to there choice cuts of meats rib-eyes, fillets etc as well. It's bonkers 😳
@@robsan9017 A filet would be a waste of labor.
buy the whole loin, save money, no blade tenderizing
Prove it.
You don't know you plenty of bacteria inside?😅😅😅 them people don't suppose to talk to you anymore?😅😅😅😅
Wait a minute, isn't that risky if someone wants their steak medium, or rare ? Doesn't some of the surface bacteria get transfered to the center of the steak, similar to when you make ground beef for hamburgers that have to be cooked well at certain temperatures ?
I really miss the days when Costco ribeye steaks were $7.99 a lb. They still have these steaks, only the single digit price got lost. 😕
Ok boomer. 😂
Let’s go brandon.
$16.99 for prime cut ribeye.
Exactly. The Costco beef and steaks is way overpriced. I wonder who is making all this extra cash? $$$
Sams club beef and the local stores are just as good, less $$
I am a Master Chef and we shop all the stores.
My local butcher will sell me an entire ribeye roast at $10.99 per lb, just trim your own it's cheaper and much more rewarding!
Blade tenderizing may make the steak more tender but it won't make it juicier or better flavor. Juicer and better flavor comes from better marbling. A prime cut of meat is just going to be a better steak.
Wow ❤ Thanks So Much !
I learned something new. Thank you
Lately I have been finding inedible gristle on Prime rib steaks and tenderloins. Really disappointing considering the incredible price of meat now.
Now I gotta watch a YT video on blade tender machines.
I appreciate this video 👍
As a kid we used to beat on the steak with the edge of a dinner plate before putting on the bbq.
Risks of contamination must increase. Especially since you'll be cooking to medium or below.
I agree with you all the way. The risks are too great doing through all those meat pieces. NO THANK.
Great job, how about wth blade tenderize means
In Canada, any meat that is mechanically tenderized must be printed on the package. It's one thing to tenderize this way at home, using and washing your own equipment but done at a factory is using same blades on multiple meats raising chances of bacteria infiltration. That's why it states to well cook the meat. You can also use a flat meat hammer or edge of plate to pound the meat to tenderize without piercing it.
Blade tenderized. It’s like all the planets became aligned when I found out this information. And it makes so much sense. That’s why local butcher cuts don’t taste as good as Costco. I understand now 👍
I don’t like my steak medium well at 43°. There’s a reason for this. Years ago it was explained, it has to do with the tenderizing process and what it leaves behind. No thank you, I’m surprised the commentator didn’t mention this.
This is actually just a blanket statement that the FDA Food and Inspection Service puts on ALL beef. Whether it's tenderized or not. It says these on all the packages of meat at Costco. Even non-tenderized packages.
FDA General Statement: "Cook all raw beef, pork, lamb and veal steaks, chops, and roasts to a minimum internal temperature of 145 °F as measured with a food thermometer before removing meat from the heat source. For safety and quality, allow meat to rest for at least three minutes before carving or consuming."
You would be worried about the puncture method of tenderizing..... there's all kinds of living bad stuff on the outside of a hunk of meat, if you poke holes in the hunk of meat you drag them little critters to the inside.,..all the little critters get killed by the frying process, if they get hit by the heat, if they are inside the hunk of meat they don't get killed
Thus blade tenderizing, it doesn't cut the meat, it just beats it, if you look at the meat there's no cuts or punctures
The good/bad thing about Costco cuts is they are soooooo thick, the little critters could live on the sides thru the cooking.......of course an oven would deal with them, but the Costco steaks are so thick you can flip them to cook on the sides....and they will stand in the pan until flip again
@@rugershooter5268 ~ ever heard of minute, steak or cube steak with rollers and teeth.
@@royjohnson465 I don't eat those but I've also heard of hamburger......and it gets cooked well done, thinner the patty the better
Another term for 'super blade tenderized beef' is hamburger, which also tastes great.
Wont the Jaccard tenderizer (what it's called) cause the steaks to fall apart and lose juice more easily?
And that "secret" is why I won't buy their beef that is. At least they mark the packaging.
You can buy a hand meat blade tenderizers for your own kitchen, I use one every time I cook a steak it also helps the marinade to get into the core of the meat faster...
you probably will need to cook tenderized meat to a more well done state to avoid any potential bacteria/contamination. I've stopped buying the cut steaks and only buy the ones that will be cooked longer/slower. You can never be too safe.
Been eating Costco steaks rare and medium rare for over 20 years. So, it's not an issue to worry about :)
@@FoodChainTVme too. Never had a problem eating them at medium rare for well over a decade.
I so wish we had costco here.
Treat these steaks like ground beef for doneness purposes. Unless you cook something fat like ribeye sous vide at 131ºF or more, you can't get medium rare because you have to cook it all the way through. Sous vide, however lets you cook with higher heat for the same temperature (sounds weird, but physics) which means you can maintain medium rare or lower. Douglas Baldwin has good info on food safety.
PS: I cook ground beef at 133º or 135º (sous vide), actually, because I want them to cook faster. Slower is better for steak.
You can.
Make any beef cut more tender by using baking soda in a little bit of water. Let it soak for about 15 minutes and then cook it. Same process
I’ve tried it a few times. The soda taste stays in the beef and interferes with the natural flavor for me.
Great video.
I think you should have mentioned that a HUGE factor in the flavor and juiciness is the grade of beef. Much of Sam's beef is PRIME, while Costco tenderizes its lower quality, SELECT grades.
The butcher at Costco told me they don't sell SELECT - ever.
Great!! Thank you!!!
did you see the machine and how does it work?
Is this only done to the beef? What about pork chops?
I will take a look next time I go to Costco.
I never read this either. But it works, they are better than what I can get at the grocery store. But I still prefer good meat from a local farmer over Costco anyway.
Damn, I wish we had those meat prices in Canada!
@@robertwarner-ev7wp Saw a funny bumper sticker back when Obamacare was being discussed and it read:
"If you think healthcare is expensive now, just wait 'til it's free!" So, we waited and we saw! KA-CHING!
Gotta buy half cow if you can store it, I pay $5/LB for incredible beef, the steaks are just the cherry on top.
I have grilled a lot of Costco’s steak, mostly ribeyes. I usually stock up and throw a bunch in my freezer. My question is why do they only give a best by date of only two to three days.
Because that’s how long it will be good in your refrigerator, unfrozen.
Yeah an the old Ponderosa Steakhouses used an enzyme from papaya to tenderize their steaks. Still prefer dry aging the beef. Where"s the BEEF!?!?
It would have been nice if you explained why blade tenderizing might not be a good thing...
There is nothing wrong with blade tenderizing.
@@FoodChainTVExcept the contamination risk from surface bacteria.
What state are you in? In California the prime steaks are separated, only the choice states are left intact I'm talking about ribeyes.
For $20 per steak they should come cook and feed it to me, bidenomics in action LOL
Marbling in the meat is Key..
See where it says to cook it to an internal temp of 145 degrees? That's because blade tenderizing promotes the growth of bacteria inside the meat..
No, that's not why it says that. That's the FDA's recommended guidelines for cooking ANY beef. They have to print it on the package. It has nothing to do with whether it's tenderized or not.
To tenderize steaks, chicken, and pork, soak the meat in milk for 2 to 3 hours before cooking/ grilling. This will naturally soften the meat.
I will try this and report back.
The ribeyes are great also the sirloin cap
Sale dates are always expiring the day of purchase at Costco 🤔 why?
Exactly why we don’t buy cut meat from Costco, they even blade tenderize filets 🤦🏻♀️
We do however buy whole pieces from the business center and cut them ourselves.
Oh wow thats damn expensive way cheaper in my country 😮
As Johnny Carson would say, I did not know that. 😂😂
why would you need to blade tenderize Choice or even Prime???
Agreed. and it creates an opportunity for bacteria to get inside the meat. The reason we can cook steaks to medium rare is because the inside of the steak hasn't been exposed to air and potential bacteria, and why it is recommended to have hamburger cooked to at least medium well.
What about the pink dye they use.
Farm raised beef turns brown after a few days.i can buy a steak from the store and it is pink 1 week later.