Whole Foods, Sam’s Club, and Bad Meat.
Though I don’t eat a lot of red meat, when I do have it, I want it to be good – really good. I always grill it. And, I know what I am doing. But you can do everything correctly, and if the meat is no good, nothing will help it. Like lipstick on a pig, you know.
Unfortunately I have just been through a spate of bad meat experiences. Here it is in a quick recap…
- Sirloin “fillets” from Whole Foods Market. They looked great, but were very tough.
- Sirloin steaks at Sam’s Club. Exceptionally tough.
Historically speaking, I have purchased good red meat at both Sam’s and Whole Foods. But at Sam’s it is more of a rarity. In fact, I will not be buying any more at Sam’s. 4 or 5 strikes, and you are out! Usually I don’t get meat at Whole Foods. And, no there is a decreased chance that I will again. In fact, the only time I remember getting something I liked there was buffalo tenderloin several years ago. I grilled it, and it was awesome.
For now, it is back to Tom Thumb for my meat – when it is affordable. Most of the time I buy only tenderloin because it is my favorite and it satisfies my meat desires. But those days of $14 per pound are far behind, and $23/lb makes my red meat experiences much less frequent.
Regardless of where you buy your meat, it is a good idea to keep your receipt for it for a day or so after you have digested it – just to be sure. Most places, like Sam’s Club, will refund your full purchase price with your receipt and a bag which they think contains the remnants of your meat (when I have returned the meat – cooked or not, they don’t want to look at it, but just throw it away).
Happy Grillin’
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As a follow up, I recently purchased some tenderloin on sale at a Tom Thumb Supermarket in North Texas. I grilled it over charcoal with a little soy sauce and coated it with olive oil to keep it moist inside. Hot pink center, tender, and delicious. One of the best steaks I have had in a few years – even better than Ruth’s Chris or anywhere else I have had one.