# Meat case at the local grocery store



## jd_1138

They sure know how to display their offerings to look as appealing as possible.  They have various cuts of steak, hamburgers (pre-formed with various seasonings), freshly cut up chicken, chops, ka-bobs already on skewers with veggies, meatballs.

I've been grilling out like 4 times a week all summer long.  Yummy. This is at Giant Eagle (chain supermarket here in Ohio).  Local mom and pop butcher shop has a similar case.

This is the case where they have to get it out and wrap it up for you.  They also have the regular already wrapped meats out in the open cases.


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## GotGarlic

Our Kroger has a similar selection. I don't buy prepared items from it because I like to season them myself, but once in a while I splurge on a better cut of meat.


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## Just Cooking

I love a true meat cutters counter..  


Our area has a small chain called Harter House.. Their meat counter is magnificent and not all that more expensive..



Ross


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## caseydog

I also don't buy "prepared" meats, with seasonings. And, I make my own kabobs... it's not that much work. 

The biggest thing you have to watch out for is thinking that the seafood in a grocery store display is "fresh." It is not. It was almost certainly frozen when it arrived at the store. They thawed it out, put it on ice, and a lot of people think it is fresh. 

Unless you live near an ocean, your seafood is unlikely to be "fresh." Not a problem, if it was frozen right after it was caught, and it has not been frozen for a long time. 

CD


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## Kayelle

caseydog said:


> I also don't buy "prepared" meats, with seasonings. And, I make my own kabobs... it's not that much work.
> 
> The biggest thing you have to watch out for is thinking that the seafood in a grocery store display is "fresh." It is not. It was almost certainly frozen when it arrived at the store. They thawed it out, put it on ice, and a lot of people think it is fresh.
> 
> Unless you live near an ocean, your seafood is unlikely to be "fresh." Not a problem, if it was frozen right after it was caught, and it has not been frozen for a long time.
> 
> CD




Occasionally we luck out and can buy fish right off a boat in the local harbor. It doesn't get fresher than that, but that's rare. 

Big commercial boats freeze their fish before it ever hits the market, so one way or another, you're buying fish that's been frozen. What I want to know in the market is how long it's been sitting in the case thawed.


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## Chris_with_a_knife

caseydog said:


> Unless you live near an ocean, your seafood is unlikely to be "fresh." Not a problem, if it was frozen right after it was caught, and it has not been frozen for a long time.CD



You better also mean hasn't been thawed for too long either


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## JustJoel

Kayelle said:


> Occasionally we luck out and can buy fish right off a boat in the local harbor. It doesn't get fresher than that, but that's rare.
> 
> Big commercial boats freeze their fish before it ever hits the market, so one way or another, you're buying fish that's been frozen. What I want to know in the market is how long it's been sitting in the case thawed.


I remember fondly visiting the dory fishermen in Newport Beach. Mom and Dad would bundle us up and pack us, and the dog, of course, into the station wagon at about 5 am, and we’d make our way down to the shore where the dory fishers have been launching their boats for decades, if not a whole century. They’d be bringing their boats back in at about 6 am, filled with their catch. I don’t really remember what kinds of fish were prominent, although I seem to recall rock cod and red snapper. Mom didn’t really know how to cook fish (or anything else), so by the time it reached our plates, we may as well just have gone to Mickey D’s for a fillet-o-fish. But watching those dory fishers bring in their rowboats on long wooden rollers, and then watching them gut and clean their catch is a memory I treasure.

They’re still at it, too! If you ever make a trip to SoCal, put visiting the dory fishers on your must-do list!


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## caseydog

Kayelle said:


> Occasionally we luck out and can buy fish right off a boat in the local harbor. It doesn't get fresher than that, but that's rare.
> 
> Big commercial boats freeze their fish before it ever hits the market, so one way or another, you're buying fish that's been frozen. What I want to know in the market is how long it's been sitting in the case thawed.



I used to live in Houston, just out of college, and there were vans along the side of the road on my way home from work that had fresh off the boat fish and shrimp. Some of them were crooked, but once you found an honest seller, you could count on today's catch, and you went back to them every time. 

From what I understand, those vans have been shut down. I'm guessing that the crooked ones ruined it for the honest ones. Isn't that how it always goes? 

CD


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## JustJoel

caseydog said:


> I used to live in Houston, just out of college, and there were vans along the side of the road on my way home from work that had fresh off the boat fish and shrimp. Some of them were crooked, but once you found an honest seller, you could count on today's catch, and you went back to them every time.
> 
> From what I understand, those vans have been shut down. I'm guessing that the crooked ones ruined it for the honest ones. Isn't that how it always goes?
> 
> CD


I could give you another reason they were shut down, but I’d be getting political in an inappropriate venue. I’ll just say what a sorry loss it is.

I think Dad bought a bunch of shrimp from one of those vans once, when he was visiting Houston on USCGAux business. He didn’t stop talking about them, _couldn’t _stop talking about them. I think, though, the thing that most impressed him was the cost!


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## caseydog

JustJoel said:


> I could give you another reason they were shut down, but I’d be getting political in an inappropriate venue. I’ll just say what a sorry loss it is.
> 
> I think Dad bought a bunch of shrimp from one of those vans once, when he was visiting Houston on USCGAux business. He didn’t stop talking about them, _couldn’t _stop talking about them. I think, though, the thing that most impressed him was the cost!



Oh, yeah. the price was right. I could stuff myself with shrimp for less than five bucks. 

It really wasn't political thing that shut it down. Anytime you have a good thing going, you are going to have sleezeballs take advantage of the situation. Some of those roadside vans were all about making a buck, and not about selling a quality product. Those people would say the shrimp was caught today, even if it was caught last week. 

You live in Las Vegas, so you should know all about that. There are some really good places to eat in Vegas, but there are many more bad places to eat. I've had some amazing meals in Vegas, and my one and only experience with food poisoning was in Vegas. 

CD


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## Cooking Goddess

That is a nice display of meat offerings, *jd*. Like others have said, though, I don't buy anything pre-made like that. I'm cheap, and I'll admit it. The idea of spending $8.99 a pound for green peppers or onions goes against my grain. Still, they sure look pretty.


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## CraigC

caseydog said:


> Oh, yeah. the price was right. I could stuff myself with shrimp for less than five bucks.
> 
> It really wasn't political thing that shut it down. Anytime you have a good thing going, you are going to have sleezeballs take advantage of the situation. *Some of those roadside vans were all about making a buck, and not about selling a quality product. Those people would say the shrimp was caught today, even if it was caught last week. *
> 
> You live in Las Vegas, so you should know all about that. There are some really good places to eat in Vegas, but there are many more bad places to eat. I've had some amazing meals in Vegas, and my one and only experience with food poisoning was in Vegas.
> 
> CD



There are still trucks/vans here. I would think that those types would be self eradicating, putting themselves out of business pretty quickly. They shouldn't have caused the good ones to go out of business as most of these, at least the ones here, are word of mouth advertised.


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## Mad Cook

Kayelle said:


> Occasionally we luck out and can buy fish right off a boat in the local harbor. It doesn't get fresher than that, but that's rare.
> 
> Big commercial boats freeze their fish before it ever hits the market, so one way or another, you're buying fish that's been frozen. What I want to know in the market is how long it's been sitting in the case thawed.


 "
<LI class=TrT0Xe>Look for firm, shiny flesh. ... <LI class=TrT0Xe>Sniff the *fish*. ... <LI class=TrT0Xe>*Check* the eyes. ... <LI class=TrT0Xe>*Check* the gills. " 


In other words:-

*If the fish still has its skin it should be shiny and not shrunken or wrinkled. And if it isn't still wearing it just ask yourself why. There may be a good reason eg monk fish (angler fish - ugly and a bit un-nerving to look at when wearing its head and overcoat! Delicious though.)

*Does the fish smell of the sea? If the stall smells fishy - walk away.

*Bright eyes that seem to be looking at you. Dull or shrunken? Walk away.

 *Bright red gills. Dull and faded? Walk away.

We are lucky in the British Isles as nowhere is more than 75 miles from the sea! We can get excellent fish but there are a few "cowboy" fishmongers.


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## Kayelle

*MC*, although I know how to choose fish that hasn't been defrosted too long, it is not fresh fish if it's ever been frozen.


  For that reason, I prefer to buy it frozen and not thawed, and that way I can cook it as soon as it's thawed.


By the way, I live 10 miles from the Pacific.


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## tenspeed

We live close to the ocean, but after centuries of overfishing, there's not a lot of fresh catch landing on the docks.  Some exceptions, though.

  I can buy "ocean fresh" swordfish at the supermarket for $10 - $12 / lb.  I can buy fresh swordfish at the local seafood store for $17 - $18 /lb.  There is clearly a huge difference.


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## CharlieD

Oh, how I missed real meat department.


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## caseydog

Kayelle said:


> *MC*, although I know how to choose fish that hasn't been defrosted too long, it is not fresh fish if it's ever been frozen.
> 
> 
> For that reason, I prefer to buy it frozen and not thawed, and that way I can cook it as soon as it's thawed.
> 
> 
> By the way, I live 10 miles from the Pacific.



Living in Dallas, I know I can't buy "fresh" seafood, unless I want to spend a fortune. I am perfectly fine with frozen. Like you, I want to buy it still frozen, and thaw it out right before I cook it. 

I buy frozen, wild caught Gulf shrimp all the time. I always buy it shell on. It is more work, but if the shrimp is pre-shelled, the texture isn't as good when cooked, IMO. 

I am also able to buy fish filets that are vacuum packed and frozen. Those work out well, too. Again, I thaw them at the last minute. They thaw fast. 

CD


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## caseydog

CharlieD said:


> Oh, how I missed real meat department.



I remember as a kid, we got most of our groceries at a big store that offered S&H Green Stamps (who remembers that), but we got our meat from a little meat market. Then, my mom overcooked it. 

CD


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## Andy M.

caseydog said:


> I remember as a kid, we got most of our groceries at a big store that offered *S&H Green Stamps (who remembers that)*, but we got our meat from a little meat market. Then, my mom overcooked it.
> 
> CD



I do! I do!


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## JustJoel

Andy M. said:


> I do! I do!


Me too! Mom collected green stamps obsessively. Cutting them up and pasting them into the little books was my chore.

I know Mom redeemed them, but I can’t remember what for...


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## dragnlaw

Oh dear, it seems that* I *collected the stamps.  Maybe my mom did too, vague, vague memories of her collecting.


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## tenspeed

caseydog said:


> I remember as a kid, we got most of our groceries at a big store that offered S&H Green Stamps (who remembers that), but we got our meat from a little meat market. Then, my mom overcooked it.
> 
> CD


There's a S&H Green Stamps sign attached to a tree on one of my riding routes.  I'm surprised the paint has held up this long.


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## Kayelle

Not only do I remember the S&H Green Stamps, I remember *the product redemption store. *

When I was a 20yr old and expecting my first child, my Mom took me there shopping for baby things like a stroller, crib, high chair, and so many other things I needed for the baby.
She had been saving her books of Green Stamps for years.


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## dragnlaw

tenspeed said:


> There's a S&H Green Stamps sign attached to a tree on one of my riding routes. * I'm surprised the paint has held up this long.*



Perfect example of how things were made to last back in the day!


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## Caslon

Except when you go to a rusty part of town for a particular kind of meat and they still have the 1950's style butcher display case, with some flies hanging around.


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## caseydog

dragnlaw said:


> Perfect example of how things were made to last back in the day!



Welllll, not everything. I am around thousands of classic cars every year, and they were not made that well -- especially post WWII. 

CD


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## dragnlaw

Of course casey, actually agree but still...  

My bro was an MG fan  I was a Morgan fan - til he told me their frames were wood - shot my dreams down pretty fast.  
My first husband had a Royal Enfield which would never start in the rain.  He figured anything that would start in the rain was kept in England - all others were shipped overseas. LOL!


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## caseydog

dragnlaw said:


> Of course casey, actually agree but still...
> 
> My bro was an MG fan  I was a Morgan fan - til he told me their frames were wood - shot my dreams down pretty fast.
> 
> My first husband had a Royal Enfield which would never start in the rain.  He figured anything that would start in the rain was kept in England - all others were shipped overseas. LOL!



_Morgan_ is still around. The closest dealer to you is in Toronto. I've driven a handful of them. I have a couple friends who own them. 

They still look the same, but they have removed all but a tiny amount of wood from the frame. Just enough to be traditional, but not enough to be a problem. 

https://www.morgan-motor.co.uk

CD


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## JustJoel

Several years ago, the local Albertson’s would give stamps for your purchases that were good towards buying cookware, in store. I got several pieces, and they’re probably my favorite everyday pots and pans. Oven-safe to 500°, and even though they’re not “non-stick,” I’ve never had a problem making even eggs, although I do add a bit of oil. I need to take some pics and decipher the name on the handles; maybe one of you guys’d Know something about the company. But they were bought with stamps, albeit not S&H green stamps!


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## dragnlaw

caseydog said:


> _Morgan_ is still around. *The closest dealer to you is in Toronto.*  LOL - Couldn't afford one then - still can't!
> 
> I've driven a handful of them. I have a couple friends who own them. * and I'm jealous, of course...*
> 
> They still look the same, but they have removed all but a tiny amount of wood from the frame. Just enough to be traditional, but not enough to be a problem.
> 
> https://www.morgan-motor.co.uk
> 
> CD



envy, jealousy and love - all wrapped up around an inanimate object.  been a long time since I looked at them and they still look good to me!

Thanks CD - yuh put a grin on my face this morning.


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## RPCookin

caseydog said:


> Living in Dallas, I know I can't buy "fresh" seafood, unless I want to spend a fortune. I am perfectly fine with frozen. Like you, I want to buy it still frozen, and thaw it out right before I cook it.
> 
> I buy frozen, wild caught Gulf shrimp all the time. I always buy it shell on. It is more work, but if the shrimp is pre-shelled, the texture isn't as good when cooked, IMO.
> 
> I am also able to buy fish filets that are vacuum packed and frozen. Those work out well, too. Again, I thaw them at the last minute. They thaw fast.
> 
> CD



I buy the vacuum packed fillets too.  Since Walmart my only option within 2 hours from home, it's the best I can do.  I like the mahi-mahi fillets best.  When we still lived in Denver, I'd watch for sales at King Soopers (Kroger) and get a whole frozen mahi-mahi fillet, usually about 24 inches long, hard as a board.  

Since the big commercial fishing boats all freeze their catch immediately on board, that's about the freshest you can get if you live away from the coast, and to be honest, I really can't tell it from fresh.  I had fresh when we lived in the Bahamas, and I didn't really notice a significant difference.  My wife doesn't eat fish, so I'm my only critic.


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## RPCookin

JustJoel said:


> Me too! Mom collected green stamps obsessively. Cutting them up and pasting them into the little books was my chore.
> 
> I know Mom redeemed them, but I can’t remember what for...



We had Green Stamps in Minnesota, but we also had Gold Bond Stamps, which were essentially the same thing in a rival company.  I know that my mother almost exclusively shopped stores and gas stations that gave Green Stamps, but we always collected a few books of Gold Bond stamps as well.  

I think that at one time, most of the glassware and dishes in the house were bought by redeeming stamps.  Mom was quite frugal, born of necessity.


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## Addie

My favorite memory of really fresh fish is when my second commercial fishing husband brought home about ten pounds of fresh Haddock from the last haul. When they dropped the net on the aft deck, that huge fish was it still fighting to get back into the sea. Instead it made it to our supper table all ready to be deep fried. Hubby gutted and cut it all up for me to cook. There had to be at least ten pounds on that platter in the middle of the table.


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## jd_1138

Cooking Goddess said:


> That is a nice display of meat offerings, *jd*. Like others have said, though, I don't buy anything pre-made like that. I'm cheap, and I'll admit it. The idea of spending $8.99 a pound for green peppers or onions goes against my grain. Still, they sure look pretty.



Yeah I don't buy too much of the pre-seasoned meats.  I season my own stuff.  Some of the items in the pretty case are the same prices as the stuff out in the case.

I think they want $6/pound for their pre-formed and pre-seasoned hamburger patties whereas you can buy regular hamburger for like $3 to $4 a pound and season it yourself.

Giant Eagle does have a nice deal on meats -- 5 items for $20.  And this includes a nice selection -- pack of bacon, chicken, pork, 1.5 to 2 pounds of hamburger, brats, chops, etc..  Each of these items are usually $5 to $6 each so you're saving at least $5 to $10.

Today I got 2 things of bacon, hamburger, Italian Sausage, and some chops -- all for $20.  Wife loves bacon, so we go through a pack a week.


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## jd_1138

RPCookin said:


> We had Green Stamps in Minnesota, but we also had Gold Bond Stamps, which were essentially the same thing in a rival company.  I know that my mother almost exclusively shopped stores and gas stations that gave Green Stamps, but we always collected a few books of Gold Bond stamps as well.
> 
> I think that at one time, most of the glassware and dishes in the house were bought by redeeming stamps.  Mom was quite frugal, born of necessity.



I think a lot of supermarkets had their own free line of glassware that you could earn by spending money there.  They sort of had their own line of stamps for that chain of grocery stores.  IGA still had their own line of glassware until just a few years ago when our local IGA closed.


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## caseydog

jd_1138 said:


> I think a lot of supermarkets had their own free line of glassware that you could earn by spending money there.  They sort of had their own line of stamps for that chain of grocery stores.  IGA still had their own line of glassware until just a few years ago when our local IGA closed.



Back in the late 80s, one of the major oil companies (I think it was Mobil) gave glassware to people who bought 20-bucks worth of gas. I had a Silverado pickup that held 42 gallons. I filled up, and got two glasses. I eventually had to give them to friends, because my glassware cupboard was full. 

CD


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## caseydog

Do you folks remember Welch's Jelly jar glasses? That's what my sister an I drank from as kids. 

CD

.


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## JustJoel

caseydog said:


> Do you folks remember Welch's Jelly jar glasses? That's what my sister an I drank from as kids.
> 
> CD
> 
> .


I’ll bet you those are worth money!


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## caseydog

JustJoel said:


> I’ll bet you those are worth money!



They are all over eBay. They are worth a few bucks, each -- not big money. 

CD


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## Cooking Goddess

caseydog said:


> Do you folks remember Welch's Jelly jar glasses? That's what my sister an I drank from as kids...


My SIL has a couple with Peanuts Gang motif. She uses them when we drink wine.  I put mine back (before she pours the wine) and get myself a right proper wine glass - an on the rocks glass.  I'm like a rangy giraffe and don't play well with stemmed glassware.


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## Addie

When I was real small and big enough for a PB and Jelly sandwich, I took one bite and spit it out real fast. The jelly was soooo sweet. I know. I am weird. I don't like bread or sweets. So we only got PB sandwiches. The glasses were made to look like cut crystal. Like cd, our collection just grew. Our neighbors were happy to have them. I also had the full collection of the Peanuts gang. Then a Notice came out that there was a dangerous chemical in the paint on these collectors glasses. That was the end of collecting these glasses.


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## kenmiller

Our areas has meat cutters and their meat counter is magnificent and not all that more expensive


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## Addie

CharlieD said:


> Oh, how I missed real meat department.



We have one in the next town over. Twice a week, the trucks pull in from Chicago and unload the whole animals right into the back door. The public can watch right through the huge plate glass window on the store side and see the butchers cutting down the whole sides of the animals. When I lived in that town, I was only two doors away from that store.  

Then when I was a kid, the fishing fleet used to tie up right here in East Boston down in Central Square. There is a Shaw's supermarket there now. Come every Friday, all the housewives, my mother included would be down there by eight in the morning and you could buy Haddock and Cod right off the boat. At the other end of that piece of land was the coal company. After everyone had their fish, they would head over there and pick up all the loose coal for their wood burning kitchen stoves. I loved Friday's. I knew we would be having fish that night.

Then when I was married to my second husband, we lived right on the Gulf in Texas. When a shrimper came into port, each crewman was allowed to bring home a large bread bag of shrimp from the very last catch. About ten pounds. 

A couple of years ago, a glut of lobster hit this area. On the road to Winthrop, the lobster boats would tie up along Saratoga Street. They were giving the lobsters away. The lobster men stopped going out at the end of August. There simply was no market for them. 

When my second husband was fishing out of Boston, the crew considered lobster trash and would sell it to the large lobster clearing house at the end of the fishing pier. Every so often my husband would bring me home a few of them. No charge. I think between the Haddock, Cod, Lobsters and Shrimp, they can keep the shrimp. 

And then as a child, right after a Nor'easter, all the neighborhood kids would run down to the beach and collect all the lobsters that washed up on the shore. And there usually were plenty of clams and quahogs to be had. We knew what we would be having for supper that night.


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