The Case Against Buying Bone-In Meat From The Grocery Store

In many places, supermarkets have become a one-stop shop for all of our grocery needs. They generally house bakeries, beauty sections, pharmacies, and at some, you can even walk out with a handcrafted drink from Starbucks. Still, when it comes to purchasing a few bone-in pork chops or tomahawk ribeyes, the grocery store might not be the best place to look.

That's largely because from the grocery store can be older than you think. When that meat is still attached to a bone, the quality deteriorates faster than it would otherwise as the bone itself alters the pH of the protein. If the pH level is too alkaline or too acidic, the texture and color can degrade and you might even notice an off smell emanating from the meat. There is a decent chance it won't taste as good as you had hoped, and it is more likely to spoil faster than boneless cuts.

If you can make do with a boneless sirloin or a pork tenderloin, then you can likely go full steam ahead to the grocery store. However, if you had your heart set on a Porterhouse steak and nothing will sway you from your ambitions, there are other, better places where you can purchase bone-in meat that will be fresher and higher quality.

Because the local grocery store is such a convenient trip, many folks forget that local butchers typically have the best meat in town. They often know more precisely where the meat comes from, how it was slaughtered, and what the animal's diet was like before processing. Perhaps most importantly, meat from a butcher shop will be fresher than what you purchase in the grocery store, meaning those bone-in cuts you are looking for will be better quality.

Some avoid visiting a butcher shop because they assume it will be more expensive than buying from the supermarket. This can be true, but not always. What is more often the reality is that the butcher shop will have superior products. If you are concerned about your budget, you can get a butcher's help to seek out the cheaper cuts of steak experts rave about.

Another option for outstanding bone-in cuts is distributors that deliver flash-frozen meat right to your door. Flash-freezing protein involves using sub-zero temperatures to freeze it quickly, which better maintains quality until it thaws. So, while you can always run by your local grocery for cheap bone-in meat if you are willing to gamble on its condition, but ask yourself if it is worth the risk of getting meat that's tougher and less flavorful than you had hoped.