so is it pounds and ounces ? when purchasing the meat and then "grains" when actually cooking the individual burgers?

I worked in a seafood and meat dept for a few years. We took of a tare or reduction in the gross weight to cover the tray, plastic wrap and that liquid absorbing pad that is sometimes put in there. If crab legs had a ton of ice on em we would take off an additional amount but we usually just took off a standard amount of weight.

The people who bitched about the weight of seafood (shrimp & crab legs) AFFER we steamed it for them were beyond annoying as they lose quite a bit of weight after steaming.

I suspect the difference was liquid absorbed by the mat from meat after weighing and packing perhaps?

Also pretty sure that broth you're using to test is liquid oz.

ETA - missed the post where OP said no packing mat and he was weighing entire package too.

Georgeair, you are correct. That is another variable. It wasn't an exact science but we typically were pretty close. If the meat is bloody and the pad absorbs a lot of liquid it will make the weight of the meat seem off. Best thing to do if you think your supermarket is screwing you is weight the entire package then weigh the meat, set it aside then weigh the foam tray, plastic and pad together.

quote:

Originally posted by Hobbs:
My digital kitchen scale is a Salter model 3001 (measures up to 5 lbs). Not Chinese crap. Model is no longer available. I've had it a good number of years. Salter has been around doing scales since about 1760 and my scale is (VERY) accurate but not calibrated and only accurate to the nearest gram.

Your particular scale may be a good scale made in the US or Europe or something.

I have two different Salter kitchen scales (both different models from yours). I got both in 2008. Both have "MADE IN CHINA" stickers on the bottom.

One of them is hiding from me at the moment. The other measures a difference of 5 grams on a ~1300 gram jar of water as compared to an expensive Japanese coffee scale that I have.

There's no guarantee that either is actually correct, but the difference between them is only 0.4%.

Also, just because a measuring device displays results to a given resolution (e.g. 1 gram), it isn't necessarily accurate to that resolution.

quote:

Originally posted by Hobbs:

To try and answer some of the questions, yes I weighted the whole package (beef, tray and wrap) and it was 5/8th ounce under what the 1.00lb label on the ground round showed. These is no absorbent pad in packages of ground beef. I speculate that evaporation would not account for the underweight in fresh ground beef. The plastic wrap is pretty tight around the product too.

Wow. Weighing that much less while still in the packaging is a pretty big discrepancy. I agree that "evaporation" would not even be measurable in a sealed package like that assuming package was sealed correctly. It will be interesting to see what you find on next trip to that store.

quote:

Originally posted by Georgeair:
I suspect the difference was liquid absorbed by the mat from meat after weighing and packing perhaps?

Also pretty sure that broth you're using to test is liquid oz.

ETA - missed the post where OP said no packing mat and he was weighing entire package too.

WoW !!! Never heard of fluid grams before. Are you a rocket scientist or something? 411 liquid grams I guess

Ok, so if you put 28 pennies on the scale it's equivalent to what you lost (in money). Call the store and complain to the manager

quote:

WoW !!! Never heard of fluid grams before. Are you a rocket scientist or something? 411 liquid grams I guess

Or, perhaps not. Didn't notice it wasn't fluid oz, figured as broth it was. My bad.

Yeah, liquid grams would be tricky....

quote:

Originally posted by Georgeair:

quote:

WoW !!! Never heard of fluid grams before. Are you a rocket scientist or something? 411 liquid grams I guess

Or, perhaps not. Didn't notice it wasn't fluid oz, figured as broth it was. My bad.

Yeah, liquid grams would be tricky....

If we are dealing with pure water it's pretty simple. 1g = 1ml.

I've noticed at safeway, and the local "high end" butcher shop, they include the tare (packaging) in the weight. BUGS me. I've complained, and gotten completely blank stares. They've been instructed to do it that way.

I rarely buy meat that isn't in the 50% off bins now. Then it goes into the pressure cooker.

We have a local place (3 bears) which sells racks of primal (Ribeye, ribs, roasts) slabs for a very good price. I just purchase those and butcher myself. It gets the price of good meat down to about $3 a lb. But you're going to drop $90-120 at a time. I just cut the steaks down, trim them, and vacuum seal them. Trimmings get mixed in with whatever other meats I've got going, into the grinder. I'm running low on moose though, and hunting season is a long way off.

Nice Dually !!! ... I'd have to go 25 miles south and just over the AL/FL line to find a real (relatively small time family run) slaughter house/butcher/open to public shop. I've gotten steaks from them before (cut to desired thickness) and they were awesome !!! Everything they run through there is all locally produced. If I lived in a large enough house to have a good size freezer, I'd go a different route than Piggly Wiggly.

quote:

Originally posted by Hobbs:
Nice Dually !!! ... I'd have to go 25 miles south and just over the AL/FL line to find a real (relatively small time family run) slaughter house/butcher/open to public shop. I've gotten steaks from them before (cut to desired thickness) and they were awesome !!! Everything they run through there is all locally produced. If I lived in a large enough house to have a good size freezer, I'd go a different route than Piggly Wiggly.

Hobbs

What part of the state are you in? Just curious, sounds like you could be close to me.

These guys are right across the lake from us, nice ride on the motorcycle, or truck depending on what you need, home made sausages, bacon, steaks, chicken, gator etc...

https://www.facebook.com/HopkinsMeatPacking/

quote:

Originally posted by Herkdriver:

quote:

Originally posted by Hobbs:
Nice Dually !!! ... I'd have to go 25 miles south and just over the AL/FL line to find a real (relatively small time family run) slaughter house/butcher/open to public shop. I've gotten steaks from them before (cut to desired thickness) and they were awesome !!! Everything they run through there is all locally produced. If I lived in a large enough house to have a good size freezer, I'd go a different route than Piggly Wiggly.

Hobbs

What part of the state are you in? Just curious, sounds like you could be close to me.

Enterprise. Retired Navy Chief. I'm out numbered around here LOL (just outside Fort Rucker Army post)

Oh, and I was talking about Brock's Esto Meat Processing. Just across the road from the gas station in Esto.

Check 'em out. You're closer to 'em than I am. Good people, good reviews, good product ... https://www.facebook.com/BrocksEstoMeat/

EDIT: Just to add about Brock's Esto Meat Processing. You may find it costs more in some cases than the supermarket, but they often aren't busy down there in Esto and she will talk to you all day long if need be, like you are family and politely answer any and all questions you might have. And at least there, I know I get what I pay for.

... had to dig through my photo archives to find this pic of a typical great for grilling ribeye (it's semi-frozen though in the pic, not fresh like when I got it) from Brock's a couple of years ago. Don't take a lot of pics of steaks LOL. They'll cut 'em however you want of course. Call ahead and see what they have or what's coming up. They may not have what you want at that moment and you need to check their slaughter schedule and even if they have what you're looking for, they often won't cut and package until you order and depending on how busy they are, it may take a little time and things are never hurried in Esto LOL. Really the only bad thing about that is that there is absolutely nothing to do in Esto except lotto and scratch offs at the gas station across the road while you wait ... or you could go for a nice drive to Bonifay and back while they get your order ready ... or call ahead

I'd recommend a first visit recon, just to chat and pick up a pricing handout if nothing else. Since I'm in Enterprise, I take a cooler when I go to Brock's.

quote:

Originally posted by Hobbs:

quote:

Originally posted by Herkdriver:

quote:

Originally posted by Hobbs:
Nice Dually !!! ... I'd have to go 25 miles south and just over the AL/FL line to find a real (relatively small time family run) slaughter house/butcher/open to public shop. I've gotten steaks from them before (cut to desired thickness) and they were awesome !!! Everything they run through there is all locally produced. If I lived in a large enough house to have a good size freezer, I'd go a different route than Piggly Wiggly.

Hobbs

What part of the state are you in? Just curious, sounds like you could be close to me.

Enterprise. Retired Navy Chief. I'm out numbered around here LOL (just outside Fort Rucker Army post)

Oh, and I was talking about Brock's Esto Meat Processing. Just across the road from the gas station in Esto.

Check 'em out. You're closer to 'em than I am. Good people, good reviews, good product ... https://www.facebook.com/BrocksEstoMeat/

EDIT: Just to add about Brock's Esto Meat Processing. You may find it costs more in some cases than the supermarket, but they often aren't busy down there in Esto and she will talk to you all day long if need be, like you are family and politely answer any and all questions you might have. And at least there, I know I get what I pay for.

Yep, you are close! I know about the outnumbered part, I am retired AF and head up to Rucker about every other week to do the retiree Commissary/BX thing.

Thinks for the tip about the folks in Esto, I might try them the next time I have one butchered. I have a small cow/calf cattle operation so I raise my own. Haven't had to buy beef for the last 5 years

My email is in my profile, drop me a line the next time you are going to be close to Hartford. If I am around I will give you a few packages of ground beef and maybe a roast or something to help make up for the Pig giving you the shaft!

Awesome HD !!! I pretty much stick to myself in retirement these days. Just me and the dogs. I talk more to them than people. Like it and planed it that way LOL. If nothing else, I guess Brocks is an option for processing if you didn't already know about them. I honestly know nothing about that side of their operation but everything that goes through there is local produced, just don't know how it's worked out. Thank you for kind words and a most generous offer. We might cross paths one day. It's a small world.

I am serious about the offer, got plenty of beef! Shoot, I can even throw in a jar of my Mom's pepper jelly to sweeten/fire up the offer! Plus give you a tour of the farm so you can see how your food is raised. Always trying to get some good PR to counter those PETA assholes.

Edit to add: Aren't you the guy with some pitbull type dogs? If you are and I remember the pics those are good looking dogs.

quote:

Originally posted by Herkdriver:
I am serious about the offer, got plenty of beef! Shoot, I can even throw in a jar of my Mom's pepper jelly to sweeten/fire up the offer! Plus give you a tour of the farm so you can see how your food is raised. Always trying to get some good PR to counter those PETA assholes.

Edit to add: Aren't you the guy with some pitbull type dogs? If you are and I remember the pics those are good looking dogs.

Thanks HD !!! ... and yep, I'm that guy LOL. In fact, next weekend down below Chipley at the Possum Palace in Wausau (Sat & Sun), there is an American Dog Breeder Association (ADBA est. 1909) registry sanctioned event for the American Pit Bull Terrier. My dog and I will likely be there. My dog is from one of the oldest APBT bloodlines. He is pure Colby top and bottom with no crosses or outs, all the way back to the founding of the American Pit Bull Terrier Breed. He's been to sanctioned events there and other venues and done well, but not spectacular LOL

Event next weekend in Wausau ... https://www.facebook.com/events/169031703571674/

My dog's pedigree. Dogs in ped are clickable and can be traced back in history. There are many bloodlines, but this is my "pet bull's" pure line all the way back. He is a wonderful pet and companion. Like owning a piece of history ... http://www.apbt.online-pedigre...digree&dog_id=460620

Pic of Mason a couple of days ago. I have another dog. Sugar is a mixed breed of unknown origin that I adopted in 2006. Mason and Sugar get along GREAT.



... and Sugar taken same day I think ...



The apparatus back there with the rope on a bungee is a spring pole that Mason uses from time to time to help work off some energy and help stay in shape.
Basically a vertical rope tug. The boy wears me out when I tug with him LOL