Traditional shish kebab is made from high-quality meat of a young animal. Those who prefer to make this dish on their own usually follow this rule and choose the meat very carefully. But marinated meat is often found on sale, and if we talk about retail outlets, kebabs are prepared almost on every corner. Unfortunately, not all sellers are equally conscientious, therefore, the consumer needs attention and the ability to distinguish fresh meat from stale.
It is necessary
- - meat for barbecue;
- - a sharp knife;
- - lighter.
Instructions
Step 1
When going to the store or the market for fresh meat for barbecue, bring a small sharp knife with you. You will need it to cut the meat, which sellers do not always agree to do.
Step 2
Inspect the piece of meat you like. It should be pink or dark red, depending on the age of the animal. The fat of the young animal is white, the fat of the old one is yellowish, but in no case is it gray. Regardless of whether you use beef, pork or lamb, the fabrics should not have any blotches or stains, their color should be rich and uniform. Stale meat looks chapped, depending on the degree of spoilage, it can have a grayish or even greenish color.
Step 3
Sniff the meat. There should not be even the slightest putrid smell. Some unscrupulous traders use a lot of tricks to make the meat seem good quality. For example, it is washed in potassium permanganate, which removes an unpleasant odor and washes away plaque. In this case, it is rather difficult to distinguish fresh meat from stale meat by smell. Pay attention to fat. After soaking in potassium permanganate, it turns pinkish rather than yellowish as usual.
Step 4
Press down on the surface of the meat with your finger to create a dimple. The tissues of fresh meat are elastic, so the dent will even out rather quickly. It will not disappear from the surface of a stale piece.
Step 5
Heat the knife. For this, the most common lighter is enough. Pierce the meat. Smell the knife. When processing, you can only get rid of the external signs of rot, but inside the piece remains spoiled. In this case, the knife will get an unpleasant smell.
Step 6
Make a small incision. See what you get. Good fresh meat will remain almost dry at the cut.
Step 7
If you decide to buy frozen meat for barbecue, pay attention to ice crystals. According to other signs, its freshness cannot be determined, the not very obvious smell of rot disappears when frozen. But the seller's dishonesty will be betrayed by crystals, which are always there. If they are white, the meat is frozen once. When re-frozen, the ice turns pink.
Step 8
Large retail outlets often sell marinated meat for barbecue. It can be weighed out or in plastic packaging. Smell the loose meat. Despite the fact that spices are usually added to the marinade that can kill any aroma, you can still smell the rot. The freshness of pieces sold in plastic boxes or vacuum packaging can be determined only by their appearance, and not always. Pay attention to fat. It does not change its color and should be white or slightly yellowish.
Step 9
Kebabs in retail outlets are usually prepared from marinated meat. The main indicator of freshness is smell. The one who makes the kebab usually adds onions, garlic, spices, which smell very strong. But they cannot completely eliminate the unpleasant smell of stale meat. So first of all, sniff.
Step 10
In some outlets, the client does not see how the shish kebab is being prepared. Anyone who fries meat has the opportunity to add a piece that has been stale from yesterday and warmed up to the buyer. If the meat is suspicious, pierce it with a fork or knife. The foul smell remains despite the use of aromatic herbs. This rudimentary study is usually sufficient.
