Canada Beef Inc, and Canada Safeway not only sent me a load of information about the beef we buy and eat in Canada, but invited me to visit a Safeway Meat Department with one of their Meat Merchandiser’s. It was a real pleasure to talk to someone who is not only a professional when it comes to the Safeway Meat Department, but a customer too who wants the best quality for his customers and himself.
I have always felt confident in the quality of the meat products we consume, despite the issues with contaminated products that do arise. That said the information I have been given about the quality of Canadian Beef really only did confirm what I thought I already knew about it. I am glad that Canada Safeway focuses so much on Canadian Beef. We have great cattle here. For those who are becoming more leery of what our cattle are fed and how they are fed, Organic Beef products are becoming more available (in Safeway) and elsewhere and are heavily regulated to ensure a pure organic experience.
The biggest thing I took away from the experience is that I really suck at cooking and preparing beef products and really need to learn more – my family would appreciate it. 🙂 Canadian Beef has a great site filled with nutrition information, recipes, and ‘Cook Like a Pro’ videos! This I am needing.
Know your meat. If you are not sure about a cut of meat you see at Safeway, ask the butchers. They will happily help you out with preparation ideas for any of the pre-cut meats and will (if available) do special cuts for you too. Places like Safeway have replaced the small grocer/butcher stores but we forget that they are trained butchers.
Mike, our resident Meat Merchandiser also pointed out that reading up on your meats BEFORE shopping is probably not only going to save you money ( their website has all the local weekly specials) but help you menu plan before you write your grocery list, making sure you have all you need to create a lovely Beef centric meal for your family.
The second biggest thing I learned from the Canadian Beef information and our Meat Merchandiser, was about packaging and keeping the beef in your freezer. It is recommended that you either remove any beef products from the traditional ‘overwrap’ packaging and seal them in freezer bags or wrap the entire thing in foil. Even with the tidier looking ‘modified atmosphere’ packaging, removal is recommended for freezing. I really only remove product from the wrap when I want to take bulk items and put them in smaller services. Live and learn. Vacuum packaging and the tube packages for ground beef are the most freezer ready packaging.
Freezer doesn’t mean forever either: Ground Beef: 2-3 months and Steaks and Roasts: 6-12 months.
Safeway cuts all their meat on site to guarantee freshness and quality. What is in the store depends on what the customers are asking for. They shop based on what you want so speak up.
My visit with Mike greatly encouraged me to be more creative and adventurous with the cuts of beef I select for the family. Visit the Canada Beef site and the Canada Safeway site for lots of ideas and information about our cattle.
Disclosure: I was compensated and received special access to experts and information in order to do this review.
Opinions are my own.
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