Mainstream, boneless, enhanced pork loins (pumped 10 – 12 %) often sell for about a dollar less per pound than enhanced baby back ribs; probably because how difficult it is for the average consumer to keep ultra lean pork loins from drying out when cooked. If you care to see short blog post discussing modern mainstream pro… Read More »
Proven/best practices freezing is an important part of both modern meat processing and consumerism, but I still had a hard time getting motivated to write a blog post about it. This subject is almost as exciting as watching meat freeze. While freezing is indeed a boring and simple natural process, it does afford consumers the ability to greatly prolong the amount of time in which they can enjoy… Read More »
Sugars can be used in processed meats as a sweet flavor, to take the bite off salt, to increased caramelized browning during cooking or to feed lactic acid producing bacteria in fermented products. Granulated sugar was invented about 250 AD; at that time people in most areas of the world had only honey, dried fruits and berries available to… Read More »
There is archeological evidence that early humans cooked animal long bones in fires then crushed them open to dine on high protein marrow. During that same era strips of animal flesh were hung high above fires to keep surplus meat (jerky) away from animals (likely domesticated wolves) and to slow microbial spoilage. Apparently hardwired into our psyches… Read More »
In 1906 a socialist leaning writer published a novel with the intent of promoting socialism by exposing the poor working conditions of immigrants in large Chicago packing houses. Side note: to this day big U.S. harvest plants are mainly manned by recent immigrants. Upton Sinclair’s efforts didn’t ever do much to promote socialism, but he has been… Read More »