A Cut Above?

     Most consumers are probably not aware of it, but some of the meat they purchase has been passed through a machine that punctures it with small, sharp blades.  The blades break up the connective tissue and muscle fibers to make cheaper (and tougher) cuts of meat more palatable.  it also makes tender cuts even more so.  The process is known as "mechanically tenderized" or "blade tenderized" meat, sometimes referred to as needled meat in business vernacular.

     But because the blades can potentially transfer illness-causing bacteria such as E. Coli from the surface of the meat into the interior, meat processed this way should be cooked to 160 degrees F, which is well-done, to insure that any potential bacteria is no longer viable.  Unfortunately, blade tenderized meat can be difficult to identify because the punctures are nearly invisible to the naked eye.

     Our government through the Department of Agriculture is on top of this and has published guidelines suggesting that all mechanically tenderized meat be labled as such with an accompanying reminder to cook the meat to 160 degrees.  But unfortunately in government fashion, these regulations do not become mandatory until January 2016.  Some retailers, however, are currently voluntarily labeling their tenderized beef.  But to be certain, ask your butcher if your purchase has been processed in such a fashion.

     The staff of Cook's Illustrated tested the effectiveness of blade tenderizing and compared tenderized top sirloin steaks and rib-eye steaks from Costco with traditional steaks.  They found that the blade-tenderized steaks were indeed more tender when all the steaks were cooked to a temperature safe 160 degrees.  But they realized that not everyone  cares to eat their steaks well-done.  So for those who prefer medium-rare meat on their plate they recommend avoiding cooking "needled meat" and sticking to the traditionally prepared cuts of beef.