Are ribs bought in bulk from the butcher supposed to smell different?

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delarosa74868

Meat Mopper
Original poster
Sep 17, 2009
153
10
Seminole, Oklahoma
Do butcher ribs and walmart ribs smell different? I just got a three pack of spare ribs from the butcher. I came home and cut the bag open. They smell...different. I thought maybe they were rotten but they have good color still. I know the walmart ribs dont hardly smell like anything at all. Im kinda thinking of tossing these ribs.
 
My brother just got a couple of racks two weekends ago that we cooked up and they reaked! Smelled rotten. We rinsed them off and they were much better. They tasted fine but smelled nasty when we first opened them.
 
Just rinse and air out, they will be fine.
 
Look at the color, if there is a grey tint or they are off color they're bad.
In any case, if you decide to cook them make sure they are completely done. Personally, I wouldn't take the chance, I'd return them.
 
It could be some of the liquid/blood that came from sitting.
Even though the meat may still be good the liquid can have an "off" smell.
If you think they are bad and can take them back that's what I would do, I have to take meat back every once in a while but cooking in restaurants for so many years I am picky about my meats.
Do they still have the smell after rinsing them off?
 
I trashed them. I had one in the fridge and two in the smoker. The one in the fridge stunk up the whole kitchen. I went to check the smoker and those two still stunk!
 
That sucks.
Did you cal the butcher and let them know?
I would definitely have tried to return them, especially if it was 3 slabs.
 
If they was in croypac, meats bought that way can smell a bit off, sorta sulphur like er such. Usually a good rinse elimnates the odor. It's a gas that the bag holds in.

Now if they still stink after ya start cookin em, I'd a took em back an slapped the butcher up side a the head with em. Sometimes ya just get a bad batch a meat, sometimes it's just the smell an will rinse off.
 
I noticed the fresh country style ribs I have been getting local have some what (blood) (juice) (hog sweat) fresh smell but not the same as cryo that I have been getting and smell like nothing at all. But if the smell was anything like you said when washed off they would go right back. These cook up very well. BTW
 
Yeah, everytime I get a batch of spares, I rinse & then sniff. If they are still reaking after a bath & an airing, I take em back & complain. I always either get a different batch or my money back. Remember, customer satisfaction is #1 with butchers & grocers. Don't feed your family, friends or yourself bad meat. Especially if you paid for them.
 
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