Thanks Dave, and Chef JJ.
Chef, yes I know. My biggest worry now, is how meat was handled/processed before it got to me. It didn't used to be that way.
Since our country went to big corporate companies processing, we lost our small butchers, when meat had much shorter times between killing. processing and selling. And we could talk to people locally about how which butcher/processor handled their meat. Heck, you may have even known the farmers that raised it! Using that info we could make up our own mind on who to use, and for what.
Today, we don't have that option in most of the country. It's a crap shoot now.
If I could raise, slaughter, and process all my own meat, I would, but I can't.
Then all I would need is common sense. Not gov't guidelines to protect me from today's commercially raised.processed meat. And the inspections ( when they actually happen) aren't always safe either. A few hundred bucks goes a LONG ways toward passing inspection.
I learned about inspections, from a building contractor years ago. A few hundred dollars left in a closet, would guarantee inspection passing. He didn't get to do that a couple of times, and got failed inspections. He called inspecting office in 2 days, to say violations had been corrected, but all he had done was leave the money in a closet, and make sure he was not in the room. He never changed one single thing. But then passed inspection. True story.
Today we are so removed from the raising. slaughtering, and processing, that it is pathetic.
I grew up on "Gut Barrel Meat" as my dad called it.
He called it, that to put people off, who looked down on him, or his job.
He drove truck for a company that gathered dead cows, horses, guts, and etc. from both farmers and meat packers They would process it into either dog food or soap, depending. They also salted and used the hides. Dad's place of work stank to the high heaven in summer time, and even in winter. Always dead farm animals, both whole, or cut up lying around. I still remember the BIG screw they would use to grind the whole animal into smaller pieces, which were then placed into open top barrels to be trucked to their processing plant in, or near Detroit Michigan.
It amazed me that such a large screw could reduce a whole cow into small pieces,
Anyone from Michigan, remember Valley Chemical or Wayne Soap company? Wayne Soap bought out Valley Chemical.
That's who Dad worked for until he retired.
However every week or two, he would be assigned to the gravy train route for a day or so. Picking up outdated meat from grocery stores or butcher shops.
And that is what we grew up on. The stores would separate the stuff that actually were safe for another week or more, and give to the drivers to take home. Outdated by gov't guidelines, yes. Safe to use quickly, yes!
We never ran out of pickled bologna. EVER! LOL
And many of times Mom would can right away a bunch of beef, pork, chickens and what have you.
She never knew when she had to can meat, until the old man brought home a bunch of something.
That was life in the 40's, 50's and even into the early 60's.
With 8 kids and a low paying job, I doubt we would've had enough meat to eat to be healthy, without this happening.
I know for a fact, that before Dad got that job, the family had many weeks of meatless meals.
One Thanksgiving, the bird was a Pheasant that hit his windshield!
While driving an old black pastor friend home, dad had complained that there was no way for us to have a turkey for Thanksgiving. Dad felt really bad about it. The old pastor replied, "Have faith son, the Lord will provide." At that time, Dad was not religious at all, so he just grunted. LOL
Shortly after that statement, they hit the bird. Family had Pheasant for Thanksgiving!
Sorry for my rant. But now you all know where I am coming from.
With today's commercially processed meat, would I be so trusting? NO WAY!
Peace to all.
Chef, yes I know. My biggest worry now, is how meat was handled/processed before it got to me. It didn't used to be that way.
Since our country went to big corporate companies processing, we lost our small butchers, when meat had much shorter times between killing. processing and selling. And we could talk to people locally about how which butcher/processor handled their meat. Heck, you may have even known the farmers that raised it! Using that info we could make up our own mind on who to use, and for what.
Today, we don't have that option in most of the country. It's a crap shoot now.
If I could raise, slaughter, and process all my own meat, I would, but I can't.
Then all I would need is common sense. Not gov't guidelines to protect me from today's commercially raised.processed meat. And the inspections ( when they actually happen) aren't always safe either. A few hundred bucks goes a LONG ways toward passing inspection.
I learned about inspections, from a building contractor years ago. A few hundred dollars left in a closet, would guarantee inspection passing. He didn't get to do that a couple of times, and got failed inspections. He called inspecting office in 2 days, to say violations had been corrected, but all he had done was leave the money in a closet, and make sure he was not in the room. He never changed one single thing. But then passed inspection. True story.
Today we are so removed from the raising. slaughtering, and processing, that it is pathetic.
I grew up on "Gut Barrel Meat" as my dad called it.
He called it, that to put people off, who looked down on him, or his job.
He drove truck for a company that gathered dead cows, horses, guts, and etc. from both farmers and meat packers They would process it into either dog food or soap, depending. They also salted and used the hides. Dad's place of work stank to the high heaven in summer time, and even in winter. Always dead farm animals, both whole, or cut up lying around. I still remember the BIG screw they would use to grind the whole animal into smaller pieces, which were then placed into open top barrels to be trucked to their processing plant in, or near Detroit Michigan.
It amazed me that such a large screw could reduce a whole cow into small pieces,
Anyone from Michigan, remember Valley Chemical or Wayne Soap company? Wayne Soap bought out Valley Chemical.
That's who Dad worked for until he retired.
However every week or two, he would be assigned to the gravy train route for a day or so. Picking up outdated meat from grocery stores or butcher shops.
And that is what we grew up on. The stores would separate the stuff that actually were safe for another week or more, and give to the drivers to take home. Outdated by gov't guidelines, yes. Safe to use quickly, yes!
We never ran out of pickled bologna. EVER! LOL
And many of times Mom would can right away a bunch of beef, pork, chickens and what have you.
She never knew when she had to can meat, until the old man brought home a bunch of something.
That was life in the 40's, 50's and even into the early 60's.
With 8 kids and a low paying job, I doubt we would've had enough meat to eat to be healthy, without this happening.
I know for a fact, that before Dad got that job, the family had many weeks of meatless meals.
One Thanksgiving, the bird was a Pheasant that hit his windshield!
While driving an old black pastor friend home, dad had complained that there was no way for us to have a turkey for Thanksgiving. Dad felt really bad about it. The old pastor replied, "Have faith son, the Lord will provide." At that time, Dad was not religious at all, so he just grunted. LOL
Shortly after that statement, they hit the bird. Family had Pheasant for Thanksgiving!
Sorry for my rant. But now you all know where I am coming from.
With today's commercially processed meat, would I be so trusting? NO WAY!
Peace to all.
Last edited:
