My only issue is the corners of the bag. Bags with curved edges would be great... their all cut by a machine anyway, just change the machine. I get stitching a circle would be hard, but this isn't that and this is really easy.
To funkmasterrex: I'm wondering what difference the shape of the corner plays in the functionality of the bag. I'm struggling to see any appreciable advantage in a radiused corner. Please elaborate. Thanks.
Syrups. You start squeezing and then the shit just gets backed up in a corner behind where you pushed; with a curved "corner" you could roll it easier and get more of teh syrupz. Bear skillz yo
Personally I subscribe to the schools that 1. Freezing meat- and especially re freezing meat... should be avoided as much as possible, and 2. Meat- especially ground meat, should be handled as little as possible to maintain the most optimum flavors and textures. (There are some exceptions to this having to do with the cut/type/quality of meat- dish being made etc- and while fresh is best- you ain’t likely to be able to eat that whole buck you took down before it needs freezing etc...)
So putting asides preferences and particularities- if you’re after efficiency- make “doughnuts” of ground beef and then flatten them like this so that you get a disk with a hole in the center. When you pull them out of the freezer you can toss them in the microwave and thaw them- the shape will make them thaw quickly and more evenly. Everything I just typed- especially the part about microwaving meat.... made me feel a little gross. So having applied science to a theoretical efficiency tip- I must now state my tips for better tasting meat to feel better.
When freezing meat- if you must...
1. Freeze it as fast as possible. Most folk aren’t going to have access to a sub zero flash freezer- but try to do the best to freeze it quick and cold.
2. For MOST cuts- do not re freeze the meat.
3. Try to choose cuts for freezing that freeze well. A couple major things that make frozen meat taste... like frozen meat- are:
A. The water in the meat swells and forms jagged ice crystals. These crystals damage the meats softer fibers. That and other changes from freezing can cause changes to texture and taste.
B. The metabolic processes in the meat continue in the freezer- just much slower. This is why meat eventually spoils- even in the freezer. Bacterial growth and cellular break down- interactions of enzymes- continue but at a slower rate than at higher temperatures. The colder you can stir your meat- the less these processes can affect it and the longer they take. When coupled with “A” from above- we can see that while some cuts can benefit from having fibers broken down- basically being “tenderized” by microscopic ice crystals- we generally don’t want to “tenderize” out meat too far ahead of eating it as the processes that releases are optimum for flavor within a certain period. The concentration of moisture when frozen also changes the overall profile of the meat as a whole and doesn’t allow certain metabolic processes to affect the entire structure of the meat.
Now- leaner cuts and meat tend to suffer more from water expansion than fattier ones. Of course- the less water in the meat- the better it will take to freezing. Drier cuts, or pre drying meat to a degree can really help here. Seafood is notoriously bad for freezing as most has a very high water content- and this is why most folks serious about food or seafood will turn away from frozen fish. There is a discernible difference to all but the most indiscriminate eaters in something like a fresh sashimi vs frozen- and well frozen vs poorly frozen is another huge leap there.
Traditional freezer bags aren’t generally the best way to store meat. You can do your best to get all the air out of the bag and help fight oxidation- but still not optimal. If you want to increase space savings and do your meat a favor- you can invest in very inexpensive vacuum sealing materiel for your home. It also does wonders for baked goods if you happen to bake- so it’s not just useful for meats. Veggies and other things can benefit from it too as can most of your frozen foods.
Now- obviously- how picky you are about your meat, as well as the meat itself plays a big part here. Freezing some ground beef isn’t the same as freezing s fillet mignon. Meats that start out with finer details and pronounced textures will be much more affected by “small” abuse than less delicate or complex meats. But- most folks have had (hopefully..) at least one burger that was so justify and tender and... amazing- and wondered why they just can’t get those results at home.
Now- I may offend the true meat snobs. But... personally in my experience- paying $50+ for a “kobe” or “fillet mignon” etc. burger is something that people do who don’t know about meat, just want to be poofters and show off- or maybe .00001% of them are so gourmet that it makes some difference. But when you grind up something like a Kobe steak or fillet mignon where the texture and composition of the cut are major aspects of it- it’s like shredding up a $100 bill to make paper maché. The main thing that made that $100 bill worth $100 has been destroyed.
That doesn’t mean the the quality of the meat you start with isn’t important in ground meat- and if people want to get into it- what the animal eats, it’s age, how it lived and it’s stress and even its genetics can all factor into quality and taste- but talking about the ground meat most people buy or make at home- once you grind the meat things like how well the meat is marbled and all that don’t matter much since it’s all getting mixed into the grounds and one bite to the next no longer has to do with exact cut, but how it ended up mixed and served out.
But that doesn’t mean all ground meat is the same or will come out the same when cooked. You’ve changed the texture of the meat now that it is ground. If you are blindfolded with your nose plugged and served a bite of burger/meat loaf or a bite of steak you will know the difference between the two by texture alone. But part of how to get a good texture from your ground meat is in handling it as little as possible and not letting the flavor escape it.
Most meats can be put to the true test by serving them medium rare, with at most a dash of salt and pepper. Sauces and rubs and marinades and all that can taste great- and I’m not saying don’t use them. I’m saying that you can make a person THINK they just ate great meat- or “good” meat when it was total crap- by hiding the meat behind other flavors.
Condiments like mustard were more or less to hide the tastes of bad food or play off it. Meatloaf is a dish that often gets picked on. Some people grew up with it and love it just because it’s familiar “comfort food” and some people actually do make GREAT meatloaf- but it’s far more common that meat loaf is the maligned generic dinner that is suffered with heavy doses of ketchup and other strong flavors and sources of moisture to hide the dry and unpalatable mess that loaf would be if you took away the crutches.
You can smother a turd in enough BBQ sauce or ketchup to make it go down easy. Putting garlic butter and sauces and sautéed mushrooms and such on a steak can enhance your enjoyment- but the test of the meat and the chef is: if you took all that away and were left with just a slab of meat- would that meat be able to stand alone as decent? That’s the difference between a decent meat dish and the best one of your life- if it’s good with lousy meat and lousy meat work- how good would it be if you started with a base of well treated meat?
How hard is it to cook a steak in a pan or on a grill? Not very. It’s not like making a soufflé. The instructions are simple. A $10 cut will almost always be worse than a $30 cut of the same assuming you aren’t just being ripped off- but give a good chef that $10 cut and they will bring out the best of it and give you a meal you’ll love; just the same as a careless chef can take that $30 cut and serve something that will disappoint or maybe even repulse you. Using the same pans- the same stove- the same seasonings. Place meat on cooking surface. Leave it there for X minutes or to X temp. Flip. Set for serving. Not complex.
It’s the little things- how you handle the meat, when you season it, when and how you thaw it, did you pre heat your cooking surface for the result you wanted? Did you over handle the meat? Details make the meal.
But you know- if you eat your steak or burgers well done and beyond, if you’re throwing it in a crock pot etc- it’s not so important. When you intentionally “overlook” meat- like pulled pork- the collagen is going to turn to gelatin anyway. The texture is going to be mostly lost and the meat is going to break down. With dishes like that- the difference between world class and amazing is in tiny fussy details, and often most people won’t notice or can’t put their finger on what’s so great- but the difference between “meh” and amazing, isn’t so big with meat dishes like that. It’s more about seasoning and cook time than the meat or what it went through to get to the pot or over etc.
If you’re making processed meat products it may not matter so much either. Many of hear dishes were specifically evolved from the need to make unpalatable meats edible, or to be able to use/hide bad meat, spoiled meat, and cuts it parts that weren’t well suited for being a stand alone dish.
So of course- preferences vary and freezing meat is a practical matter and for many a necessity or great convenience. Folks raised on macaroni from a box may favor it to home made because that is what their pallets are used to- it’s familiar to them and they have memories and nostalgia attached to the way they are used to. But even if you are freezing meat, there are lots of things you can do to help preserve its flavor closer to fresh meat. Although granted that isn’t always a good thing or even necessary. So I’m not judging folks for doing stuff like this- just saying
That for those who are more concerned with efficiency- the “flat ground beef donut” will thaw faster and evenly in a microwave- and that those who want efficiency but also care more about flavor and texture can do things to help preserve those- like not doing this- when they freeze meat.
A mignon burger is nice, but there's no way in hell I'm paying $50 for it. Kobe beef does have a particular sublime flavor that comes with it; almost a sting... it almost tastes like Bison, but Bison is actually cheaper and has more of that sharpness. 100% agreed if you're just gonna grind up the meat and make a regular ol' burger, just get some chunk. How dare you even bring up "well-done". Well-done my ass, piss poor burn't to a crisp done. Blasphemy.
Lmao. Sorry I cut you off earlier. Saw what you did there. And yeah- some meat just has certain flavors- but like I said- I wasn’t going to get into all that- this would be even longer!
And I perhaps am secret; Heaven is high- High, and remote to see from thence distinct each thing on Earth; and other care perhaps may have diverted from continual watch... ...our great Forbidder, safe with all his spies about him, But to Adam in what sort shall I appear?
Ooof.
1. Freeze it as fast as possible. Most folk aren’t going to have access to a sub zero flash freezer- but try to do the best to freeze it quick and cold.
2. For MOST cuts- do not re freeze the meat.
3. Try to choose cuts for freezing that freeze well. A couple major things that make frozen meat taste... like frozen meat- are:
A. The water in the meat swells and forms jagged ice crystals. These crystals damage the meats softer fibers. That and other changes from freezing can cause changes to texture and taste.