"Seasoned pork" [General]

2010 Feb 11
Has anyone noticed that it is getting hard to buy pork in a local supermarket that isn’t labeled “seasoned”. I find this unfortunate and it has been affecting my consumption of the glorious swine lately. I have tried seasoned pork and it doesn’t taste particularly bad, but there is definitely a discernible difference, and I try my best to do any “adding” of ingredients myself in the kitchen.

Is this the case all around town? Any reason why this has cropped up recently? I also recognize that buying directly from a farmer would eliminate this concern, unfortunately I can’t stop by a farm on my walk home from work when I am trying to figure out what’s going to be dinner, and I struggle with the concept of paying top dollar for a product and putting it in the freezer...a personal quirk I am sure.

2010 Feb 11
I suspect it's been 'seasoned' (possibly brined) to increase weight & resulting profits?

2010 Feb 11
spot on, Chimi. Ron Eade is always talking about it on his blog.

Tracinho i think it has something to do with the current state of the hog industry. Canadian hog farmers lose money on every pig they sell, and i don't think the US hog farmers do much better.

if you want to avoid 'seasoned' pork try a local butcher instead of the big box supermarkets. IIRC Costco has 'non-bloated' pork as well.

2010 Feb 11
Ron Eade is a broken record on this topic, IMO.

I'd follow Monty's recommendations.

2010 Feb 11
I'm not sure the weight increases enough that profit is affected as much as the price normally varies on pork. I suspect that they brine it for safety reasons (kill bacteria), to offset poor butchering and handling practises that might be less expensive, but increase the risk of infection... but I'm really guessing. All I can suggest is buy from the butcher... I'd suggest you ask your butcher for kosher meat if I thought you'd fall it... ;-)

2010 Feb 11
Pete: I'm inclined to agree. I've seen pork as low as 2.18$ to 3.73$ a kg recently, which is outrageously cheap. For that reason, I originally suspected there was something more to this than just adding weight to the product...why not just charge a little bit more for non-injected pork when the prices are so low to begin with? I particularly was wondering if there is a backlog of supply and this is a way to prolong shelf life.

I agree with you all that good butcher shops might be the "solution" to my lack of pork consumption, but I find my corner of centretown a bit underserviced in that regard. I walk, so that often means that during the week I shop where it is convenient and open past 5:30.

Furthermore, many (but not all) small butchers around town get their product from similar industrial feedlot operations that the big chains use, you'd be surprised what you find out when you ask a lot of questions...but that of course has nothing to do with the issue of injected meat, per se.

2010 Feb 11
Farm Boy usually has a good selection of Pork and unseasoned as well. I know that talking to the Store Managers in the 2 Kanata locations, they try to buy the Pork from local producers

2010 Feb 11
JDK: Farm Boy isn't exactly walking distance from Centretown.

Just saying.

2010 Feb 11
it's about retaining moisture too. notice that it's prevalent on chops which are so easy to dry out - you don't see 'seasoned' pork shoulder because it's so fatty.

Tracinho funny you mentioned the Centretown area is underserviced. my butcher and i were just talking about how many areas of the city are underserviced and how the Butcher trade is really a lost art. he's in talks with Algonquin College to start up a butchery program again (his late father apparently taught one for many years there).

2010 Feb 11
We've also been avoiding pork lately, due to the pervasiveness of "seasoned" product, along with the fact that most of the pork in the supermarkets now comes from the US of A.

Good to know that Farm Boy is an alternative, but like LWB, we don't have one anywhere close to us.

2010 Feb 11
Pork!
Totally work safe!

2010 Feb 12
One of the few "foodie" bonuses of living in the boonies is that we have great butchers (Dunrobin Grocery and Meats-awesome!) is great. We pay a little more but the product and service is incredible! Last night they cut up a chicken for me-same price per pound as chicken halves. Stittsville, Arnprior, even Pakenham have great butchers.

2010 Feb 12
what about all that cryovaced pork that's on grocery store shelves? is it 'seasoned' too or are these mutually exclusive methods?

2010 Feb 16
I've noticed that too Monty...from my observation cryovac-ed stuff is all "seasoned" but not all "seasoned" stuff is cryovac-ed.

2010 Feb 16
I have a handful of cryovac'd pork tenderloin from DuBreton that has not been seasoned. You can sometimes find these at Produce Depot on sale, or at Saslove's (where you'll pay a premium). Good luck!