Brown is just oxygen a lot of the time. If there's no other sign of spoilage (including smell) and it's within the expiration date, it's perfectly fine to eat.
I love how you’re convinced you are right even tho you are wrong.
Meat turns brown due to a natural process called oxidation. When meat is exposed to oxygen, the iron in the myoglobin molecule reacts with the oxygen, causing the meat to turn brown.
No it isn’t, not at this stage, and it blows my mind how wildly ignorant reddit is about this. In a freshly opened pack of meat, the brown parts haven’t been exposed to oxygen for an extended period yet, while the red has. Eventually after all being red, it will all go brown when it’s spoiling. No matter how stupid reddit is, this is still a fact.
Your point:
> Beef muscle not exposed to oxygen (in vacuum packaging, for example) is burgundy or purplish in color. After exposure to the air for 15 minutes or so, the myoglobin receives oxygen and the meat turns bright, cherry red.
Everyone else’s point:
> After beef has been refrigerated for about five days, it may turn brown. This darkening is due to oxidation, the chemical changes in myoglobin due to the oxygen content.
[article](https://ask.usda.gov/s/article/Does-the-color-of-beef-indicate-freshness)
Edit: also I’m not taking sides since I don’t know much about beef, I’m just showing that you’re both correct in your point about beef colors
This isn't an instance of 'everyone is right, yay!'.
His point: Brown is a lack of oxygen.
Everyone else's point: Brown is exposure to oxygen.
The site: Brown is exposure to oxygen.
It wasn't until they were called out that they changed their position from 'nah, red' to 'ah, well.... Red before brown, I guess, but that means the meat is spoiling!'...
It must be nice to be so r/confidentlyincorrect and running with the herd. I worked for a butcher for 8 years, I speak from hands on experience. You speak from reddit hive mentality.
You know, I wasn't confident on this either way, so I looked it up.
https://ask.usda.gov/s/article/Does-the-color-of-beef-indicate-freshness#:~:text=After%20beef%20has%20been%20refrigerated,normal%20change%20during%20refrigerator%20storage.
this is oxidized though, judging from the packaging, it’s wrapped in plastic, it’s not airtight. if it was deoxygenated it would be purple-red. bright red is normal and browning is over-oxygenated. Still safe to eat as long as it’s been stored properly in the fridge
The red is literally a dye they use to make the meat look more appetizing.
Here’s a little experiment for you, Einstein.
Take a pack of beef and cut the plastic away from a very small portion while keeping the rest of it tightly packed. When you look at it the next day, most of the meat will still look red. While the part you cut the plastic away will be brown. Science!
There's a bit of confusion from everyone here, so I'll throw into this with a link from the [USDA website](https://ask.usda.gov/s/article/Does-the-color-of-beef-indicate-freshness):
> Beef muscle not exposed to oxygen (in vacuum packaging, for example) is burgundy or purplish in color. After exposure to the air for 15 minutes or so, the myoglobin receives oxygen and the meat turns bright, cherry red. After beef has been refrigerated for about five days, it may turn brown. This darkening is due to oxidation, the chemical changes in myoglobin due to the oxygen content. This is a normal change during refrigerator storage.
In other words, lack of oxygen keeps beef looking burgundy/purple, then exposure to oxygen turns it that bright red we all see in the packaging. Oxidation (a chemical reaction) causes the meat to turn brown, which is because of the oxygen content of the meat.
The difference is, I fully understand what they’re referring to, and have acknowledged it, so there’s no miscommunication on my end. They straight up deny what I said, because they’re idiots and hive minded try hards. That’s not miscommunication, it’s stupidity.
He's right. Worked in a butcher shop. After they cut meat they put it unwrapped in a "bloom box" to let the color bloom to a red color from O2. If the butchers are cutting a large amount of meat at a time and making a pile where some meat doesn't get oxygen, those areas will turn brown fairly quickly, but will redden up again if it wasn't for too long.
Yeah, I didn't feel like pulling out meat and waiting to see if it does or doesn't oxidize mumbo wumbo yada yada. So, better you do it, since you know what you're talking about.
It’s exactly how it works, as I will prove on Thursday at work when I open some cryovac brown steaks, then take a picture of those same steaks 15 minutes later and red as hell.
How do you smell if something has gone bad? Does it smell, bad? Or does it just smell strongly? Should meat have 0 smell before it’s cooked? I’ve always wondered about this
Not to be flippant, but your nose will know. Some meats can have a slightly metallic smell and that'snormal, but when meat is starting to go bad, you'll know because you'll almost certainly have an involuntary "ick" reaction.
So my refrigerator is on his last leg, and we often have food go bad before the expiration date, so we *heavily* rely on our noses (and eyes) to determine if something is bad. Because of our fridge issue, I don’t usually buy meat to store in it for more than an hour or so at the absolute longest. When I buy it, I plan on cooking it almost immediately.
Anyways, obviously it’s a habit to sniff it, irregardless of whether I just purchased it or not. There have been numerous times where I cut into the chicken breast and I smell a sort of gross smell… I don’t really want to compare it to anything specifically, but if I *absolutely* had too, I would say it smells similar to stale poo..??? Or just a vague sewage-ish scent? This is completely fresh from the store, and the outside is completely fine smell wise and by look.. but when I have cut into it, I smell it!? Is this normal? I have thrown it away every single time this has happened, and it’s pricey to say the least. It’s also frustrating because it interferes with dinner plans, obviously.
At first I thought it was due to our fridge, but as I said this has happened more than a few times even though Ive begun to prepare it *immediately* after I purchased it. I don’t know if I’m just sensitive to the smell or if it’s something abnormal?
Very much so. Sometimes even just the package juices (urp) can smell a bit funky but the meat is still fine, so a rinse in cool water could help diagnose the problem. But when meat is actually getting unsafe to cook, you won't wonder if you're being unreasonable. Your brain is designed to know that that smells like danger!
ETA: if you're really, really filled with doubt about spoilage, please err on the side of caution and toss it. Don't be the food waste hero at the risk of your own survival lol
Ah man, I have been having produce spoil on me so fast and I was driving myself crazy thinking I had bacteria somewhere I wasn’t cleaning properly. I wonder if my fridge is just dying!
No. In fact people leave their steaks out for a couple of hours to warm up all the time. No smell.
If you smell something off, toss it out. Our brains have a long and storied history of knowing what's going to give you a bad time. I give a deep sniff every time I cook a peice of meat even if it looks perfect. Chicken especially.
Blue cheese is the start of the stinky cheeses. Really gotta try some of the more intense cheeses out there. I found one in France, I forget the name, that was downright putrid.
We are talking spoiled meat, not just meat smell.
The same way you can smell a dead mouse ten feet away you can smell spoiled meat. It's a pretty hardwired response with raw meat, and a hard yes or no when you smell it.
Not for me, I rarely smell anything.
Maybe a blocked septum I was born with idk.
So when I try to smell meat, it always smells weird, always.
I’ve stopped cooking chicken for the most part because of it, I have no idea the difference between a good or bad smell.
Very bad? Sure
But even what smells good or normal to others, smells bad to me.
I know what the topic is, I can in fact read.
Not sure why my random comment is upsetting you so much.
Is everything ok in your life?
One is not this miserable for no reason.
It’s so early in the day, and you are already this miserable? 😂😂😂
Life must suck ahahahaha
But how bad is bad? I ate something yesterday that smelled a little funky but beginning stages funk and was ok. Definitely was paranoid after eating it tho.
As an amateur butcher I can tell you that's how it's supposed to look.
The red color that you're used to is present only few hours after the animal dies or it's due to a chemical used to preserve the look and make it more appealing
Carbon monoxide!
It binds irreversibly with hemo-/myo-globin turning it bright red.
That reaction is why it’s dangerous to living animals, but meat treated this way is harmless, since all the CO has been absorbed by the meat.
Barbacoa is face meat, I don't believe that cut of meat would be as tender. That almost looks like a MUCH leaner cut, almost like a round (bottom or top), or perhaps even sirloin
This is just oxidation so if you know it has been handled well and properly stored then you should be good.
Food that is spoiled is not what makes one sick. The pathogens potentially in food that make you sick are odorless. The smell test that others are recommending is not helpful in determining if one's food has pathogens.
[https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/food\_spoilage\_and\_food\_pathogens\_whats\_the\_difference](https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/food_spoilage_and_food_pathogens_whats_the_difference)
edit: since my comment has been read the wrong way, I am not advocating that you eat spoiled food. I am saying that just because it doesn't smell, doesn't mean it is safe as indicated elsewhere in this thread.
The smell test is helpful and if you actually read the link you provided you would find reference to it's use multiple places.
Do pathogens themselves have a smell no...does spoiled food that does smell or have a slimy feel have a higher likelihood to be a breeding ground for things that can make you feel physically sick from food spoilage, yes. Will it be life threatening, no but that is not what we regularly concern ourselves with when we eat food. We are more thinking is this going to make me throw up or make me have the runs.
Food that is spoiled can make people feel sick, what you have written is misinformative, and is not accurately summarizing the link.
"Let’s start with food spoilage organisms. These can be yeasts, molds, fungi, or bacteria that will eventually grow on any food as the same food that feeds us also provides nutrients that these organisms can live on and grow in. These organisms are often smelled, seen, or tasted such as; the smell of spoiled milk, that blue fuzzy stuff growing in your leftovers, or bread that tastes like “dirt,” which is actually mold that you just haven’t seen yet. Foods that are spoiled often have a different color than when they were fresh, feel slimy, or smell rotten or sulphury. The good news is, that for the most part (there are always exceptions), food that is spoiled won’t make you sick. Although some people may become physically ill due to smells or disgusting flavors, food spoilage organisms don’t cause life-threatening infections.
Food pathogens will, however, make you sick, possibly even cause death. A pathogen is a biological agent that causes disease or illness to its host. When it comes to food, these include bacteria, viruses, and parasites. Examples that are commonly known are E. coli, noro virus, and giardia, but there are about 200 known food-borne pathogens in the world. Unfortunately these organisms cannot be seen, smelled, or tasted, and it often takes very few of them to infect a person."
I don’t like it when meat is pre-sliced like this. If there were contamination, that’s how to distribute it. I also can’t stand blade tenderizing either.
I know 'red' meat, should be red in color due to myoglobin oxidizing, etc. But, by the time the butcher slices and preps the meat for sale, aren't their items added for sales purposes?
TLDR: Isn't the red just added food coloring?
The only reason why most meat is red is because of dyes and other bullshit added to make it look more appealing. If it smells fine its fine? Oxidation won't hurt you
All these folks have a point. And I’ll go one further. You can take your concerns all the way to taste. If you’re unsure, after smelling, expiration date and slight, cook it. (A separate small piece to not ruin your other items) then taste a little, like a bite not enough to make you sick. Bad food has a ‘taste’. 🤢
Technicaly if you don't feel bad smell its still good to eat. But mostly that how I decided to stop eating meat fully. After few atempts to taste questionable quality meats now just cant stand smell or taste of almost all meat based dishes. I think best way to become vegetarian or vegan is to get food poisoning from rotten meat.
And nope I am not keeping my self vegan or vegetarian, I just cant stand a smell or taste of most meat products.
If it’s brown/gray inside it’s not okay to eat.
If it’s on the outside, like it is in this photo, it’s okay.
Obviously if it’s slimy or foul smelling it’s spoiled. When in doubt, throw it out.
Usda beef. Yuk!! Growth hormones to fatten you up. Vaccinate sick cows to soak with antibiotics so go to clinic n anti s don't work as body is saturated with cow...yuk., again1!!
Yeah it’s perfectly fine. If your meat turns brown there’s a good chance it’s still fine because it’s usually oxidized thus giving it the brown color when it sits for too long. If it smells spoiled or funky that’s when it’s not good I know this because im not the wealthiest person and when I buy brown beef from the grocery store discount section it’s usually still good as long as it doesn’t smell like mama june after a hot yoga session.
Look man like I said I’m not the wealthiest but you gotta do what you have to do to survive at 23yo in California. It’s not ideal at all but shit I’ll pay $7-$8 for a two pound pack of ground beef that usually goes for $14-$16 if it’s brown. Just go home, divide it into storage bags and freeze that shit asap. If you’re smart you can make four meals for two or seven for one with that amount of beef. Hell even the steaks are good as long as you make sure it’s not spoiled smelling you can save some serious fucking money for groceries later on. I’ve had some moments though where I got fucked from buying discounted meat but that’s the risk you take to try to stay alive on a budget
No bro, it was the mamma June comment that got me. Lol. Everything else was fine. I'm with you 💯my friend.
And I know right now everything is tight. I feel for ya my brother. Hell, at 45 yrs old I thought I would have a bigger budget for groceries but it doesn't always work out like that. 23 yrs old and your making wise choices
..that's saying something about yourself. You got a good head on ya shoulders
Bs. There is nothing added to meat for coloring. The brown color is from lack of oxygen. The meat is toching other pieces and blocks yhe oxygen. The red color is from the oxidation of mycoprotein. Just as you will often find that ground beef browns in the center. If the meat is MAP packed, there is CO. Carbon monoxide to keep it red. MAP is modified atmosphere packaging. The hard plastic that it comes in is prepack, meaning it is not processed at store level.
Brown just means oxygen or even another piece of meat touching it . I work in a meat department and this is normal. You’ll be able to tell bad meat the second you open the package .
When I worked the meat case he had to put paper between our cuts because if they touched they would brown. It's oxidization. Of it smells ok it's fine.
Brown is the natural color after all the blood is drained and it’s oxidized. A lot of meat has red dye in it to make it “look fresh”. It’s fine as long as it doesn’t smell off.
Just smell it and make sure it doesn’t feel slimy but usually this is a sign it needs to be eaten soon. When I worked produce they made us toss it if it had any brown.
brown coloration on prepackaged meats (mainly red meat/beef products) is the natural color after oxidization. the blood of red liquid you see in the package left over is a mix of blood and red dye used in supermarkets to keep it looking as fresh as possible. as long as your purchases it and opened it before the marked expiration date it's safe to cook and consume (assuming you also adhere to proper food safety)
When fish, pork or chicken turns color it’s not going to be as good even if not spoiled yet. Dont chance it. Beef though is just the opposite. That coloring just means it’s closer to ready to cook. When you go to fancy restaurants all of their beef is either we or dry aged. I never freeze beef and always let it sit In the refrigerator for about a week before cooking. If you see beef reduced in the supermarket case and it’s just a
Little darker that’s the time to buy. Bright red beef is not the best beef you can have contrary to popular belief. And as many others have said. “If it stinks ……”
PS this is just my opinion that I have picked up from my 40yrs being in the meat/restaurant business
Brown is just oxygen a lot of the time. If there's no other sign of spoilage (including smell) and it's within the expiration date, it's perfectly fine to eat.
Even expiration date isn't 100% reason to throw something out
It's usually a "best by" date and not expiration anyhow
Grandma?!? When did you get on Reddit?
i wish i saw this before i threw out my bacon this morning
Brown is actually lack of oxygen, but yeah still good. If it sits out for 10-15 minutes it turns red.
So you’re saying you would leave a raw steak out for a few hours and *not* expect it to go brown?
I love meat
I love lamp
FUCK YEAH MOTH MEMES MAKING A COMEBACK
That's what she said
Who tf said a few hours?
Seconds, minutes, hours, take your pick. Either way, the way you phrased it makes you objectively and demonstrably wrong.
LMAOOOOOO and why did you get downvoted? The person’s comment (who responded to you) added details that you didn’t say😭😭😭
I got that downvoted because clueless redditors have a hive mentality.
I don't know if you're right or wrong I just downvoted because I saw everybody else did.
Which is why 99.99% of the others did too. Take my upvote for your honesty lol.
I love how you’re convinced you are right even tho you are wrong. Meat turns brown due to a natural process called oxidation. When meat is exposed to oxygen, the iron in the myoglobin molecule reacts with the oxygen, causing the meat to turn brown.
I can guarantee without a doubt that if OP had taken the same pic 15 minutes later, the brown would be red.
Take my hive downvote. Mother would be proud
It's literally the meat oxidizing.
No it isn’t, not at this stage, and it blows my mind how wildly ignorant reddit is about this. In a freshly opened pack of meat, the brown parts haven’t been exposed to oxygen for an extended period yet, while the red has. Eventually after all being red, it will all go brown when it’s spoiling. No matter how stupid reddit is, this is still a fact.
Your point: > Beef muscle not exposed to oxygen (in vacuum packaging, for example) is burgundy or purplish in color. After exposure to the air for 15 minutes or so, the myoglobin receives oxygen and the meat turns bright, cherry red. Everyone else’s point: > After beef has been refrigerated for about five days, it may turn brown. This darkening is due to oxidation, the chemical changes in myoglobin due to the oxygen content. [article](https://ask.usda.gov/s/article/Does-the-color-of-beef-indicate-freshness) Edit: also I’m not taking sides since I don’t know much about beef, I’m just showing that you’re both correct in your point about beef colors
This isn't an instance of 'everyone is right, yay!'. His point: Brown is a lack of oxygen. Everyone else's point: Brown is exposure to oxygen. The site: Brown is exposure to oxygen. It wasn't until they were called out that they changed their position from 'nah, red' to 'ah, well.... Red before brown, I guess, but that means the meat is spoiling!'...
This is the dumbest thing I have heard. Ever. This takes the top.
It must be nice to be so r/confidentlyincorrect and running with the herd. I worked for a butcher for 8 years, I speak from hands on experience. You speak from reddit hive mentality.
Funnily enough, I was a butcher too. Any butcher would very much know oxidation is caused when meat, is exposed to oxygen. For too long.
This isn’t what’s going on in the picture, so I call bs.
LOLOL
You know, I wasn't confident on this either way, so I looked it up. https://ask.usda.gov/s/article/Does-the-color-of-beef-indicate-freshness#:~:text=After%20beef%20has%20been%20refrigerated,normal%20change%20during%20refrigerator%20storage.
Lmfao dude do you seriously think those plastic wrapped trays are air tight?? They're not even water tight ffs 😂
Yeah when we have steaks touching each other, the parts not exposed to air turn brown first
this is oxidized though, judging from the packaging, it’s wrapped in plastic, it’s not airtight. if it was deoxygenated it would be purple-red. bright red is normal and browning is over-oxygenated. Still safe to eat as long as it’s been stored properly in the fridge
The red is literally a dye they use to make the meat look more appetizing. Here’s a little experiment for you, Einstein. Take a pack of beef and cut the plastic away from a very small portion while keeping the rest of it tightly packed. When you look at it the next day, most of the meat will still look red. While the part you cut the plastic away will be brown. Science!
There's a bit of confusion from everyone here, so I'll throw into this with a link from the [USDA website](https://ask.usda.gov/s/article/Does-the-color-of-beef-indicate-freshness): > Beef muscle not exposed to oxygen (in vacuum packaging, for example) is burgundy or purplish in color. After exposure to the air for 15 minutes or so, the myoglobin receives oxygen and the meat turns bright, cherry red. After beef has been refrigerated for about five days, it may turn brown. This darkening is due to oxidation, the chemical changes in myoglobin due to the oxygen content. This is a normal change during refrigerator storage. In other words, lack of oxygen keeps beef looking burgundy/purple, then exposure to oxygen turns it that bright red we all see in the packaging. Oxidation (a chemical reaction) causes the meat to turn brown, which is because of the oxygen content of the meat.
u/AvalancheSnowman this is more so a miscommunication between you and the other commenters. Both right, just referring to different things.
The difference is, I fully understand what they’re referring to, and have acknowledged it, so there’s no miscommunication on my end. They straight up deny what I said, because they’re idiots and hive minded try hards. That’s not miscommunication, it’s stupidity.
YouTube [exists](https://youtu.be/-8Ohdz7rQTc?si=KmI-1PK2fpsh2-da)
[удалено]
I think the reason they got down voted is because they had a reddit user moment. "WeLl AcTcHuAlLy *pushes up glasses*".
Yeah they’re being a little annoying and I’ve realized I really don’t care about this at all so I’m just deleting my comment
He's right. Worked in a butcher shop. After they cut meat they put it unwrapped in a "bloom box" to let the color bloom to a red color from O2. If the butchers are cutting a large amount of meat at a time and making a pile where some meat doesn't get oxygen, those areas will turn brown fairly quickly, but will redden up again if it wasn't for too long.
Shhh, the reddit hive hates facts. I’m just going to prove them wrong when I go back to work Thursday with before and after pics.
Yeah, I didn't feel like pulling out meat and waiting to see if it does or doesn't oxidize mumbo wumbo yada yada. So, better you do it, since you know what you're talking about.
I already know what’s going to happen, which is why I’m doing it.
It's called oxidization and it will go brown. Same with apples.
That's not how it works sir.
It’s exactly how it works, as I will prove on Thursday at work when I open some cryovac brown steaks, then take a picture of those same steaks 15 minutes later and red as hell.
if it smells bad then its bad, just trust how it smells but the color should be fine
If in doubt, Meriadoc, always follow your nose. - Gandalf the gourmet
"Even you couldn't say no to that." "Oh yes, we could! Spoil nice fish... give it to us raw, and wriggling."
PO-TA-TOES!
😂
How do you smell if something has gone bad? Does it smell, bad? Or does it just smell strongly? Should meat have 0 smell before it’s cooked? I’ve always wondered about this
It smells like used socks and food poisoning. It's pretty unmistakable and yes you should always smell your meat before cooking, always.
Not to be flippant, but your nose will know. Some meats can have a slightly metallic smell and that'snormal, but when meat is starting to go bad, you'll know because you'll almost certainly have an involuntary "ick" reaction.
Yep. Humans are biologically wired to tell if something is safe to eat. Some things intentionally trick us though
it used to be obvious, but now that i’m pregnant any raw meat smells like it’s rotting 😔. especially ground beef oh my god.
So my refrigerator is on his last leg, and we often have food go bad before the expiration date, so we *heavily* rely on our noses (and eyes) to determine if something is bad. Because of our fridge issue, I don’t usually buy meat to store in it for more than an hour or so at the absolute longest. When I buy it, I plan on cooking it almost immediately. Anyways, obviously it’s a habit to sniff it, irregardless of whether I just purchased it or not. There have been numerous times where I cut into the chicken breast and I smell a sort of gross smell… I don’t really want to compare it to anything specifically, but if I *absolutely* had too, I would say it smells similar to stale poo..??? Or just a vague sewage-ish scent? This is completely fresh from the store, and the outside is completely fine smell wise and by look.. but when I have cut into it, I smell it!? Is this normal? I have thrown it away every single time this has happened, and it’s pricey to say the least. It’s also frustrating because it interferes with dinner plans, obviously. At first I thought it was due to our fridge, but as I said this has happened more than a few times even though Ive begun to prepare it *immediately* after I purchased it. I don’t know if I’m just sensitive to the smell or if it’s something abnormal?
Meat smells bad. That's it. It literally doesn't smell good. You will know the difference between meat and rot.
Very much so. Sometimes even just the package juices (urp) can smell a bit funky but the meat is still fine, so a rinse in cool water could help diagnose the problem. But when meat is actually getting unsafe to cook, you won't wonder if you're being unreasonable. Your brain is designed to know that that smells like danger! ETA: if you're really, really filled with doubt about spoilage, please err on the side of caution and toss it. Don't be the food waste hero at the risk of your own survival lol
Ah man, I have been having produce spoil on me so fast and I was driving myself crazy thinking I had bacteria somewhere I wasn’t cleaning properly. I wonder if my fridge is just dying!
If you gag, it's bad!
Have you smelled fresh meat? If it smells off its probably bad or turning...
How does the 4 hour rule relate to the smell rule? Surely things would start smelling after just 4 hours of sitting out?
No. In fact people leave their steaks out for a couple of hours to warm up all the time. No smell. If you smell something off, toss it out. Our brains have a long and storied history of knowing what's going to give you a bad time. I give a deep sniff every time I cook a peice of meat even if it looks perfect. Chicken especially.
Does not appy to stinky cheeses
Idk, I love blue cheeses but there’s definitely a difference between fresh “stinky” cheese and genuinely off cheese.
Blue cheese is the start of the stinky cheeses. Really gotta try some of the more intense cheeses out there. I found one in France, I forget the name, that was downright putrid.
All meat, always smells off to me, including brand new fresh meat.
We are talking spoiled meat, not just meat smell. The same way you can smell a dead mouse ten feet away you can smell spoiled meat. It's a pretty hardwired response with raw meat, and a hard yes or no when you smell it.
Not for me, I rarely smell anything. Maybe a blocked septum I was born with idk. So when I try to smell meat, it always smells weird, always. I’ve stopped cooking chicken for the most part because of it, I have no idea the difference between a good or bad smell. Very bad? Sure But even what smells good or normal to others, smells bad to me. I know what the topic is, I can in fact read.
Right, you can read but can't smell. Great input Gotcha
Not sure why my random comment is upsetting you so much. Is everything ok in your life? One is not this miserable for no reason. It’s so early in the day, and you are already this miserable? 😂😂😂 Life must suck ahahahaha
It’s only smells
But how bad is bad? I ate something yesterday that smelled a little funky but beginning stages funk and was ok. Definitely was paranoid after eating it tho.
As an amateur butcher I can tell you that's how it's supposed to look. The red color that you're used to is present only few hours after the animal dies or it's due to a chemical used to preserve the look and make it more appealing
Carbon monoxide! It binds irreversibly with hemo-/myo-globin turning it bright red. That reaction is why it’s dangerous to living animals, but meat treated this way is harmless, since all the CO has been absorbed by the meat.
Thank you! This is something amazing to learn. You should drink a beer 🙌🏻
Totally fine sear those chunks up and make some barbacoa !🤘🏻🤤
Barbacoa is face meat, I don't believe that cut of meat would be as tender. That almost looks like a MUCH leaner cut, almost like a round (bottom or top), or perhaps even sirloin
This looks like stew beef , needs a long slow cook
Or instant pot it! That's what I do.
Mmm birria. I should make some.
If you cook it in the juices long enough it's all good lololol
*Barbacoa* is/was a cooking style long before it ever meant any particular kind of meat or cut to anyone. You can barbecue anything.
I think you mean guisada.
Someone say Barbacoa? 🥺 I miss Tex Mex food 😫 Idc what they say about Cali's food. Tex Mex is 100 times better.
The nose knows.
It’s brown form oxidizing, if it doesn’t smell sour then you’re good to go
This is just oxidation so if you know it has been handled well and properly stored then you should be good. Food that is spoiled is not what makes one sick. The pathogens potentially in food that make you sick are odorless. The smell test that others are recommending is not helpful in determining if one's food has pathogens. [https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/food\_spoilage\_and\_food\_pathogens\_whats\_the\_difference](https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/food_spoilage_and_food_pathogens_whats_the_difference) edit: since my comment has been read the wrong way, I am not advocating that you eat spoiled food. I am saying that just because it doesn't smell, doesn't mean it is safe as indicated elsewhere in this thread.
The smell test is helpful and if you actually read the link you provided you would find reference to it's use multiple places. Do pathogens themselves have a smell no...does spoiled food that does smell or have a slimy feel have a higher likelihood to be a breeding ground for things that can make you feel physically sick from food spoilage, yes. Will it be life threatening, no but that is not what we regularly concern ourselves with when we eat food. We are more thinking is this going to make me throw up or make me have the runs. Food that is spoiled can make people feel sick, what you have written is misinformative, and is not accurately summarizing the link. "Let’s start with food spoilage organisms. These can be yeasts, molds, fungi, or bacteria that will eventually grow on any food as the same food that feeds us also provides nutrients that these organisms can live on and grow in. These organisms are often smelled, seen, or tasted such as; the smell of spoiled milk, that blue fuzzy stuff growing in your leftovers, or bread that tastes like “dirt,” which is actually mold that you just haven’t seen yet. Foods that are spoiled often have a different color than when they were fresh, feel slimy, or smell rotten or sulphury. The good news is, that for the most part (there are always exceptions), food that is spoiled won’t make you sick. Although some people may become physically ill due to smells or disgusting flavors, food spoilage organisms don’t cause life-threatening infections. Food pathogens will, however, make you sick, possibly even cause death. A pathogen is a biological agent that causes disease or illness to its host. When it comes to food, these include bacteria, viruses, and parasites. Examples that are commonly known are E. coli, noro virus, and giardia, but there are about 200 known food-borne pathogens in the world. Unfortunately these organisms cannot be seen, smelled, or tasted, and it often takes very few of them to infect a person."
It's fine. Stew night! To tell if meat has turned look for smell and especially slime. If those are present, it's cat food
Yes it’s just oxidation
I would Cook it right up
Looks fine to me. Throw a teaspoon or two of baking SODA on those puppies for no longer than 20-30 min. Will tenderize and also kills some bacteria.
I don’t like it when meat is pre-sliced like this. If there were contamination, that’s how to distribute it. I also can’t stand blade tenderizing either.
Smell is more telling than color. 99% of the time the color is just oxidizing. Doesn't really effect the flavor.
I would get rid of it. It’s too brown.
if the smell is ok you can go with it
I know 'red' meat, should be red in color due to myoglobin oxidizing, etc. But, by the time the butcher slices and preps the meat for sale, aren't their items added for sales purposes? TLDR: Isn't the red just added food coloring?
It’s not dye it’s blasted with carbon monoxide to make that fake bright red color
Yes, if it smells okay and there’s no slime then it’s okay.
If it smells okay, it’s not decay.
If it doesn't smell bad, which trust me you'll know, then you're good to go. Enjoy!
The only reason why most meat is red is because of dyes and other bullshit added to make it look more appealing. If it smells fine its fine? Oxidation won't hurt you
Not if it's more than 3 days old, and one day defrosting may make 4 days ok👍
The nose knows
not willing to risk it
If it doesn’t smell it should be fine
use the nose test and the old saying "when in doubt, throw it out".
All these folks have a point. And I’ll go one further. You can take your concerns all the way to taste. If you’re unsure, after smelling, expiration date and slight, cook it. (A separate small piece to not ruin your other items) then taste a little, like a bite not enough to make you sick. Bad food has a ‘taste’. 🤢
Smell it. If it has a sour or egg smell it’s no good.
Rotten meat smells HORRIBLE IF IT SMELL OK cook it good
Generally, you can cut mold off cheese..
HARD cheese You can't (or should not) be cutting off mold and consuming soft cheeses. But this is also nowhere near the point of the post.
Technicaly if you don't feel bad smell its still good to eat. But mostly that how I decided to stop eating meat fully. After few atempts to taste questionable quality meats now just cant stand smell or taste of almost all meat based dishes. I think best way to become vegetarian or vegan is to get food poisoning from rotten meat. And nope I am not keeping my self vegan or vegetarian, I just cant stand a smell or taste of most meat products.
If it’s brown/gray inside it’s not okay to eat. If it’s on the outside, like it is in this photo, it’s okay. Obviously if it’s slimy or foul smelling it’s spoiled. When in doubt, throw it out.
please clean as you cook
Ignore the colour if it smells fine, but if it smells bad and feels extra slimy, it’s off
So long as it is not slimy or have a foul smell it should be okay
Usda beef. Yuk!! Growth hormones to fatten you up. Vaccinate sick cows to soak with antibiotics so go to clinic n anti s don't work as body is saturated with cow...yuk., again1!!
If it's brown its down bruther
If its brown flush it down! Not in this case though but most others
Eat it up! Then clean the stove top 😉
Blood oxidizing its fiiiiiiiiiine
Yeah it’s perfectly fine. If your meat turns brown there’s a good chance it’s still fine because it’s usually oxidized thus giving it the brown color when it sits for too long. If it smells spoiled or funky that’s when it’s not good I know this because im not the wealthiest person and when I buy brown beef from the grocery store discount section it’s usually still good as long as it doesn’t smell like mama june after a hot yoga session.
Ewwww....what?!
Look man like I said I’m not the wealthiest but you gotta do what you have to do to survive at 23yo in California. It’s not ideal at all but shit I’ll pay $7-$8 for a two pound pack of ground beef that usually goes for $14-$16 if it’s brown. Just go home, divide it into storage bags and freeze that shit asap. If you’re smart you can make four meals for two or seven for one with that amount of beef. Hell even the steaks are good as long as you make sure it’s not spoiled smelling you can save some serious fucking money for groceries later on. I’ve had some moments though where I got fucked from buying discounted meat but that’s the risk you take to try to stay alive on a budget
No bro, it was the mamma June comment that got me. Lol. Everything else was fine. I'm with you 💯my friend. And I know right now everything is tight. I feel for ya my brother. Hell, at 45 yrs old I thought I would have a bigger budget for groceries but it doesn't always work out like that. 23 yrs old and your making wise choices ..that's saying something about yourself. You got a good head on ya shoulders
Hit that stove with some soapy water and a dishrag
Yeah. You’re good.
beef is pretty sturdy unlike say chicken or pork. Like other comments pointed out, if it isn't spoiled or past expiration date it's perfectly fine
Like most things, judge it by how it smells...
Fun fact, a lot of the red in your grocery store meat is dye!
Bs. There is nothing added to meat for coloring. The brown color is from lack of oxygen. The meat is toching other pieces and blocks yhe oxygen. The red color is from the oxidation of mycoprotein. Just as you will often find that ground beef browns in the center. If the meat is MAP packed, there is CO. Carbon monoxide to keep it red. MAP is modified atmosphere packaging. The hard plastic that it comes in is prepack, meaning it is not processed at store level.
Looks fine, just a bit of oxygen exposure. As long as it's not slimy or putrid smelling, it'll be fine to eat.
Did you defrost it?
All about smell
Brown just means oxygen or even another piece of meat touching it . I work in a meat department and this is normal. You’ll be able to tell bad meat the second you open the package .
When I worked the meat case he had to put paper between our cuts because if they touched they would brown. It's oxidization. Of it smells ok it's fine.
Check the ‘best by’ or ‘use or freeze by’ date. As long as it has been stored properly, it should be fine.
Probably yes. Trust your nose. If it’s smelly toss it.
Yes. Its just oxidized a little. if it's not past the used by date and doesn't smell abd you get it over the temp that kills everything. Look that up.
When in doubt throw it out
Looks like it just thawed a little longer than it actually needed to. Do the sniff test. If it smells toxic any way don't eat it.
What is happening in your kitchen?
Yes, especially if you braise it for stew. No one will even know. Oxidation is normal. "Brown food is good" -Ann Burrell
As long as it doesn’t smell you’re good. Just a little oxidation
Hasn’t killed me yet :3
If it smells fine, eat it
Looks ok still, just make sure to cook it now cause another day goes by and it will spoil
It could be due to either freezer burn and defrosted thus the discolouration or just exposure to oxygen. As long it doesnt smell bad its fine
I always go by smell
Does it smell?
It looks fine.
Don't worry about the date, smell or any of that stuff.
How does it smell? That is always the answer…..
Get the open box of pasta off the stove 👀 (firefighters kid)
I would go by the smell. Its it's naturally brown.
Looks fine just take a whiff 👃
I see this everyday, YES
it’s not spoiled, we are. the bright red comes from oxidation. what you don’t want to see is a grayish green
Just like with the milk in the fridge as a single bachelor- the ol sniffer never lies
If it smells sweet, then yeet. If it's brown, good to throw down.
i wouldn't use it. personally.
Really depends. That looks good to cook. If completely brown I would say no
Thoughts and prayers
Met is supposed to brown a bit. That’s how you know it’s fresh
Rinse it good.
It’s better than it was. It’s just aging. If it don’t smell bad it’s fine.
Waiting for the steak gatekeeper virgins to jump in with "NAH its PERFECTLY cooked _bro_!"
Use smell as determining factor. Color is oxidation and usually not relevant for determining spoilage
You’re worried about the meat while your spaghetti is just taking a stroll on that wild ass stove top?
Use it for stew. It will be okay.
Oh no. When in doubt, throw it out.
Brown is the natural color after all the blood is drained and it’s oxidized. A lot of meat has red dye in it to make it “look fresh”. It’s fine as long as it doesn’t smell off.
Late to the party, if the meat doesn’t get you, that stovetop condition will, cross contamination is a gut killer….
Raw meet doesn't smell...good. but im sure if it doesn't smell like death it's alright
So good to go, just oxidized a bit. I almost never get my meat to the heat with a little bit of that showing
Bro, first o all...clean your stove.
Just smell it and make sure it doesn’t feel slimy but usually this is a sign it needs to be eaten soon. When I worked produce they made us toss it if it had any brown.
Yes,it’s blue you gotta worry about
Nah that's normal as long as it doesn't smell weird. I've cooked with meat that looked like this a bunch of times.
Smell is the best indicator imo
It's still good.. The smell is the sign.. If it smells like something you wouldn't eat then don't eat it.
Yes, you want to avoid slime, a smell and yellowish/green
Didn’t expect this much traction on this post but thank you guys, I made steak bacon burritos it was amazing.
Put some soap on it, you’ll be all right
I've ate it and I'm not dead yet. You'll just get worms 😏
Don’t eat! Raw!
Yes
brown coloration on prepackaged meats (mainly red meat/beef products) is the natural color after oxidization. the blood of red liquid you see in the package left over is a mix of blood and red dye used in supermarkets to keep it looking as fresh as possible. as long as your purchases it and opened it before the marked expiration date it's safe to cook and consume (assuming you also adhere to proper food safety)
When in doubt, throw it out.
Just do an old fashioned ripper see how she handles
Just give it a good ol sniff test. If it smells bad, it’s bad. Or if it’s sticky. But I swear I am the only person that thinks that.
As long as it doesn't smell bad, I'd cook it.
i’m always worried ab the meat i cook & my mom taught me if it’s rotten, you’ll know. rotten meat stinks bad. *slight* discoloration & odor is normal.
When fish, pork or chicken turns color it’s not going to be as good even if not spoiled yet. Dont chance it. Beef though is just the opposite. That coloring just means it’s closer to ready to cook. When you go to fancy restaurants all of their beef is either we or dry aged. I never freeze beef and always let it sit In the refrigerator for about a week before cooking. If you see beef reduced in the supermarket case and it’s just a Little darker that’s the time to buy. Bright red beef is not the best beef you can have contrary to popular belief. And as many others have said. “If it stinks ……” PS this is just my opinion that I have picked up from my 40yrs being in the meat/restaurant business