I've been wondering what happens to meat between the slaughterhouse and
the meat counter. Why? Well, here in France meat tastes completely
different than it does in the US. It's stronger flavored. It's also a
lot tougher. Now, I'm guessing that the meat is often from older animals
here, since shops will often indicate that the steak is from a "vache" -
a cow, rather than a steer, and I'm guessing that maybe this is a dairy
cow that's no longer producing and so gets sent to the butcher.

But recently a visiting US friend brought me some meat tenderizer.
(Aside: I am amazed that this stuff can not be found in French
supermarkets. If ever there's a place it's needed, it's here.) Anyway,
not only does the meat tenderizer make the meat more tender, it also
changes the flavor. Meat cooked using it tastes more like meat I was
used to in the US, where I rarely used tenderizer. So, is it possible
that something like tenderizer is used in US meat before it gets to the
supermarket?

"Ellie C" > wrote in message
...
> I've been wondering what happens to meat between the slaughterhouse and
> the meat counter. Why? Well, here in France meat tastes completely
> different than it does in the US. It's stronger flavored. It's also a lot
> tougher. Now, I'm guessing that the meat is often from older animals here,
> since shops will often indicate that the steak is from a "vache" - a cow,
> rather than a steer, and I'm guessing that maybe this is a dairy cow
> that's no longer producing and so gets sent to the butcher.


That may well be the case. The US has vast amounts of prairie land to
support herds of steers, we have lots of grain and corn to feed them and
fatten them up before slaughter. We also have lots of chemicals tof eed
them but I don't know that it is an "advantage" other that profit.

Old dairy cows will end up in pet food or hamburgers, never a steak.

You can probably find the tenderizer under a different name, perhaps the
chemical name.papain, a derivitive of th e papaya plant. Papain acts on the
protien to break it down.

>
> Meat cooked using it tastes more like meat I was used to in the US, where
> I rarely used tenderizer. So, is it possible that something like
> tenderizer is used in US meat before it gets to the supermarket?

To my knowledge, nothing is allowed to be put on the meat once slaughtered
and only approved medication or food additives before. Some pork and
chicken is processed and injected with a saline solution, but that is on the
label.
Ed

http://pages.cthome.net/edhome

"Ellie C" > wrote in message
...
> I've been wondering what happens to meat between the slaughterhouse and
> the meat counter. Why? Well, here in France meat tastes completely
> different than it does in the US. It's stronger flavored. It's also a lot
> tougher. Now, I'm guessing that the meat is often from older animals here,
> since shops will often indicate that the steak is from a "vache" - a cow,
> rather than a steer, and I'm guessing that maybe this is a dairy cow
> that's no longer producing and so gets sent to the butcher.


That may well be the case. The US has vast amounts of prairie land to
support herds of steers, we have lots of grain and corn to feed them and
fatten them up before slaughter. We also have lots of chemicals tof eed
them but I don't know that it is an "advantage" other that profit.

Old dairy cows will end up in pet food or hamburgers, never a steak.

You can probably find the tenderizer under a different name, perhaps the
chemical name.papain, a derivitive of th e papaya plant. Papain acts on the
protien to break it down.

>
> Meat cooked using it tastes more like meat I was used to in the US, where
> I rarely used tenderizer. So, is it possible that something like
> tenderizer is used in US meat before it gets to the supermarket?

To my knowledge, nothing is allowed to be put on the meat once slaughtered
and only approved medication or food additives before. Some pork and
chicken is processed and injected with a saline solution, but that is on the
label.
Ed

http://pages.cthome.net/edhome

Edwin Pawlowski wrote:
> "Ellie C" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>I've been wondering what happens to meat between the slaughterhouse and
>>the meat counter. Why? Well, here in France meat tastes completely
>>different than it does in the US. It's stronger flavored. It's also a lot
....
>
> That may well be the case. The US has vast amounts of prairie land to
> support herds of steers, we have lots of grain and corn to feed them and
> fatten them up before slaughter.

I have read that French beef is not corn fattened before slaughter,
typically, and this of course makes a difference in the steaks.

> Old dairy cows will end up in pet food or hamburgers, never a steak.

I'm talking about France, not the US. Are you sure this is the case here
or are you talking about the US?

>
> You can probably find the tenderizer under a different name, perhaps the
> chemical name.papain, a derivitive of th e papaya plant. Papain acts on the
> protien to break it down.

Nope. Can't find it at all, under any name. It simply does not exist in
any French supermarket I have been to.

Edwin Pawlowski wrote:
> "Ellie C" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>I've been wondering what happens to meat between the slaughterhouse and
>>the meat counter. Why? Well, here in France meat tastes completely
>>different than it does in the US. It's stronger flavored. It's also a lot
....
>
> That may well be the case. The US has vast amounts of prairie land to
> support herds of steers, we have lots of grain and corn to feed them and
> fatten them up before slaughter.

I have read that French beef is not corn fattened before slaughter,
typically, and this of course makes a difference in the steaks.

> Old dairy cows will end up in pet food or hamburgers, never a steak.

I'm talking about France, not the US. Are you sure this is the case here
or are you talking about the US?

>
> You can probably find the tenderizer under a different name, perhaps the
> chemical name.papain, a derivitive of th e papaya plant. Papain acts on the
> protien to break it down.

Nope. Can't find it at all, under any name. It simply does not exist in
any French supermarket I have been to.

"Ellie C" > wrote:

>I've been wondering what happens to meat between the slaughterhouse and
>the meat counter. Why? Well, here in France meat tastes completely
>different than it does in the US. It's stronger flavored.

Your livestock doesn't bathe either....

Friggin troll!


---= BOYCOTT FRANCE (belgium) GERMANY--SPAIN =---
---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =---
*********
"Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."
Sheldon
````````````

"Ellie C" > wrote:

>I've been wondering what happens to meat between the slaughterhouse and
>the meat counter. Why? Well, here in France meat tastes completely
>different than it does in the US. It's stronger flavored.

Your livestock doesn't bathe either....

Friggin troll!


---= BOYCOTT FRANCE (belgium) GERMANY--SPAIN =---
---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =---
*********
"Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."
Sheldon
````````````

Ellie C wrote:

> I have read that French beef is not corn fattened before
> slaughter, typically, and this of course makes a difference
> in the steaks.

That's it. That makes all the difference in the world.

> > Old dairy cows will end up in pet food or hamburgers,
> > never a steak.

Or hotdogs or tacos or canned soup/stew or frozen dinners
or frozen potstickers or frozen spring rolls or frozen meatballs
or frozen ravioli or any other use where meat is used to flavor
something else.

Ellie C wrote:

> I have read that French beef is not corn fattened before
> slaughter, typically, and this of course makes a difference
> in the steaks.

That's it. That makes all the difference in the world.

> > Old dairy cows will end up in pet food or hamburgers,
> > never a steak.

Or hotdogs or tacos or canned soup/stew or frozen dinners
or frozen potstickers or frozen spring rolls or frozen meatballs
or frozen ravioli or any other use where meat is used to flavor
something else.

"Ellie C" > wrote in message
>
>> Old dairy cows will end up in pet food or hamburgers, never a steak.
>
> I'm talking about France, not the US. Are you sure this is the case here
> or are you talking about the US?

Yes. Can't speak for other countries, but we have enough demand for other
meat products that we can have the luxury of giving tough old cows a lesser
place in the food chain.

>
> Nope. Can't find it at all, under any name. It simply does not exist in
> any French supermarket I have been to.

The sumbitches are hiding it from you.
http://www.itdg.org/docs/technical_i...ice/papain.pdf

World trade in papain

The principal producers of crude papain are Zaire, Tanzania, Uganda and Sri
Lanka. Most of the

spray dried papain comes from Zaire.

The principal importing countries are the United States, Japan, United
Kingdom, Belgium and

France. Almost all the best quality papain goes to the United States.

Crude papain is used, in Britain, in the brewing industry for chillproofing
beer and lager. However,

the increasing trend for additive free beers initiated by other European
countries is taking effect in

Britain and so this market for papain is declining. Another use for papain
is in the meat industry

for the tenderisation of meat and the production of meat tenderising
powders.

"Ellie C" > wrote in message
>
>> Old dairy cows will end up in pet food or hamburgers, never a steak.
>
> I'm talking about France, not the US. Are you sure this is the case here
> or are you talking about the US?

Yes. Can't speak for other countries, but we have enough demand for other
meat products that we can have the luxury of giving tough old cows a lesser
place in the food chain.

>
> Nope. Can't find it at all, under any name. It simply does not exist in
> any French supermarket I have been to.

The sumbitches are hiding it from you.
http://www.itdg.org/docs/technical_i...ice/papain.pdf

World trade in papain

The principal producers of crude papain are Zaire, Tanzania, Uganda and Sri
Lanka. Most of the

spray dried papain comes from Zaire.

The principal importing countries are the United States, Japan, United
Kingdom, Belgium and

France. Almost all the best quality papain goes to the United States.

Crude papain is used, in Britain, in the brewing industry for chillproofing
beer and lager. However,

the increasing trend for additive free beers initiated by other European
countries is taking effect in

Britain and so this market for papain is declining. Another use for papain
is in the meat industry

for the tenderisation of meat and the production of meat tenderising
powders.

"Ellie C" > wrote in message
>
>> Old dairy cows will end up in pet food or hamburgers, never a steak.
>
> I'm talking about France, not the US. Are you sure this is the case here
> or are you talking about the US?

Yes. Can't speak for other countries, but we have enough demand for other
meat products that we can have the luxury of giving tough old cows a lesser
place in the food chain.

>
> Nope. Can't find it at all, under any name. It simply does not exist in
> any French supermarket I have been to.

The sumbitches are hiding it from you.
http://www.itdg.org/docs/technical_i...ice/papain.pdf

World trade in papain

The principal producers of crude papain are Zaire, Tanzania, Uganda and Sri
Lanka. Most of the

spray dried papain comes from Zaire.

The principal importing countries are the United States, Japan, United
Kingdom, Belgium and

France. Almost all the best quality papain goes to the United States.

Crude papain is used, in Britain, in the brewing industry for chillproofing
beer and lager. However,

the increasing trend for additive free beers initiated by other European
countries is taking effect in

Britain and so this market for papain is declining. Another use for papain
is in the meat industry

for the tenderisation of meat and the production of meat tenderising
powders.

PENMART01 wrote:

> "Ellie C" > wrote:
>
>
>>I've been wondering what happens to meat between the slaughterhouse and
>>the meat counter. Why? Well, here in France meat tastes completely
>>different than it does in the US. It's stronger flavored.
>
>
> Your livestock doesn't bathe either....
>
> Friggin troll!
>
>
> ---= BOYCOTT FRANCE (belgium) GERMANY--SPAIN =---
> ---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =---
> *********
> "Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."
> Sheldon
> ````````````
Geesh. I'm not a troll. I'm an American citizen who has retirede to the
South of France. You, on the other hand, sound like an adolescent twit.

PENMART01 wrote:

> "Ellie C" > wrote:
>
>
>>I've been wondering what happens to meat between the slaughterhouse and
>>the meat counter. Why? Well, here in France meat tastes completely
>>different than it does in the US. It's stronger flavored.
>
>
> Your livestock doesn't bathe either....
>
> Friggin troll!
>
>
> ---= BOYCOTT FRANCE (belgium) GERMANY--SPAIN =---
> ---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =---
> *********
> "Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."
> Sheldon
> ````````````
Geesh. I'm not a troll. I'm an American citizen who has retirede to the
South of France. You, on the other hand, sound like an adolescent twit.

Amazing. THey are indeed hiding it very well. I Googled "papain", using
google.fr, and restricting to sites in France and got absolutely nothing
useful - except the knowledge that there are lots of people in France
named Papain.;-) If France is one of the major importers of the stuff I
wonder what they use it for?

I then searched on "attendrisseur viande" and got lots of info onh
marinades, meat tenderizing tools and also the name of a product,
Tendrex, but only mentioned in an eBay listing for a beer mat with that
trade name on it. A search on the name led no farther. Bizarre.



Edwin Pawlowski wrote:

> "Ellie C" > wrote in message
>
>>>Old dairy cows will end up in pet food or hamburgers, never a steak.
>>
>>I'm talking about France, not the US. Are you sure this is the case here
>>or are you talking about the US?
>
>
> Yes. Can't speak for other countries, but we have enough demand for other
> meat products that we can have the luxury of giving tough old cows a lesser
> place in the food chain.
>
>
>>Nope. Can't find it at all, under any name. It simply does not exist in
>>any French supermarket I have been to.
>
>
> The sumbitches are hiding it from you.
> http://www.itdg.org/docs/technical_i...ice/papain.pdf
>
> World trade in papain
>
> The principal producers of crude papain are Zaire, Tanzania, Uganda and Sri
> Lanka. Most of the
>
> spray dried papain comes from Zaire.
>
> The principal importing countries are the United States, Japan, United
> Kingdom, Belgium and
>
> France. Almost all the best quality papain goes to the United States.
>
> Crude papain is used, in Britain, in the brewing industry for chillproofing
> beer and lager. However,
>
> the increasing trend for additive free beers initiated by other European
> countries is taking effect in
>
> Britain and so this market for papain is declining. Another use for papain
> is in the meat industry
>
> for the tenderisation of meat and the production of meat tenderising
> powders.
>
>

Beef cows are bred and raised carefully. Angus cows, the type that Captain
Carbon is traveling in, are solid black, polled cows. They are the most
distinctive beef cattle breed. Angus cows mature (are ready to be
slaughtered for meat) very quickly. They eat a great deal of grass and gain
an average of 1150 grams of mass (both muscle and fat) per day. A great deal
of their carcass is muscle, making the Angus cow an efficient producer of
meat. Angus cows are fully mature and ready for slaughter within one to two
years. New methods of breeding and feeding have produced younger animals of
market weight and quality. Meat from these animals is more tender and lean.
When a large group of cattle is ready for sale, their owner obtains bids
from meat packers. A packing company buyer visits the feedlot and looks over
the cows before making his bid. The owner makes sure the price is
satisfactory by listening to market reports on the radio and getting bids
from other meat-packers. When the owner and packing company agree upon a
price, the cattle is shipped to the company's plant.

At the Meat-Packing Plant:
Most meat-packing plants are located near the source of cattle. The largest
plants are located in Kansas and Nebraska, where most cows are bred and
raised. Most cows are, therefore, transported to the plants by truck or
rail. When a cow arrives at the meat-packing plant, it is rested and watered
before inspection by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
They want to make sure the cows are healthy and do not have any health
problems that could taint the meat. The goals of killing and taking apart
cattle are to slaughter each animal humanely, efficiently, and hygienically.
The treatment of the animals before slaughter and the hygiene of the meat
after slaughter is closely monitored by the USDA.

Meat goes through more than 25 processes before it is ready to be sold to a
butcher or supermarket. These processes are carried out very quickly by
skilled workers. Some cattle plants can slaughter up to 150 cows in one
hour. First, a cow is confined in a small pen and made unconscious by a
mechanical stunner. Workers then kill the cow by shooting it in the head.
They suspend the carcass of the dead cow from an overhead rail for the
dressing processes. In dressing, workers bleed the cow and remove its hide
and appendages. A fine mist of an acidic solution, usually vinegar and
water, as well as an alkaline solution called tri-sodium phosphate (TSP) are
sprayed on the carcass after the hide is removed. This process prevents
certain bacteria from attaching to the outside of the carcass. To complete
the dressing, they eviscerate the carcass. Workers then cut the carcass into
halves and wash them with high temperature water. This washing dramatically
reduces the remaining bacteria on the carcass. It is then moved along the
rails to a refrigerated room. Carcasses are chilled to 35 oF (2 oC) for 12
to 24 hours. At intervals throughout the chilling process, the carcass is
sprayed with a diluted chlorine solution to kill remaining bacteria. After
they are chilled, the half carcasses are cut into the forequarters and the
hindquarters. The parts are then re-inspected for wholesomeness by the USDA.

Cutting Up the Carcass:
After inspection, the forequarters and hindquarters are cut into smaller
parts. Workers use mechanical knives and saws to cut the large carcasses.
They divide the forequarters into the brisket, chuck, rib, and short plate.
The hindquarters are divided into the flank, short loin (Captain Carbon is
located in a loin muscle), sirloin, and round.


Packaging and Transporting the Meat:

Boxed beef is the method that most meat-packers use to transport large beef
cuts to butchers and grocery stores. The different portions of the carcass
are packaged separately. In packaging by the boxed beef method, these cuts
are put into plastic shrink bags. They are then sealed and vacuum-packed by
a machine that removes the atmosphere around the beef. The bags shrink as
the air within is removed; they provide a sound oxygen barrier that prevents
bacteria growth and spoilage. The packaged beef is then boxed and shipped
out to butcher shops and grocery stores across the country and all over the
world. Boxed beef has a shelf life of 30 to 45 days.

At the Butcher Shop:
When a butcher receives a shipment of boxed beef, he removes the cuts from
the shipping box as well as the vacuum-sealed plastic. He then separates
each major part of the carcass and begins to divide them into the beef cuts
which consumers buy. Captain Carbon is located in a loin muscle. This cut is
also called the short loin. It is the most tender of all the major wholesale
cuts of beef. The short loin's tenderness is due to the fact that the
muscles in this part of the cow (the middle of the back) do little that
could toughen them. Because the short loin is so tender, it is not difficult
for the butcher to cut. Using a large knife, he first separates the short
loin into two parts -- the tenderloin and the top loin (Captain Carbon is in
the tenderloin). The butcher then skillfully cuts the tenderloin into
tournedos and filet mignon steaks. The filet mignon (where Captain Carbon is
located) comes from the small end of the tenderloin. It is usually about 2"
thick and 2.5 to 3" in diameter. This is the most tender and most expensive
(~ $15 US per pound) cut in the entire cow. Because filet mignon cuts are
such gourmet steaks, they can usually only be found at butcher shops,
specialty grocery stores, and restaurants. After cutting the beef, the
butcher places the steaks on polystyrene trays and covers them with PVC film
(like Saran Wrap). This film seals in the meat's flavor and acts as a
barrier to oxygen that can cause the meat to spoil. The steaks are then
ready for consumers to buy.

"Ellie C" > wrote in message
...
> I've been wondering what happens to meat between the slaughterhouse and
> the meat counter. Why? Well, here in France meat tastes completely
> different than it does in the US. It's stronger flavored. It's also a
> lot tougher. Now, I'm guessing that the meat is often from older animals
> here, since shops will often indicate that the steak is from a "vache" -
> a cow, rather than a steer, and I'm guessing that maybe this is a dairy
> cow that's no longer producing and so gets sent to the butcher.
>
> But recently a visiting US friend brought me some meat tenderizer.
> (Aside: I am amazed that this stuff can not be found in French
> supermarkets. If ever there's a place it's needed, it's here.) Anyway,
> not only does the meat tenderizer make the meat more tender, it also
> changes the flavor. Meat cooked using it tastes more like meat I was
> used to in the US, where I rarely used tenderizer. So, is it possible
> that something like tenderizer is used in US meat before it gets to the
> supermarket?
>

Beef cows are bred and raised carefully. Angus cows, the type that Captain
Carbon is traveling in, are solid black, polled cows. They are the most
distinctive beef cattle breed. Angus cows mature (are ready to be
slaughtered for meat) very quickly. They eat a great deal of grass and gain
an average of 1150 grams of mass (both muscle and fat) per day. A great deal
of their carcass is muscle, making the Angus cow an efficient producer of
meat. Angus cows are fully mature and ready for slaughter within one to two
years. New methods of breeding and feeding have produced younger animals of
market weight and quality. Meat from these animals is more tender and lean.
When a large group of cattle is ready for sale, their owner obtains bids
from meat packers. A packing company buyer visits the feedlot and looks over
the cows before making his bid. The owner makes sure the price is
satisfactory by listening to market reports on the radio and getting bids
from other meat-packers. When the owner and packing company agree upon a
price, the cattle is shipped to the company's plant.

At the Meat-Packing Plant:
Most meat-packing plants are located near the source of cattle. The largest
plants are located in Kansas and Nebraska, where most cows are bred and
raised. Most cows are, therefore, transported to the plants by truck or
rail. When a cow arrives at the meat-packing plant, it is rested and watered
before inspection by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
They want to make sure the cows are healthy and do not have any health
problems that could taint the meat. The goals of killing and taking apart
cattle are to slaughter each animal humanely, efficiently, and hygienically.
The treatment of the animals before slaughter and the hygiene of the meat
after slaughter is closely monitored by the USDA.

Meat goes through more than 25 processes before it is ready to be sold to a
butcher or supermarket. These processes are carried out very quickly by
skilled workers. Some cattle plants can slaughter up to 150 cows in one
hour. First, a cow is confined in a small pen and made unconscious by a
mechanical stunner. Workers then kill the cow by shooting it in the head.
They suspend the carcass of the dead cow from an overhead rail for the
dressing processes. In dressing, workers bleed the cow and remove its hide
and appendages. A fine mist of an acidic solution, usually vinegar and
water, as well as an alkaline solution called tri-sodium phosphate (TSP) are
sprayed on the carcass after the hide is removed. This process prevents
certain bacteria from attaching to the outside of the carcass. To complete
the dressing, they eviscerate the carcass. Workers then cut the carcass into
halves and wash them with high temperature water. This washing dramatically
reduces the remaining bacteria on the carcass. It is then moved along the
rails to a refrigerated room. Carcasses are chilled to 35 oF (2 oC) for 12
to 24 hours. At intervals throughout the chilling process, the carcass is
sprayed with a diluted chlorine solution to kill remaining bacteria. After
they are chilled, the half carcasses are cut into the forequarters and the
hindquarters. The parts are then re-inspected for wholesomeness by the USDA.

Cutting Up the Carcass:
After inspection, the forequarters and hindquarters are cut into smaller
parts. Workers use mechanical knives and saws to cut the large carcasses.
They divide the forequarters into the brisket, chuck, rib, and short plate.
The hindquarters are divided into the flank, short loin (Captain Carbon is
located in a loin muscle), sirloin, and round.


Packaging and Transporting the Meat:

Boxed beef is the method that most meat-packers use to transport large beef
cuts to butchers and grocery stores. The different portions of the carcass
are packaged separately. In packaging by the boxed beef method, these cuts
are put into plastic shrink bags. They are then sealed and vacuum-packed by
a machine that removes the atmosphere around the beef. The bags shrink as
the air within is removed; they provide a sound oxygen barrier that prevents
bacteria growth and spoilage. The packaged beef is then boxed and shipped
out to butcher shops and grocery stores across the country and all over the
world. Boxed beef has a shelf life of 30 to 45 days.

At the Butcher Shop:
When a butcher receives a shipment of boxed beef, he removes the cuts from
the shipping box as well as the vacuum-sealed plastic. He then separates
each major part of the carcass and begins to divide them into the beef cuts
which consumers buy. Captain Carbon is located in a loin muscle. This cut is
also called the short loin. It is the most tender of all the major wholesale
cuts of beef. The short loin's tenderness is due to the fact that the
muscles in this part of the cow (the middle of the back) do little that
could toughen them. Because the short loin is so tender, it is not difficult
for the butcher to cut. Using a large knife, he first separates the short
loin into two parts -- the tenderloin and the top loin (Captain Carbon is in
the tenderloin). The butcher then skillfully cuts the tenderloin into
tournedos and filet mignon steaks. The filet mignon (where Captain Carbon is
located) comes from the small end of the tenderloin. It is usually about 2"
thick and 2.5 to 3" in diameter. This is the most tender and most expensive
(~ $15 US per pound) cut in the entire cow. Because filet mignon cuts are
such gourmet steaks, they can usually only be found at butcher shops,
specialty grocery stores, and restaurants. After cutting the beef, the
butcher places the steaks on polystyrene trays and covers them with PVC film
(like Saran Wrap). This film seals in the meat's flavor and acts as a
barrier to oxygen that can cause the meat to spoil. The steaks are then
ready for consumers to buy.

"Ellie C" > wrote in message
...
> I've been wondering what happens to meat between the slaughterhouse and
> the meat counter. Why? Well, here in France meat tastes completely
> different than it does in the US. It's stronger flavored. It's also a
> lot tougher. Now, I'm guessing that the meat is often from older animals
> here, since shops will often indicate that the steak is from a "vache" -
> a cow, rather than a steer, and I'm guessing that maybe this is a dairy
> cow that's no longer producing and so gets sent to the butcher.
>
> But recently a visiting US friend brought me some meat tenderizer.
> (Aside: I am amazed that this stuff can not be found in French
> supermarkets. If ever there's a place it's needed, it's here.) Anyway,
> not only does the meat tenderizer make the meat more tender, it also
> changes the flavor. Meat cooked using it tastes more like meat I was
> used to in the US, where I rarely used tenderizer. So, is it possible
> that something like tenderizer is used in US meat before it gets to the
> supermarket?
>

Edwin Pawlowski wrote:
> "Ellie C" > wrote in message
>
>>>Old dairy cows will end up in pet food or hamburgers, never a steak.
>>
>>I'm talking about France, not the US. Are you sure this is the case here
>>or are you talking about the US?
>
>
> Yes. Can't speak for other countries, but we have enough demand for other
> meat products that we can have the luxury of giving tough old cows a lesser
> place in the food chain.
>
>
>>Nope. Can't find it at all, under any name. It simply does not exist in
>>any French supermarket I have been to.
>
>
> The sumbitches are hiding it from you.
> http://www.itdg.org/docs/technical_i...ice/papain.pdf
>
> World trade in papain
>
> The principal producers of crude papain are Zaire, Tanzania, Uganda and Sri
> Lanka. Most of the
>
> spray dried papain comes from Zaire.
>
> The principal importing countries are the United States, Japan, United
> Kingdom, Belgium and
>
> France. Almost all the best quality papain goes to the United States.
>
> Crude papain is used, in Britain, in the brewing industry for chillproofing
> beer and lager. However,
>
> the increasing trend for additive free beers initiated by other European
> countries is taking effect in
>
> Britain and so this market for papain is declining. Another use for papain
> is in the meat industry
>
> for the tenderisation of meat and the production of meat tenderising
> powders.
>
>

Papain for "...chillproofing beer and lager".
I don't really understand this application. I did a brief search, and
still don't.
But apparently it "tenderizes" the yeast into smaller particles which
prevents a chill haze.
It also tenderizes insect bites.

Beef, beer, bee stings!
Kind of a wonder drug! enzyme?

Dave S

Posting with freaking TBird,
If they keep trying, so will I ;-)

Edwin Pawlowski wrote:
> "Ellie C" > wrote in message
>
>>>Old dairy cows will end up in pet food or hamburgers, never a steak.
>>
>>I'm talking about France, not the US. Are you sure this is the case here
>>or are you talking about the US?
>
>
> Yes. Can't speak for other countries, but we have enough demand for other
> meat products that we can have the luxury of giving tough old cows a lesser
> place in the food chain.
>
>
>>Nope. Can't find it at all, under any name. It simply does not exist in
>>any French supermarket I have been to.
>
>
> The sumbitches are hiding it from you.
> http://www.itdg.org/docs/technical_i...ice/papain.pdf
>
> World trade in papain
>
> The principal producers of crude papain are Zaire, Tanzania, Uganda and Sri
> Lanka. Most of the
>
> spray dried papain comes from Zaire.
>
> The principal importing countries are the United States, Japan, United
> Kingdom, Belgium and
>
> France. Almost all the best quality papain goes to the United States.
>
> Crude papain is used, in Britain, in the brewing industry for chillproofing
> beer and lager. However,
>
> the increasing trend for additive free beers initiated by other European
> countries is taking effect in
>
> Britain and so this market for papain is declining. Another use for papain
> is in the meat industry
>
> for the tenderisation of meat and the production of meat tenderising
> powders.
>
>

Papain for "...chillproofing beer and lager".
I don't really understand this application. I did a brief search, and
still don't.
But apparently it "tenderizes" the yeast into smaller particles which
prevents a chill haze.
It also tenderizes insect bites.

Beef, beer, bee stings!
Kind of a wonder drug! enzyme?

Dave S

Posting with freaking TBird,
If they keep trying, so will I ;-)

> in France meat tastes completely
> different than it does in the US. It's stronger flavored. It's also a
> lot tougher.

I know what you mean! I'm Canadian and like you, I now live in France. I
also don't like french beef very much. I've tried different hypermarché
and none of them sell good beef. It's always tough as a shoe sole and
the taste isn't grand either. If you want to eat good beef, you have to
buy it from a decent butcher shop. It's 3 times more expensive but it
will be similar to what you are used to.

a+

The meat in France is stronger and tougher likely because the cows have a
normal life. The reason that the average meat in the US is lighter in taste
is that the cows are fed corn instead of grass, and is more tender is that
their movement is restricted in their mass industrialization. Although, you
might not like the taste as much, it is much safer and saner way to eat
meat. The unnatural way that the us produces meat requires antibiotics,
which you will eventually consume. (hormones are also involved, but that is
another issue).

Please read the following to get a complete sense of the way that the
average meat is processed in the US. It not pretty, and you might just stay
in France to eat well or not eat it at all in the US.

This Steer's Life by Michael Pollan http://www.nehbc.org/pollan1.html
Michael Pollan (Audio)
http://freshair.npr.org/day_fa.jhtml?displayValue=day&todayDate=04/03/2002(script)
http://www2.math.uic.edu/~takata/som...tibiotics.html

Eric Schlosser (on fast food and artificial foods)
http://freshair.npr.org/topic_fa.jhtml

Claudia

"Luna***Star" > wrote in message
...
>> in France meat tastes completely
>> different than it does in the US. It's stronger flavored. It's also a
>> lot tougher.
>
> I know what you mean! I'm Canadian and like you, I now live in France. I
> also don't like french beef very much. I've tried different hypermarché
> and none of them sell good beef. It's always tough as a shoe sole and
> the taste isn't grand either. If you want to eat good beef, you have to
> buy it from a decent butcher shop. It's 3 times more expensive but it
> will be similar to what you are used to.
>
> a+

The meat in France is stronger and tougher likely because the cows have a
normal life. The reason that the average meat in the US is lighter in taste
is that the cows are fed corn instead of grass, and is more tender is that
their movement is restricted in their mass industrialization. Although, you
might not like the taste as much, it is much safer and saner way to eat
meat. The unnatural way that the us produces meat requires antibiotics,
which you will eventually consume. (hormones are also involved, but that is
another issue).

Please read the following to get a complete sense of the way that the
average meat is processed in the US. It not pretty, and you might just stay
in France to eat well or not eat it at all in the US.

This Steer's Life by Michael Pollan http://www.nehbc.org/pollan1.html
Michael Pollan (Audio)
http://freshair.npr.org/day_fa.jhtml?displayValue=day&todayDate=04/03/2002(script)
http://www2.math.uic.edu/~takata/som...tibiotics.html

Eric Schlosser (on fast food and artificial foods)
http://freshair.npr.org/topic_fa.jhtml

Claudia

"Luna***Star" > wrote in message
...
>> in France meat tastes completely
>> different than it does in the US. It's stronger flavored. It's also a
>> lot tougher.
>
> I know what you mean! I'm Canadian and like you, I now live in France. I
> also don't like french beef very much. I've tried different hypermarché
> and none of them sell good beef. It's always tough as a shoe sole and
> the taste isn't grand either. If you want to eat good beef, you have to
> buy it from a decent butcher shop. It's 3 times more expensive but it
> will be similar to what you are used to.
>
> a+

Sorry about the outdate link:
http://www.npr.org/rundowns/rundown....ate=3-Apr-2002

"Claudia Cornejo" > wrote in message
...
> The meat in France is stronger and tougher likely because the cows have a
> normal life. The reason that the average meat in the US is lighter in
> taste is that the cows are fed corn instead of grass, and is more tender
> is that their movement is restricted in their mass industrialization.
> Although, you might not like the taste as much, it is much safer and saner
> way to eat meat. The unnatural way that the us produces meat requires
> antibiotics, which you will eventually consume. (hormones are also
> involved, but that is another issue).
>
> Please read the following to get a complete sense of the way that the
> average meat is processed in the US. It not pretty, and you might just
> stay in France to eat well or not eat it at all in the US.
>
> This Steer's Life by Michael Pollan http://www.nehbc.org/pollan1.html
> Michael Pollan (Audio)
> http://freshair.npr.org/day_fa.jhtml?displayValue=day&todayDate=04/03/2002(script)
> http://www2.math.uic.edu/~takata/som...tibiotics.html
>
> Eric Schlosser (on fast food and artificial foods)
> http://freshair.npr.org/topic_fa.jhtml
>
> Claudia
>
> "Luna***Star" > wrote in message
> ...
>>> in France meat tastes completely
>>> different than it does in the US. It's stronger flavored. It's also a
>>> lot tougher.
>>
>> I know what you mean! I'm Canadian and like you, I now live in France. I
>> also don't like french beef very much. I've tried different hypermarché
>> and none of them sell good beef. It's always tough as a shoe sole and
>> the taste isn't grand either. If you want to eat good beef, you have to
>> buy it from a decent butcher shop. It's 3 times more expensive but it
>> will be similar to what you are used to.
>>
>> a+
>
>

Claudia Cornejo > wrote:
> The unnatural way that the us produces meat requires antibiotics,
> which you will eventually consume. (hormones are also involved, but that is
> another issue).
>
> Please read the following to get a complete sense of the way that the
> average meat is processed in the US.

Thank you for the link, I will listen to the interview when i have more
time. His method is very interesting.

As for the meat in France, I doin't think the beef they sell in the
supermarket is much healthier than the one in the US.

As i've said it's best to purchase it directly at the butcher shop. They
even have lot's of bio butcher shops now.

: The meat in France is stronger and tougher likely because the cows have a
: normal life. The reason that the average meat in the US is lighter in taste
: is that the cows are fed corn instead of grass, and is more tender is that
: their movement is restricted in their mass industrialization. Although, you
: might not like the taste as much, it is much safer and saner way to eat
: meat. The unnatural way that the us produces meat requires antibiotics,
: which you will eventually consume. (hormones are also involved, but that is
: another issue).

This is false, as anyone who grew up around cows (sic) knows. Corn
SUPPLEMENTS grass - it is prohibitively expensive to feed steers
only a diet of corn. Steers are normally raised on the open range
or pasture, and their diets are supplemented with hay or corn silage.
Prior to being slaughtered they may be fattened up on a diet of just
corn and/or other feeds, but the largest percentage of steers are
raised on grass. Their movement is only restricted at the time they
are fattened up prior to slaughter. Don't believe everything you
read.

: The meat in France is stronger and tougher likely because the cows have a
: normal life. The reason that the average meat in the US is lighter in taste
: is that the cows are fed corn instead of grass, and is more tender is that
: their movement is restricted in their mass industrialization. Although, you
: might not like the taste as much, it is much safer and saner way to eat
: meat. The unnatural way that the us produces meat requires antibiotics,
: which you will eventually consume. (hormones are also involved, but that is
: another issue).

This is false, as anyone who grew up around cows (sic) knows. Corn
SUPPLEMENTS grass - it is prohibitively expensive to feed steers
only a diet of corn. Steers are normally raised on the open range
or pasture, and their diets are supplemented with hay or corn silage.
Prior to being slaughtered they may be fattened up on a diet of just
corn and/or other feeds, but the largest percentage of steers are
raised on grass. Their movement is only restricted at the time they
are fattened up prior to slaughter. Don't believe everything you
read.