Both of these are ground beef but from two different local farms… Can anyone tell me why one has more of a deeper red/purple look than the other and also looks less meaty? The one of the left (better looking imo) was $8 a pound while the one on the right was $3… wondering if they used filler or something in it. Should I even eat the right one?
by unstablegirlie
11 Comments
What’s the lean fat ratio of both ?!
The one on the right is a lot leaner. It could also be grass finished which generally causes darker beef.
It could mean a whole host of different things. It could be a difference in age of the animals, improper storage or high stress on the cow at time of slaughter.
Different beef have different colours depending on feed, aging process (dry aging vs wet aging), as well as other factors.
Even more than that I would say the grind on the left is around 70/30 lean/fat and the right is 90/10. Some of the fat inevitably emulsifies in the meat which will make the colour lighter. I’ve ground different fat ratios in beef from the same cow and had noticable colour differences.
Source: I’m a butcher and have ground A LOT of beef.
Edit: looking at the photo again the one on the right looks loke 95/5. Very lean.
Fat. The difference is always fat. Marbling means flavor. Always choose choice or better when buying beef cuts. Color makes no difference.
One is raspberries
Left is beef right is pomegranate seeds 😂
Ground beef left. Venison on the right
Right is a little odd.
That color would indicate low fat fresh cut beef. It should actually be MORE meaty and is usually the more expensive ground option. Even the difference of a few percentages can add dollars to the pound. Then consider cost of local fresh slaughter and processing directly to your table.
Do you have a large local cow farm? Maybe they had excess that wasnt purchased by a large seller for some reason. Produced more than agreed upon, local butchers wouldn’t take excess, then sold at local shops cheap so they don’t take 100% loss would be the good scenario
Beef/Bison?
This looks like it could be a couple things. It could be the feed and it could be the fat but judging on the color and having seen this in many cows that came into the shop my guess is the one on the right either had less water than it needed on the feed lot or it was stressed out more than the right one. They are often referred to as “dark cutters” because of how dark red, almost purple they can get. It’s from high amounts of lactic acid in the muscles due to stress before slaughter. https://www.beefresearch.org/resources/product-quality/fact-sheets/dark-firm-and-dry-beef