Who Thought it was a Good Idea....

To remove the bones from most cuts of meat, reduce (almost eliminate) the fat cap on roasts, and pack virtually all tuna in water rather than olive oil? I really hate this! I tried to buy a bone in fresh pork butt a couple eweeeks ago. Never found one after going to 3 large box stores. Wanted to buy a 7-blade roast for dinner today, every beef roast was boneless! The only place I can reliably buy canned tuna in oil any more is at a small Italian import store several miles away from my home (really good tuna, though pricey), If a pork chop is “boneless” (and lean), is it really a chop? Was there a survey and I missed it? I like my meat bones. If I don’t want them on my meat, I will cut them off myself and use them in my stocks. But, let me decide. What is going on in our meat departments? Or, am I missing something?

I won't buy boneless pork chops - they are almost tasteless. Chops need that meat and fat that's next to the bone along with the fat on the outside.

I can't find chicken thighs with the skin on any more (except for whole legs at Whole Foods). Sometimes just want to roast up a bunch of thighs with crispy skin.

I think it's part of the idea that fat is bad for you so you shouldn't eat any at all. Sorry, some fat is needed in our diets.

And for those who don't want the bones you can always https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooR8kq518xs

I agree, Jo Ann. It's hard to find meat that contains enough fat to cook without adding fat to it, and that Just Isn't The Same.
I'm fortunate to have a butcher shop that smokes its own bacon and ages its own meat, in only about a 10 minute drive. And the local supermarket, Oliver's, carries Rocky brand chicken and I can always get thighs and breasts complete with skin and bones.
Pork is always a challenge, and if I could find a source for real veal (not "baby beef" sold as veal) I'd travel a ways to get it.

That seems to be the way it is at most larger chain grocery stores. There's a small local chain that will cut meat for you rather than just make you take whatever is in the case, but for the most part you need to go to a real butcher shop to get things like boneless thighs with the skin still on or a roast with the fat cap still on it.

Sad.

[Jenise]

I feel your pain, Jo Ann. Did you try Freddy's? Went through the same misery just a few years ago wanting a thick 7 bone for pot roast. The ONLY one in town who still did that was Fred Meyer--hope they still do.

Tuna with oil: Trader Joe's, the olive green can. And it's olive oil--delicious. I use the tuna for the usual purposes and reserve the oil for my next Caesar salad.

I feel your pain, Jo Ann. Did you try Freddy's? Went through the same misery just a few years ago wanting a thick 7 bone for pot roast. The ONLY one in town who still did that was Fred Meyer--hope they still do.

Tuna with oil: Trader Joe's, the olive green can. And it's olive oil--delicious. I use the tuna for the usual purposes and reserve the oil for my next Caesar salad.

Hi, Jenise
Yes, FM is my go to store for most things. But, I find their meat department lacking in many respects. Perhaps it’s the Renton location. If you have another location recommendation I am interested. I’ve never shopped at Trader Joe’s. But their brand comes up quit often on this forum. Will definitely make them a destination.

...I can't find chicken thighs with the skin on any more (except for whole legs at Whole Foods). Sometimes just want to roast up a bunch of thighs with crispy skin.
I think it's part of the idea that fat is bad for you so you shouldn't eat any at all. Sorry, some fat is needed in our diets.....

I bought a family pack of 10 thighs with skin and bones at Aldi's a few days ago for 78 cents/lb. I slow cooked them on the grill with dry rub and served with Chef Carey's BBQ sauce on the side. Quite tasty.

[Jenise]

Yes, FM is my go to store for most things. But, I find their meat department lacking in many respects. Perhaps it’s the Renton location. If you have another location recommendation I am interested. I’ve never shopped at Trader Joe’s. But their brand comes up quit often on this forum. Will definitely make them a destination.

ARGH. Jo Ann, I just called my Freddy to see if they have them in stock or if I have to order one. Talking to you about it made me hungry. Well guess the fuck what? I just called. The conversation went like this: "No, just boneless." But you used to. "Yes, it's been about a year now that we haven't carried them." Can I order one? "I'd have to ask my boss, and he's not here."

Re Trader Joe's: there's good and bad. Dried fruits and nuts? Excellent. Thick white corn tortillas with a plancha char--best taco shell around and nothing you can buy in a supermarket comes close. Homemade, and peerless flour tortillas that have a silky, tender texture that is the closest thing a friend who grew up in Mexico has found to what her grandmother used to make at home. The aforementioned canned tuna. Tangerine juice that we go through two half gallons of a week. Excellent frozen Argentine red shrimp. Raw pizza dough--I always have a ball in the freezer. Organic fresh broccolini.

But I generally avoid their produce. The stuff in packages is gassed for extended storage life. I've had things mold overnight on getting them home. And this morning I read of a recall on some with the brand name Mann's I think it was. Considering the problems I've had, I'm not surprised.

I'm not a buyer of premade food, but I did buy a little tray of fresh green chile/chicken enchiladas a few months ago when I was temporarily crippled and decided to buy some ready-made help with meal preparation for a few days. They were sweet! So I tasted the salsa, was that it? Yes, some, definitely sweet, but not accountable for all. I tasted the tortilla. Damn, it was sweet too. And then the chicken filling--and that's where most of the sugar was. Threw them out.

But the gems are gemmy enough that I go once or twice a month.

[Jenise]

Oh Jo Ann--GET THIS! I just called Whole Foods Market to ask if they would have 7-Bone chucks roasts this winter. The guy on the other end sounded about 25. He was clearly mystified by my question and went off to check. When he came back? "No, we've never carried those, and that would be a pretty huge chuck roast. How about a 7-bone prime rib instead?"

ROFL!!!

Oh Jo Ann--GET THIS! I just called Whole Foods Market to ask if they would have 7-Bone chucks roasts this winter. The guy on the other end sounded about 25. He was clearly mystified by my question and went off to check. When he came back? "No, we've never carried those, and that would be a pretty huge chuck roast. How about a 7 bone prime rib instead?"

I know, sad right! And for the past couple years, the prime rib I’ve found is cut from the bone, then the bone is tied back on! I like that fat, juicy fat cap on brisket that melts in your mouth after 10 hours on a slow smoking grill over hickory or pecan wood. I have gone to Cash N Carry and Costco and practically sat on the floor looking through each vacuum packed package trying to find the right ratio of lean to fat. Good Luck! I have found the fresh pork butts at a couple large, well stocked Mexican grocery stores since pernil is still a staple at large gatherings and family Sunday dinners. Got to find me a butcher! This is getting ridiculous.

[Jenise]

I'm sure it goes without saying that he didn't know what a chuck blade steak was either. Sarcastically, I then asked if he knew that cows weren't actually born in cryovac.

I'm sure it goes without saying that he didn't know what a chuck blade steak was either. Sarcastically, I then asked if he knew that cows weren't actually born in cryovac.

Ouch!