Selecting The Best Return to Meat Menu Page Product Dating: Product dating, applying "sell by" or "use by" dates, is not required by federal regulations. However, many stores and processors may voluntarily choose to date packages of raw meat. Use or freeze products with a "sell by" date within three to five days of purchase. If the manufacturer has determined a "use by" date, observe it. It’s always best to buy a product before its date expires. It’s not important if a date expires after freezing meat, because all foods stay safe while properly frozen. Fresh is Best: Choose meat that is bright red in color from the fresh meat case. Vacuum packaged meat will be maroon because it has not been exposed to oxygen. Choose meat that is firm to the touch. Look for packages that are cool to the touch, have no wear or punctures, and little or no excess liquid. Always check the "sell-by" date. "Loin" and "rib" are clues that the meat is a more tender cut. "Chuck", "round" and "flank" indicate a less tender cut. Less tender cuts will require marinating or a slower, moist cooking method. Purchase raw meats last. Make sure all meats, whether raw, pre-packaged or from the deli, are refrigerated when purchased. Fresh meats may contaminate other grocery items. The best way to prevent this cross-contamination is to always keep fresh meats from other items. Put raw meat packages in a plastic bag so juices won’t drip onto other foods. Pack raw meats in an ice chest if it will take you more than an hour to get home, and keep the ice chest in the passenger area of the car during warm weather. Take meats straight home to the refrigerator or freezer. The Best Cuts of Beef for Pressuring Cooking Beef and Veal Prime grade - is produced from young, well-fed beef cattle. It has abundant marbling and is generally sold in restaurants and hotels. Prime roasts and steaks are excellent for dry-heat cooking (i.e., roasting, broiling, and grilling). · Choice grade - is high quality, but has less marbling than Prime. Choice roasts and steaks from the loin and rib will be very tender, juicy, and flavorful and are, like Prime, suited to dry-heat cooking. Many of the less tender cuts, such as those from the rump, round, and blade chuck, can also be cooked with dry heat, but be careful not to overcook them. Using a meat thermometer takes the guesswork out of cooking and assures a safe internal temperature: 145 ° F is medium rare; 160 ° F, medium; and 170 ° F, well done. · Select grade - is very uniform in quality and normally leaner than the higher grades. It is fairly tender, but, because it has less marbling, it may lack some of the juiciness and flavor of the higher grades. Only the tender cuts (loin, rib, sirloin) should be cooked with dry heat. Other cuts should be marinated before cooking or cooked with moisture to obtain maximum tenderness and flavor. · Standard and Commercial grades – frequently are sold as ungraded or as "store brand" meat. · Utility, Cutter, and Canner grades - are seldom, if ever, sold at retail but are used instead to make ground beef and processed products. There are five grades for Veal/Calf: prime, choice, good, standard, and utility.  Prime and choice grades are juicier and more flavorful than the lower grades. Because of the young age of the animals, the meat will be a light grayish-pink to light pink, fairly firm and velvety. The bones are small, soft, and quite red. Cuts such as chops can be cooked by the dry-heat method of grilling or broiling. Choice, good, standard are best for Pressure Cooking. The Best Cuts of Pork and Ham for Pressuring Cooking Pork and Ham Pork is not graded with USDA quality grades as it is generally produced from young animals that have been bred and fed to produce more uniformly tender meat. Appearance is an important guide in buying fresh pork. Look for cuts with a relatively small amount of fat over the outside and with meat that is firm and grayish pink in color. For best flavor and tenderness, meat should have a small amount of marbling. Pork's consistency makes it suitable for a variety of cooking styles. Chops can be prepared by pan broiling, grilling, baking, braising, or sautéing. Ribs can be braised, roasted, or grilled. Slow cooking yields the most tender and flavorful results. Tenderloins are considered to be the most tender and tasty cut of pork. Best for Pressure Cooking. The Best Cuts of Lamb for Pressuring Cooking Lamb and Mutton There are five grades for lamb. Normally only two grades are found at the retail level -- prime and choice. Lower grades of lamb and mutton (meat from older sheep) -- good, utility, and cull -- are seldom marked with the grade. Lamb is produced from animals less than a year old. Since the quality of lamb varies according to the age of the animal, it is advisable to buy lamb that has been USDA graded. Prime grade - is very high in tenderness, juiciness, and flavor. Its marbling enhances both flavor and juiciness. Choice grade - has slightly less marbling than prime, but still is of very high quality. Most cuts of prime and choice grade lamb (chops, roasts, shoulder cuts, and leg) are tender and can be cooked by the dry-heat methods (broiling, roasting, or grilling). The less tender cuts -- breast, riblets, neck, and shank -- can be cooked slowly by the moist-heat method (braising) to make them more tender. Best for Pressure Cooking. The Best Cuts of Poultry for Pressuring Cooking The USDA grades for poultry are A, B, and C. Grade A is the highest quality and the only grade that is likely to be seen at the retail level. This grade indicates that the poultry products are virtually free from defects such as bruises, discolorations, and feathers. Bone-in products have no broken bones. For whole birds and parts with the skin on, there are no tears in the skin or exposed flesh that could dry out during cooking, and there is a good covering of fat under the skin. Also, whole birds and parts will be fully fleshed and meaty. Best for Pressure Cooking. · Grades B and C poultry are usually used in further-processed products where the poultry meat is cut up, chopped, or ground. If sold at retail, they are usually not grade identified.