(The newspaper online): The famous chef warns of scams that, in his opinion, mean that you have to pay for meat for water and marinade.
It’s easy to get fooled during grilling season. The atmosphere is almost more important than the food. The packaging is cool, says Eric Lelibeau.
He has over 25 years of experience as a chef and is co-owner of Vaaghals and Code restaurants. The outspoken chef has previously berated the industry for poor quality, including when it comes to pork chops.
Undoubtedly, the man is the one who deceives. We are easily fooled. You see it in the advertisement. Dad just needs to fire up the grill, stir fry a bit and drink a couple of beers. Then take all the credit, Lilbo says.
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injected with water
Lilibo believes that a lot of people don’t realize that some of the meat you put on the grill is injected with water. On many of the packages examined by Nettavisen, the words “water added” appear.
- On the Folkets chips we found at Kiwi, it says 7 percent water has been added.
- On the Coop grilled steaks we found at Extra, it says 8 percent water added.
It also says “water added” on the Rema 1000’s summer parts. But not by how much. But the meat was capped at 80 percent, so there’s obviously quite a bit of water added.
In the 14 products Nettavisen examined, there was up to 76 percent meat content.
Sprinkling water on the meat makes it easier to absorb the brine. Eric Lelibeau says he won’t make a better piece of steak.
In the form of a gel or gum
On the contrary, the meat is deteriorating, Lelibeau believes.
– It does something with the structure, it’s either jelly-like or like a little hard rubber.
He has no doubt why producers use water.
– Charging for water is a good business, and of course they make money by injecting water, says Lilbo.
– I’m not particularly fond of buying water, you can get it for free from the tap. I don’t buy meat, I just get a glass of water from the tap and drink it next to it, he says.
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Gildy: It’s about quality
Gilde has several meat products for the season, including smoked summer cutlets on beech chips. Gilde Nettavisen’s owner, Nortura, reported that it had been sprayed with water. Water makes up 13 percent of the weight. There is almost twice as much water as in First Price summer cutlets.
Why do you add water to the meat?
– It’s about quality. We add water because the product should not become dry and hard while heating. Pork chops are often seen as dry, as many people prefer to overcook them. By adding water / brine, we get a juice product, says division head Kjetil Nesse to Nettavisen.
– What would you say to demand that you pay for water?
– This is a myth and a phrase that is used constantly, but this is not the case, says Ness.
Our grocery chains are priced based on raw material cost and labor cost. In all of our lac-added products, we reduce the price per kilogram to the price of raw materials, he says.
Nissi adds:
– All processing leads to some labor costs, but we have no profit from adding water, says Ness.
Nortura also points out that it is the store that sets the price for consumers.
Not a Rolls-Royce
When water is injected into the meat, the amount of meat is reduced. But there can also be a low percentage of meat in ready-to-marinate products.
- The Lamb-Roasted Book we found at Rema 1000 contains 85 percent meat.
- Gilde’s Roast Flint Beef contains 84 percent meat.
- Coop’s Grill Perfect Baby Back Ribs contain 78 percent meat.
Lilibo isn’t enthusiastic about the ready-to-eat meat being sold.
Not worth it, if you ask me. Then you pay for the salty meat. And I highly doubt there is any Rolls-Royce in the marinade, so to speak.
It encourages people to make their own marinade.
Buy pure meat instead, and make a good marinade yourself. There are many good recipes on the Internet. Then you can get better ingredients in the marinade too. And then you know what you’re getting into. There can be a lot of strange things in pre-marinated meat.
– Making the marinade yourself pays off big, and the hourly rate for making the marinade is reasonably steep.
He rejects criticism
Nortura denies using marinade to increase profits.
– We are constantly developing good products that are easy to successfully make at home in your own kitchen. If we increase the amount of marinade or water added, says department head at Nortura Kjetil Nesse, it’s about making a better product, not something we’re making a higher profit on.
Is meat or marinade the most expensive to buy?
– The price of the lake is much lower than that of the raw materials, while the prices of the marinade are very different, depending on whether it is a marinade or an oil. Sometimes the price of marinating is higher, but again it depends on the price of the raw meat. Usually, the spice blends included in the pickles have a higher price than the raw material, Nessi says
This is how Extra, Kiwi and Rama 1000 respond to the criticism:
Extra: – People should be allowed to choose for themselves
– What’s important for Extra is that customers themselves should be able to choose what they want to put on the grill, and that what they buy is clearly defined, says Communications Director Harald Christiansen.
– Basically, we totally agree with Lilbo; Feel free to buy a good cut of meat, make your own marinade and leave it overnight, he says.
– But the world then is that many of our customers want good, quick and simple solutions, which are guaranteed not to dry out on the grill.
– As the chef himself says, the marinade helps the spice mixture to build up and absorb completely into the meat. It also contributes to the formation of juiciness so that the meat does not dry out when fried.
– We are proud of the grill products of the Grill Perfekt series, which have won a number of awards for their quality, so talking about seasoned products seems completely wrong to us.
NORGESGRUPPEN: – A better dining experience
(Norgesgruppen owns Kiwi, Meny, and several others)
– The way our marinated and summer cutlets are usually produced is the way this type of product is usually produced, and it’s quite the same across the industry, says Communications Director Kine Søyland.
We mainly add liquid because it makes it easier for the consumer to succeed in preparation. The liquid makes the final product juicier and thus a better eating experience, she says and adds:
– When it comes to summer chops, we have to add brine before smoking, otherwise the chops will be too dry.
Regarding spiced products, Søyland says:
– We added liquid to the product so that the consumer gets a better eating experience. A piece of meat will naturally lose some of its original juice after slaughter. To compensate for this loss of liquid, we add liquid so that the product is perceived as juicier and therefore more tender.
REMA 1000: – Quick to prepare
“Some products are natural, others are flavored with salt, spices and/or marinade, and are therefore quick to prepare on the grill,” says Line Aarnes category and purchasing manager.
– Adding brine will give the desired taste and give a soft and juicy product.
Summer Cuts is a traditional brined and smoked barbecue product, and is one of our best sellers during the grilling season.
– We also have many products in our grill range that only have seasoning added. Thus, there is ample opportunity for everyone to find their favorite.
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