The difference between sour meat and fresh meat

People who often buy vegetables and meat will know that many shopping malls sell acid-extracted meat, and the price is generally a little higher than ordinary fresh meat. However, the storage time of acid-extracted meat is much shorter than that of ordinary fresh meat, and most people recommend eating it within two days. As the saying goes, you get what you pay for. Is the expensive acid-extracted meat better than ordinary fresh meat? What is the difference between acid-extracted meat and ordinary fresh meat?

Strictly speaking, "de-acidified meat" should be called "fresh cold meat" or "cooled de-acidified meat", which has nothing to do with "eliminating toxic substances such as acidic substances, hormones and waste in the meat". The real acid-free meat is the meat that is cooled in time after slaughter, so that the temperature of the meat drops to 0-4 degrees Celsius within 24 hours. The subsequent series of cooling processes always maintain this temperature. This can inhibit the growth and reproduction of most harmful microorganisms, decompose part of the protein into amino acids, and relax the fibers and connective tissue of the meat. Because the meat has undergone a relatively complete (24-48 hours) low-temperature thawing and maturation process, the meat is soft and has sufficient moisture. After being matured, the broth is transparent and rich in meat flavor.

"Ordinary fresh meat" is also called "hot fresh meat", which refers to fresh meat that has just been slaughtered and has not been cooled. The pork enters the rigor mortis period in a relatively short period of time. The meat becomes stiff due to the contraction of muscle fibers and is easily contaminated by microorganisms. Therefore, even if this type of meat is cooked using top-notch techniques, it will not taste as delicious as the aged meat. Moreover, the meat is tough and not easy to cook, the soup is turbid, and the cooking time is longer than that of the aged meat. If you want to stew this kind of hot fresh meat, it is best to blanch it first. Put it in cold water and the blanching time should be short, just to remove the blood. Alternatively, you can place the freshly slaughtered meat in the refrigerator (0-4 degrees Celsius) and let it thaw and mature at low temperature for 24 hours. Cooking in this way will give the meat a better texture, taste and nutritional value.

"Frozen meat" refers to the meat of slaughtered livestock, which is quickly frozen at below -18 degrees Celsius. Frozen meat has almost no bacterial growth and can be stored for a longer period of time. Freezing will cause damage to muscle cells, resulting in a large loss of meat juice during thawing, a reduction in nutrients, and changes in flavor to varying degrees. The myoglobin in frozen meat is oxidized, and the surface of the meat gradually changes from bright color to dark brown.