Self-Basting Butts?

chicken broth...

beef broth...

now PORK broth???

I've got to find me a local butcher, I'm tired of the companies adding and adding...

Smokin'

Wow,

I absolutely agree, I want fresh pork or beef, not adulterated product.

I've heard rumblings that the "solution" adds to the bottom line (you pay for the watery addition, water weighs, what, six or seven pounds a gallon?).

When you buy meat from Wal-Mart, they have changed to a system of pre-cut, pre-packaged beef (Thomas Wilson) that seems to me to be adulterated with solutions. The reason could be simply that the solution is necessary to maintain the visual appeal of the product after shipping and handling, etc. Of course, they no longer hire meat cutters, and they charge money for the weight of the solution. I don't buy meat at Wally World anymore (I remember when they carried fresh Angus in the butcher counter).

I believe that for the best results, and especially with slow cooking, you want to avoid meats adulterated with extra salt and flavoring (unless you choose to add them yourself, which is something you control). If you can find a meat counter somewhere that offers that fresh product, you may decide to become a loyal customer to help stave off what happened to the meat counter at the nation's Wal-Marts.

Fresh is best in my opinion.

Mark

In my area (KY), SuperWal is the only grocery that's switched to solution-added beef and pork. But that's probably only because they're more "innovative".

Kroger has long been S-A on pork. Meijer recently switched for pork as well.

Of large chains, Winn-Dixie seems to be the only holdout. Sam's is also a non-solution alternative, altho selection is more limited. We haven't got Costco yet - probably one of the few places in the universe that doesn't.

Butcher shops and gourmet groceries are still an alternative, but for those who shop at nite, etc. etc. they're not the most convenient. One encouraging note: A local supermarket chain has a large sign above their meat counter: "We don't add water to our pork like the other guys!"

Perhaps we should start a campaign: "Natural pork - it's the real pig!" or some such thing...