Do you think I can save this....and do I want to?

16 years ago

Hi everyone,

I picked up, at my local grocery, a Smithfield product called a Pork Sirloin. It is garlic and herb seasoned...in a plastic vacuum sealed bag. We put it on the grill until the temp was 150 degrees and finished it to almost 160 in the house since it looked like rain. Juices were clear. I let it set for about 10 minutes before slicing.

The texture was similar to a very, very moist boiled ham...very close grained, wet and not pleasing at all. Do you think if I cook it longer or grill/saute the slices that it would improve? My husband ate part of his but I was done after one bite. I checked the package afterward and it said "tenderness and moisture enhanced up to 25% with flavoring solution." I've learned my lesson and won't get it again, but tell me if you think it's worth trying to do something to make it palatable. It wasn't cheap.

Or do I just have some good quality dog food here?

Pam

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (11)

centralcacyclist
16 years ago
I don't care for brined meats even when I've done it myself at home, they all seem spongy and soggy to me so I understand your disappointment. So sorry. Condolences but no advice. My solution for something like this might be to chop it up and drown it in a good quality barbecue sauce and serve it on a bun. But that's all I've got.
hawk307
16 years ago
Would it work in Spaghrtti Sauce ???

Try a sample run. Cut a small amount in pieces and simmer it for about 15 minutes, in sauce.
It may flavor the Sauce and add some to the meat.
Lou
Related Discussions
I think I'm gonna do it.... (I think I can... I think I can)
Q
Comments (21)
Glo - Thanks for reassuring me! I hope your move is awesome! My husband has wanted to move us to Colorado for years and hasn't managed to quite convince me yet, although I think it's absolutely wonderful there. LOL So, Winter Solstice is the same everywhere? (LOL)... I guess you're seeing how little I know... Nancy - Thanks for the tip! I am gonna have to watch the lead hand myself as I way oversowed my cantaloupes this fall. The poor babies are fighting each other and giving me 2 to 5 inches fruits that don't look like they're EVER going to full ripen. I will be much more careful in the future. I'll try to not get TOO excited when I go to plant. LOL Carrie - Wow! That's some really good info. That's exactly the kind of thing I was worried about. I'm grateful for the heads up. Liz - LIZ!!! Hey, girl! Fancy meeting you here and there and now here! hee hee... The whole last paragraph of what you wrote is exactly what is concerning me. I know that I personally wear shorts through-out almost the whole winter except for those few crazy days that we see. 50's or what have you is not cold to me... We do get the occasional freeze, but then a week or two later at most you could have a 70+ degree high! All this in the same few days / weeks / months... it's SO crazy! Oh, and if they're having a plantswap around the 8th of December as well, I sure want to know as I'll be out that way. :-) Blessings, Angela
...See More
Do I want you to talk me out of doing this? I WANT it.
Q
Comments (25)
Lots of great advice above. I especially like the emphasis on supporting individual artisans. That's how I justify my ginormous library fines: I am supporting the local library. For me, I often will have an amount in my head, beyond which an object just seems unreasonable to me, regardless of whether or not I can actually afford it. Currently, my own dilemma concerns a 4,000 range hood. For me, this is just not a reasonable amount to spend on a hood, no matter how much I love it. So, is there any conflict in your mind about spending for a faucet what you would spend for an excellent quality dishwasher? If not, then it will probably thrill you every time you turn it on. And who doesn't need a good thrill several times a day! If you go for it, check out Home and Stone. They seem to carry some versions of it for a teeny, weeny bit less. The only thing I wonder about is whether this faucet style goes with the mission style you described above (e.g. the oil rubbed bronze light fixure from Rejuvenation). Now, I'll be the first to admit that my design style is seriously lacking, so I could be totally wrong on this! But when I saw the rough hammered faucet, it made me think of my sister-in-law's upscale western style, "chic cowgirl" bathroom in Colorado. It doesn't read "Greene and Greene" to me. But as I said, I could be totally wrong about that! :-) francy
...See More
I want to save my own seeds for Winter Sowing....how do I do it?
Q
Comments (0)
Hibiscus Seed Capsules Seed saving is a lot of fun and it's easy to do! This is how I do it....and these are general and universal instructions. Mother Nature is pretty easy to figure out if we keep with the idea that SHE needs to keep it simple too. Take a good look at a flower. When the flower fades leave it where it is, do not remove it. Eventually at the base of the flower there will be some swelling. This is where the seeds are forming. Do keep the petals where they are and let them fall naturally...I don't touch it or bother it, I just leave it be. The base of the flower will swell even more and soon you'll notice that the flower stem and the swollen base are turning a papery-brown. This is a very good indication that the seeds are almost fully ripe....in effect the plant has achieved it's goal of reproduction for that flower...it has produced viable seeds and no longer needs to expend energy to keep it alive, so it doesn't sends it's sugars and water up to the stem anymore. That's why it's turning papery-brown. It's no longer being supplied with nutrients and so it's dying back. The drying action will continue and as the swollen pod continues to dry you will see it start to open....some pods will open in a starry design, plants like poppies create a ridge of tiny little circles near the top of the pod....they make themselves into something like a little "salt-shaker" (sorta...but you could imagine it.) All flower pods will open in some manner when the seeds are ripe....it's so they can disperse their seeds. When you see that the pods and stems are both brownish in color, AND you notice that the pods are starting to open you can then collect the pods. I place the pods on an open plate or in open bowls in a safe place where they won't be disturbed and let them continue to dry naturally for another week or two. Then I remove the seeds from them. To assure that the seeds are thoroughly dry I let them dry on an open plate for a few more days...I even will stir them every now and then to make sure the bottom layers will get a chance to dry too. Storing the dried seeds is easy. I use paper envelopes. I make my own with my printer, but you could use coin envelopes or even mailing envelopes will do fine too. Label them so you know what's inside. Store them where they'll be away from heat or direct sunlight. I use cardboard file boxes to keep my seeds in and those do just fine. Another good place to keep them is in your dining room drawers. Those are dark places and your dining room is sure to be safe from extreme fluctuations in temperature. Good luck with your seed saving! Trudi
...See More
A kitchen faucet that I don’t think I need. Do I? Do you?
Q
Comments (20)
Maybe it’s because I don’t make coffee, but I can’t think of anything I cook that needs a precisely measured amount of water. I’m sure there’s something but obviously it isn’t burdensome enough that I’d need a special faucet. A faucet that requires batteries, which will need replacing and will create a disposal issue for me. I also don’t understand the faucets that automatically dispense water (maybe you touch them? Or they’re motion controlled? I can’t remember.). Sometimes I need cold water to drink, sometimes I need warm water to wash, so how is preset water temperature going to meet all my different needs? It won’t, I’ll be overriding the feature, so why pay for it? But much to the borror of many people here, when I needed a new faucet I was satisfied with the replacement the plumber had on his truck. You’ve got a new one, that works, on the truck? Perfect, let’s go with that.
...See More
annie1992
16 years ago
Elery suggests that you slice it and put it back on the grill, and see if that helps the flavor. The texture you are probably stuck with but Eileen's BBQ sauce and a bit more grilling might make it palatable. Not good, but edible.

Annie
metaxa
16 years ago
That "enhanced" pork just makes me upset.

Think about it...25 cents of every dollar you spent went to pay for packing house water and salt!

I'm with you, the texture, mouth feel make it inedible to me. (us).

Up here they can't just label it "flavouring solution" , it is detailed, its water and two different kids of salt, from the labels I've looked at.

Sorry, no brilliant ideas, just a bit of a rant.
BeverlyAL
16 years ago
I just can't eat any Smithfield product, so I doubt if I could salvage where I could eat it. I don't have any good advice, just dog food I guess, unless you could tolerate it in some kind of casserole.
pkramer60
16 years ago
Personally I would toss it, and not at the dog. I too do not like brined meats. Totally changes the textured and the flavor of the real meat. Plus all the salt and sugar it adds.

Chalk it up to a lesson learned.
pfmastin
Original Author
16 years ago
Thank you, everyone, for your suggestions. I was hoping to salvage it, but it makes me feel validated that some you have the same reaction as I did. I have decided to return it to the store as inedible and ask for a refund. I think I'll also write a letter to Smithfield if I can find their customer service email address. Again, I appreciate your help.

Pam
lindac
16 years ago
I love to brine a pork loin,...ot a turkey or chicken....but on my terms!!
Perhaps if you sluiced it as someone suggested and put it back on the grill, it would soak some of that "solution" out of the meat.
But for sure call the store and Smithfield and tell them what you found!
Linda C
caliloo
16 years ago
Another one who despises brined meats, so I do not think it is salvageable. Sorry! :-(

Alexa
Bumblebeez SC Zone 7
16 years ago
I thought I was the only one who disliked brined meats (for the most part). I don't like the home brined ones either.
I will buy a rotisserie chicken once in awhile but like a fresh one at home so much better.
annie1992
16 years ago
I do like the cider brined pork roast, but I never let it sit overnight, and I only use my own pork, the commercial stuff is nearly always already full of "flavor enhancers".

I tried brining the turkey/chicken/pork etc. and just didn't care much for it and I seldom marinate beef either.

I guess I just like the flavor of the meat itself, without adding anything. Plus brine just seems to add too much salt for my liking, I can taste the salt over everything else.

Sorry about your pork loin, though, that type of experience is why I seldom buy prepared foods. I'm picky and I usually just don't like them.

I don't think I've ever eaten any product at all from Smithfield, so maybe they just aren't good, as Beverly doesn't like their ham either.

Annie

Do you think I can save this....and do I want to?

Comments (11)

centralcacyclist

hawk307

Related Discussions

annie1992

metaxa

BeverlyAL

pkramer60

pfmastin
Original Author

lindac

caliloo

Bumblebeez SC Zone 7

annie1992

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Do you think I can save this....and do I want to?

Comments (11)

Related Discussions

pfmastinOriginal Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

pfmastin
Original Author