Blade tenderized

[swartzster]

I bought a couple Tri Tips at Costco to smoke for a party we’re going to. I saw on the package that they are blade tenderized. I didn’t know what that meant, so I googled it. I don’t really know how I feel about what I read. I’ve always thought Costco meat was decent.

What do you guys think about blade tenderized meat?

[Jerod Broussard]

It helps tenderize meat and probably offer a more consistent product, while at the same time pushing potential highly pathogenic bacteria into the meat. I'd be leery to cook it less than 160 internal. I've always sous vide my tri tip anyways, never any blade tenderized.

[swartzster]

Thank you

[bbqLuv]

I smoked several tri tips, no problem. They are a more tender than non-tenderized. They also seemed to be trimmed and ready to cook. No complaints from me SWMBO, prefers well done.

[rickgregory]

It helps tenderize meat and probably offer a more consistent product, while at the same time pushing potential highly pathogenic bacteria into the meat. I'd be leery to cook it less than 160 internal. I've always sous vide my tri tip anyways, never any blade tenderized.

I'm going to slightly disagree with the bolded part. 160F is consider safe because food borne bacteria die in seconds at that temp.

However, it's perfectly safe to cook food at lower temps as long as they're cooked for long enough at that temp.That's why sous vide is safe - you can cook something at, say, 135F and as long as it's held there for long enough, it is pasteurized. Here's a link showing the relationship between time and temp. https://extension.umn.edu/food-servi...rature-control

NOW - steaks cooked conventionally aren't held at 135F for long enough to be safe, so for those, blade tenderizing presents a risk. If a cut IS held long enough, you're fine. Tri-tip could be problematic. If you have a sous vide setup, I'd SV it to temp for a couple of hours, then either chill and bring back to temp on a smoker (if you want the smoke flavor), or pull it from the SV bath and sear.

This is a very good article on food safety and sous vide - https://polyscienceculinary.com/blog...s-vide-cooking

[Jerod Broussard]

I agree, I just don't play the time/temp game on a grill or smoker, too much inconsistency. Sous vide is good to go.

[Draznnl]

Check out this thread: https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/fo...ons-for-costco

It is all about Costco's blade tenderizing procedures.

[swartzster]

That was very helpful. Thanks

[texastweeter]

I don't care for it at all

[fzxdoc]

It's a risky deal for steaks cooked conventionally, IMO.

I SV Tri-tip for 12 hours at 131°, let it sit on the counter a bit while I fire up the Grill Grates to 700°+, add avocado oil and my preferred rub and sear that delicious hunk of perfectly cooked meat.

If you're SVing just to pasteurize, be sure to add extra time from the chart's pasteurization time/temp recommendations to allow the core of the meat as well to come up to that desired temp. Sometimes that takes longer than one would think, depending of course on dimensions.

Kathryn

[GroceryBoy]

Excellent advice by my fellow Amazing Ribs Pitmasters! My advice stay away from blade tenderized anything! Plenty of products available that are not!!

[Troutman]

Read the post that Draznnl refers to above. I’m not saying there’s a risk involved but there’s risk in crossing the street. Costco seems to be doing what they do in a sanitary manner. Not only that, they literally sell millions and millions of pounds of these tenderized pieces of meat. I’ve personally eaten dozens of them with no ill affects whatsoever. Again I’m not a Costco employee and I’m not saying it’s 100% safe. But if it were not than I would’ve thought by now there would’ve been some major ramifications to this. But hey that’s my opinion.
Do what you Gotta do for your own family.

[TripleB]

Wouldn't blade tenderized beef, with regard to risk, be kind of similar to ground beef? I have not heard of any tri-tip or blade tenderized beef being recalled. But I've seen at least 2 times this year ground beef being recalled.

[Dr. Pepper]

As Troutman and Draznnl reference, there is a great thread, the climax of which is linked below. Like Troutman, I have eaten Costco steaks for years, cooked medium rare, no SV pasteurization. And, so have millions. But then I read here on AR about blade tenderization, the possibility of introducing surface bacteria (which will be killed by the sear) deep into the meat, and fretted.

But, BBQPhil stepped up big time, contacted Costco, and was invited on a private tour of their meat department!! Read this, please. I have decided not to worry about cooking Costco steaks with traditional methods, based on that thread and Costco's transparency and rigorous standards.

https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/fo...10#post1068810

[fzxdoc]

Thank you, new2smoking , for the link to BBQPhil 's writeup on how safely Costco uses the blade tenderization method, in compliance with Best Beef Practices documentation from the Beef Industry Food Safety Council.

This is definitely not your Mama's small jaccard tenderizer. Blade tenderization in the home for meats not cooked to pasturization levels may still be a risky practice. But eating Costco blade-tenderized beef does not appear to be. Yay for that.

It's wonderful to learn new things in a rational, well-meaning forum environment. That's how good education truly happens. I feel smarter, well, certainly more enlightened, after reading that link.

Kathryn

[Dr. Pepper]

fzxdoc You wouldn't be into science, by any chance, would you?

[fzxdoc]

new2smoking , fzxdoc= doctorate in physics
So yes, I'm a wee bit into science.

[Dr. Pepper]

Kathryn, @fzxdoc
I remember asking you about a year ago if you were in medicine. I saw the doc, but didn't sound out the f z x until a few months later. It was there for me to see the whole time. Gotta love me some science!

[Spinaker]

I eat these steaks all the time and I have never had an issue. I get it, it is not as safe as non-blade tenderized meat. yes, I am sure some people get sick from it. Yes, there is a risk, but risks are risks. I feel like this discussion comes up quite a bit and probably rightfully so. To me, I really do not think about it. I feel like plenty of other things that will kill me before blade tenderized meat, is the way I look at it. In the millions of pounds of meat they have sold, I have not heard of any crazy recalls or anything like that. (Insert link to crazy Costco recall where thousands died and I missed it. :/ ) If there was a consistent link between blade tenderized meat from Costco and people getting sick and dying from Costco Tenderized meat, then I would be wary. Until I see that, I will continue to bring them on every camping trip I go on. The bears will get me before the tri-tip.

[Dr. Pepper]

Spinaker CAMPING BEAR SAFETY TIP: If you get surrounded by bears at your campsite, simply sear some of your Costco try-tips to medium rare (nb: do NOT SV them), offer them to the bears, and wait around until they die of dysentery. Then you can pack up and move your campsite safely. I have discussed this with Panhead John, and we are in complete agreement that this is the best method.

[Panhead John]

A lot of people don’t know this but……most of the pit members here PM me to make sure they are giving the right answers to questions asked. My vast intellect is a well known factor in their responses. It’s also no secret that I am an expert in camping safety and wild animal interaction tips.