How to Choose Fresh Meat, Chicken and Fish

The best recipe in the world will not rescue an ingredient that is not fresh. And the problem is that most of the freshness signs people rely on — colour above all — are the weakest evidence there is.

Why colour is weak evidence

The colour of meat depends on a protein called myoglobin, and it changes with exposure to oxygen: from deep purple (freshly minced) to bright red (after air contact) to brown (after longer).

So slightly brown meat can be perfectly fresh, and vivid red meat may have been treated with carbon monoxide to keep it red. Rely on smell and texture.

Red meat

Texture: firm, springing back when you press it. Sliminess or a soapy feel is a certain sign of spoilage.

Smell: a faint metallic smell is normal. Anything sour or sharp means throw it away.

Fat: white tending to cream. Yellow fat means an older animal; grey means old meat.

Liquid: fresh meat releases little liquid. A large pool of red liquid in the tray means it was frozen and thawed — which lowers the quality.

Chicken

Colour: an even pale pink. Grey or blue patches are a sign of age.

Skin: dry and clinging to the flesh. Slimy skin, or skin that peels away easily, is a bad sign.

Smell: fresh chicken has almost no smell at all. Any noticeable smell means start doubting.

Bone: in whole birds, the bone end should be pale. A dark or blackened end indicates repeated freezing and thawing.

Fish: the clearest indicators

Fish is the fastest protein to spoil, but its signs are the clearest of all:

• Eyes: clear, bulging and convex. Sunken or cloudy eyes mean it is not fresh.
• Gills: bright red and moist. Brown or grey means old.
• Scales: shiny and firmly attached. Scales that fall off easily mean old.
• Texture: press with a finger — the mark should spring back at once. A mark that stays means old.
• Smell: clean and of the sea. Any ammonia or sharp smell means throw it out immediately.

Fillets are harder to judge because there are no eyes or gills — so rely on texture, sheen, and the absence of any gaping in the flesh.

Tricks some sellers use

Not all of them, but it is worth knowing:

• Red lighting over meat makes it look fresher than it is.
• Rinsing fish in bleached water to lighten its colour — the smell gives it away.
• Injecting chicken with brine to add weight. The extra weight shows in the cooking when it releases a lot of water.
• Mixing old mince with new — ask for it to be minced in front of you.

And the simplest protection: buy from a place you deal with regularly, and ask to see the piece before it is minced or cut.

Immediately after buying

The cold chain matters more than freshness itself. Two hours out of the fridge in summer costs you more than two days of correct storage.

• Buy protein last on your shopping round.
• An insulated bag in summer is not a luxury.
• At home: the bottom shelf of the fridge (the coldest spot, and it stops drips onto other food).
• Divide before freezing into meal-sized portions — refreezing ruins the texture.

Mince: a special case

Mincing increases the surface area exposed to air and bacteria thousands of times over, which is why mince is the fastest protein to spoil after fish.

Therefore: ask for it to be minced in front of you from a piece you choose yourself, and use it the same day or freeze it at once. Packaged mince needs its date checked and its smell tested.

And mince must be cooked right through — unlike steak, which can be eaten rare. Because bacteria on a steak are on the surface only, while in mince they are distributed throughout.