Wet Markets or Supermarkets? - Part II

Rhonda SG

If you manage to find an honest butcher, it's much easier to buy from them if you're a dodo, like me, at knowing which cuts of meat are best for certain dishes! Embarassed I used to troop on down to the wet market, tell the butcher that I'm going to cook 'dao yew bak', not too fatty, please, which cut of meat would yield tender meat? and the butcher will recommend the best cut. Smile Cooking pork chops? Soup? Whatever? The butcher always knows which is the most appropriate cut! Very Happy

Not all supermarts have butchers around for you to ask such questions. So unless you know what you want, you might find yourself lost or buying the wrong cut of meat. Razz

Rhonda SG

I guess armed with only a microwave, the repertoire is considerably less. Besides, imagine microwave cooking a dish, then having to microwave it again to heat it up - a tad too much use of the microwave. Razz

And yeah... I'd love to have a 'flatmate'! Embarassed Razz At least, you can be sure there'll be no / less leftovers when you cook and, can cook with love again!

Mr. Green

rainee SG

Oh yea, I had the same problem cos over here I am only cooking for myself. My roomie only cook for herself and her bf. So it is quite hard to buy a lot of stuff only to watch them go bad Sad

k4korny SG

I always got a phobia when buying from unfamiliar ppl.. cos the feeling is that they will con you a few times before their conscience start to prick them and give you a good price. think i got that 'kai zi' look.. Evil or Very Mad

so.. i prefer the stuff in supermarkets has price tags labelled. but argh.. the ntuc near my house just closed down.. so guess like I'll be forced to go to the wet market once my supply in the freezer runs out. Sad any advice what to do when you visit/ bargain with the hawkers?

k4korny SG

If you put it in the freezer, it won't go bad so fast rite? think rhonda posted a list on how long stuff can tahan in the fridge/ freezer.

Actually for me, when i cook for myself, my prob is that if i buy a chicken, my menu will go like: Mon- Right Chicken thigh with Bee Hoon, Tues- Left Chicken thigh w BH, Wed- Chicken wings w BH, Thurs- Left Chicken Breast w BH, Fri - FINALLY finish that [email protected] chicken!! Laughing

... and I always end up cooking beehoon soup with some 'liao of the day'. Smile
cos it's impossible to cook rice for one person yah? Shocked Rolling Eyes

Rhonda SG

k4korny, why buy one entire chicken if you can buy separate chicken parts? Razz I always head up to the wet market / supermart and purchase chicken parts but never the entire chicken, unless I'm cooking soup.

It's not impossible to cook rice for just one - use the microwave, which yields surprisingly evenly-cooked rice fast, or use a small claypot and cook it over a stove. Wink I've seen someone use one of those new claypots with smooth insides so that the rice doesn't get burnt and stick to the bottom of the pot.

Try it! Wink

Alternative, the other, more convenient and 'cheaper' solution is, to buy at the chap chai stall! Laughing I mean, how else can you get one meat dish, two vege dishes and rice for just $3 or so? Wink

littlestream SG

Laughing
Aiyoh.....ke lian ah. No kuay teow or egg noodles ah? You can make kai see hor fun mah? Or soya sauce egg noodles. Wink

Actually, I do cook extra rice and then save the leftovers for the next evening dinner. You can buy those tiny rice cooker and cook one cup lah. Can? If not invite your girlfriend over for dinner. But ehhh....you have tenants ley. How about "pau jiak"? You eat with them and pay them a fee. Idea? Very Happy

littlestream SG

Laughing
You will, you will........the day will come, I am sure. Wink

OH-FF SG

I've actually heard from an insider of frozen food that certain frozen meat from the process of killing the animal till it reaches the Supermarket takes as long as 5 years.

Thats because of overheads and freezing and refreezing to process the food . And shipments. So if you think you still trust the Expiry date , think again why do you think the packaging is so transparent? Its more profitable to print the date after it arrives at the Port isn't it?

Rhonda SG

Originally posted by OH-FF:
I've actually heard from an insider of frozen food that certain frozen meat from the process of killing the animal till it reaches the Supermarket takes as long as 5 years.

Thats because of overheads and freezing and refreezing to process the food . And shipments. So if you think you still trust the [b]Expiry date , think again why do you think the packaging is so transparent? Its more profitable to print the date after it arrives at the Port isn't it?

[/b]

I find that hard to believe. Urban legend? Razz

I mean, FIVE YEARS is a bloody long time! And meat that has been frozen and unfrozen and refreezed again and again has a bad texture that's unmistakable. There's such a thing called 'freezer burn', y'know!

And why would 'overheads' lead to this practice? If anything, 'overheads' related to the high cost of storinge frozen foods would make the butchers and wholesalers try to move their frozen meat as fast as they can. I mean, imagine keeping a slab of beef frozen in storage for FIVE YEARS! That's going to cost them a bomb in storage cost! Razz

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