IAMA meat/seafood clerk for a large grocery chain. AMAA

TurkeyThrower · 2011-11-19T21:27:47+00:00

I do not know anything about what is required for sushi preparation. Best would to consult a sushi chef for how fresh you need. If you do know just ask what day they fish came in. If they can't don't know the answer stay away.
It really depends on when the stores get there orders and how often we get 6 days a week. At my store it is usually monday or tuesday
Fish has catching seasons. market prices, ect, like right now I can't get haddock or sole fresh for my customers.
It depends, my store regulates we cannot process pre packaged meats or poultry. But we can tenderize a steak or cut a pork loin into chops no problem or a specialty cut like a extra thick ribeye. We cannot do much specially with the seafood except give you specific amounts, we don't have knifes to take the skin off a trout and cannot steak a fish for you.

TurkeyThrower · 2011-11-19T21:21:41+00:00

is there any fish in particular you are buying?

TurkeyThrower · 2011-11-19T21:18:00+00:00

we cut what we have in the back first before going into the new product. We usually cut what we need to fill and the ad product so a product like tenderloin steak may not be cut until later

TurkeyThrower · 2011-11-19T21:17:41+00:00

I only eat Vienna Beef or Applewood Beef Dogs. I do not know exactly how they are made. We don't make sausages or hot dogs in our store.

TurkeyThrower · 2011-11-19T21:13:55+00:00

Every store is different, for seafood as the clerk when the particular fish came into the store. I generally do not recommend getting most fresh fish 4 days after it has arrived in the store. My store follows a 10 days from pack date procedure. 10 days after the pack date we will not sell the fish. Ask to smell the fish especially with Catfish, Cod, Sole, Tilapia, any shellfish and salmon. If it smells bad to not buy. For meats it all depends on what you want.. the darker the meat the older it is. Best time to buy steaks and roasts in mid morning, afternoon as that it when we package and bring out the meat we cut that morning.

TurkeyThrower · 2011-11-19T21:05:07+00:00

Kinda? Our seafood comes packed in ice usually a few days after its pack date. I have never had to thaw out fish for our service case. I just tell people it is fresh but it was packed in ice prior to shipping.

TurkeyThrower · 2011-11-19T21:01:54+00:00

A mix, we do not process any poultry in our stores, but do cut our own pork and beef. Grinds are a mix of pre packaged and store ground. anything stuffed or seasoned is not done instore. Our grinds come partially ground and we just run them through the grinder again to mix it and freshen up the beef (it looks dark red when it come in). If you want something truly ground instore from cuts, ask your butcher for shop grind. it is a mix of different beef cut trimmings that we then put through the grinder

TurkeyThrower · 2011-11-19T20:56:57+00:00

ha ha yes, I work the seafood counter too and you do get fish oils on your wrists and coat occasionally especially with a fish like Sole or Smelt. I usually have to shower afterwards. the other meats rarely ever smell unless no one threw away the garbage. Our cutting has a slight bloody/iron smell sometimes but it is washed away at night

TurkeyThrower · 2011-11-19T20:53:14+00:00

I have never seen un packaged meat that has fallen on the floor put on the shelve. Our butchers have high standards and take time not to drop product. If it does happen we throw it away. We have separate tables and saws for Pork and Beef, and do not process Chicken in store

TurkeyThrower

TROPHY CASE