Safeway's New Owners Abandon "Rancher's Reserve" and Bring Back USDA Choice

[sms]

In this week's Safeway ad, starting tomorrow, I was amazed to see only
USDA Choice beef being advertised. No sign of "Rancher's Reserve" which
was ungraded but was probably "Select" or "Standard." Did Safeway
finally realize that people were abandoning their store because of the
low quality meat and going to Sprouts and Costco instead? Or are they
still selling the lower grades and just not advertising them?

[sf]

On Tue, 03 Feb 2015 20:14:05 -0800, sms <scharf...@geemail.com>
wrote:

They're still selling lower grades, but not labeling it Rancher's
Reserve. I liked Rancher's Reserve, but they charged too much for it.

--
A kitchen without a cook is just a room

[sms]

There was one Safeway not too far from me that had been selling USDA
Choice alongside RR for a long time, but the USDA Choice was extremely
expensive. Now that they seem to be selling USDA Choice everywhere the
prices will come down, as indicated by the ad price.

[sf]

On Wed, 04 Feb 2015 06:50:14 -0800, sms <scharf...@geemail.com>
wrote:

They've sold Choice for as long as I can remember. But I think rather
than the price of Choice coming down, the price of ungraded meat has
gone up.

[Tim May]

I heard the Safeway ad today on the radio. "USDA Choice" dominated the ad.

I just hope "Certified Angus-style" also goes the way of, ObFood, the dodo.

We dodged a bullet when Costco kept selling Prime and Choice and not
"Certified Kirkland Beef."


--
Tim May

[Todd Michel McComb]

In article <2015020416015756416-tcmay@attnet>, Tim May <tc...@att.net> wrote:
>We dodged a bullet when Costco kept selling Prime and Choice and
>not "Certified Kirkland Beef."

But Prime & Choice are pernicious labels of the infernal nanny
state....

[sms]

Not really, since such grading is optional. In fact it's the exact
opposite of the nanny state. Stores willingly pay extra for the USDA
grading because it gains them a marketing advantage. No one trusts the
stores to honestly grade the meat themselves. In fact when a store tries
to grade their own meat it backfires because it's a clear indication
that they are trying to sell lower quality meat.

Costco has made such a big deal about selling only choice and prime for
so long that they can't change now. Their high quality meat has been a
major factor in taking customers away from Safeway and Lucky and even
Whole Foods.

[Todd Michel McComb]

In article <mausg6$bo1$1...@dont-email.me>,

sms <scharf...@geemail.com> wrote:
>Not really, since such grading is optional. In fact it's the exact
>opposite of the nanny state.

There's exactly one entity whose credibility is at stake in those
ratings.

[Tim May]

What would be statist would be where alternative grading systems are
banned and USDA grading is mandated. This is not the case.

It's possible for alternate testing schemes to work (as it does in
electronics, with Underwriters Laboratories), but this hasn't yet
emerged in the meat grading market, to my knowledge. The few attempts,
like Rancher's Reserve and Certified Angus, were not very successful.


--
Tim May

[Todd Michel McComb]

Sure enough, wife came home with "Choice" stewing beef for me....
I'll see how that goes. I rarely make anything like "steak," so
tough & flavorful beef is perfect for my purposes. (In this case,
I was/am intending a tangerine beef stew with some of the neighbor's
many spare tangerines, about 1:1 by volume with the beef.) Getting
"Choice" seems silly, but that's what they had.

[Steve Pope]

Depends what cut "stewing beef" actually is. If it's rump or
cross rib, could be pretty damn tough even if choice.


Steve

[sf]

Have you seen "rump" at Safeway? I can't recall ever seeing it there.
I have beef & barley stew on the brain for this week. The recipe
calls for shank - but I'm not crazy about shank. I buy it
occasionally for hubby to make a soup he loves but I don't (which is
why he makes it and not me). I'm thinking I'll buy a small chuck
roast and use that for the beef & barley instead.

[Mike D.]

Rump roast comes from the bottom round. This may be one of the roasts
that disappears in West Coast butchering, which features nonstandard
cuts such as the cross-rib roast and the tri-tip.

[Todd Michel McComb]

In article <6d9hdap3s4m1n0ejp...@4ax.com>,

sf <sf.u...@gmail.com> wrote:
>Have you seen "rump" at Safeway?

Round, yes....

[Tim May]

On 2015-02-09 16:08:28 +0000, Mike D. said:

>
> Rump roast comes from the bottom round. This may be one of the roasts
> that disappears in West Coast butchering, which features nonstandard
> cuts such as the cross-rib roast and the tri-tip.

It doesn't appear to disappear on the West Coast:

http://www.raleys.com/images/imageslayout/150107-1.pdf

$3.99/lb, Choice



--
Tim May

[Steve Pope]

sf <sf.u...@gmail.com> wrote:

>On Mon, 9 Feb 2015 03:00:09 +0000 (UTC), spo...@speedymail.org (Steve

>> Depends what cut "stewing beef" actually is. If it's rump or
>> cross rib, could be pretty damn tough even if choice.

>Have you seen "rump" at Safeway? I can't recall ever seeing it there.

Which may mean it becomes the "stewing beef"?

>I have beef & barley stew on the brain for this week. The recipe
>calls for shank - but I'm not crazy about shank. I buy it
>occasionally for hubby to make a soup he loves but I don't (which is
>why he makes it and not me). I'm thinking I'll buy a small chuck
>roast and use that for the beef & barley instead.

I agree with chuck.

Steve

[Steve Pope]

Todd Michel McComb <mcc...@medieval.org> wrote:

>sf <sf.u...@gmail.com> wrote:

>>Have you seen "rump" at Safeway?

>Round, yes....

Cross Rib can also mean rump.

Steve

[Peter Lawrence]

On 2/9/15 10:24 PM, Sqwertz wrote:

> Cross rib roast is always from the chuck. Rump/Round is from the
> opposie end of the cow - farthest away from any ribs.


Rump roast used to always be available at Safeway when I actually bought
beef at Safeway. But I stopped buying beef there since Costco came on the
scene in the 1990s.


- Peter

[sf]

That's odd, they call bottom round "rump roast" and show a steak. I
remember rump roast looking like a roast, not steak. I'm never going
to buy a sous vide, but maybe this is one cut that would benefit from
that type of cooking.

[sf]

On Mon, 09 Feb 2015 22:31:51 -0800, Peter Lawrence <humm...@aol.com>
wrote:

> On 2/9/15 10:24 PM, Sqwertz wrote:
> > On Tue, 10 Feb 2015 04:01:49 +0000 (UTC), Steve Pope wrote:
> >> Todd Michel McComb <mcc...@medieval.org> wrote:
> >>> sf <sf.u...@gmail.com> wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>> Have you seen "rump" at Safeway?
> >>>
> >>> Round, yes....
> >>
> >> Cross Rib can also mean rump.
> >
> > Cross rib roast is always from the chuck. Rump/Round is from the
> > opposie end of the cow - farthest away from any ribs.
>
>
> Rump roast used to always be available at Safeway when I actually bought
> beef at Safeway.

I know I used to see it there too, but the term "rump" roast has
virtually disappeared.

> But I stopped buying beef there since Costco came on the
> scene in the 1990s.

We buy very little meat/fish from Safeway because of the large
quantity it's sold in. It was fine back when kids still lived at
home. Now it's not.

[sf]

We have a new grocery store (for us) called Sprouts that just opened
up at Serramonte and I shopped there this morning... I saw rump roast
(that looks like a roast) there, so now I know where to find it.

What will really draw me back is their rolled pork (loin) roasts. I
want to try each variation, but the one filled with dried fruit is the
most appealing to me. What I'll probably try first though is the
apple & something stuffed double pork chops. I have no idea how to
cook any of the above. I've never cooked a stuffed pork chop in my
life (or eaten one for that matter). Do I bake it or cook it in a
pan? The fruit stuffed rolled pork looks so appetizing, but again - I
have no idea how to cook it. How would the dried fruit reconstitute
if it was simply baked? It doesn't seem like any of them should be
braised because the roasts and chops have some sort of coating that
looks like ragged bread crumbs on it - but dried fruit needs moisture
to reconstitute, so I'm puzzled.

[(null)]

In article <k4hndals3lhql25mh...@4ax.com>,

sf <sf.u...@gmail.com> wrote:
>I've never cooked a stuffed pork chop in my
>life (or eaten one for that matter). Do I bake it or cook it in a pan?

I'd recommend both. In the pan put a good sear on it then transfer it
to an oven to finish it off. I'd normally use a thermometer, but if you
don't have one then bake it until the juices run clear.

>The fruit stuffed rolled pork looks so appetizing, but again - I
>have no idea how to cook it. How would the dried fruit reconstitute
>if it was simply baked?

It gets some meat juices, but I wouldn't expect it to fully reconstitute.

[sms]

On 2/11/2015 1:18 PM, sf wrote:

> We have a new grocery store (for us) called Sprouts that just opened
> up at Serramonte and I shopped there this morning... I saw rump roast
> (that looks like a roast) there, so now I know where to find it.

We have a lot of Sprouts in the south bay. They were great when they
opened but quickly went downhill. They run out of advertised specials
all the time. You need to be at the store within a couple of hours after
the truck is unloaded. Often there is no staff at the meat and fish
counter. They also have a cashier shortage. Never buy their bulk items
as the way they do bulk foods is very unsanitary.

[sf]

On 11 Feb 2015 22:17:02 GMT, dl...@sonic.net ((null)) wrote:

> In article <k4hndals3lhql25mh...@4ax.com>,
> sf <sf.u...@gmail.com> wrote:
> >I've never cooked a stuffed pork chop in my
> >life (or eaten one for that matter). Do I bake it or cook it in a pan?
>
> I'd recommend both. In the pan put a good sear on it then transfer it
> to an oven to finish it off. I'd normally use a thermometer, but if you
> don't have one then bake it until the juices run clear.

I'm set in the thermometer department.
http://www.thermoworks.com/products/thermapen/
Just clueless about how to cook those items!

>
> >The fruit stuffed rolled pork looks so appetizing, but again - I
> >have no idea how to cook it. How would the dried fruit reconstitute
> >if it was simply baked?
>
> It gets some meat juices, but I wouldn't expect it to fully reconstitute.

Okay, sear (if that's the right word to use for something with a bread
coating) and finish in the oven, thanks. :)

[sf]

On Wed, 11 Feb 2015 14:50:59 -0800, sms <scharf...@geemail.com>
wrote:

> On 2/11/2015 1:18 PM, sf wrote:
>
> > We have a new grocery store (for us) called Sprouts that just opened
> > up at Serramonte and I shopped there this morning... I saw rump roast
> > (that looks like a roast) there, so now I know where to find it.
>
> We have a lot of Sprouts in the south bay. They were great when they
> opened but quickly went downhill. They run out of advertised specials
> all the time.

I noticed that there were at least 6 people in line for a rain check
at the meat counter. That won't bother me because I never shop
fliers.

> You need to be at the store within a couple of hours after
> the truck is unloaded. Often there is no staff at the meat and fish
> counter. They also have a cashier shortage. Never buy their bulk items
> as the way they do bulk foods is very unsanitary.

I think you're right. Not sure why they have that type of bin, but
they also have the bin items prepackaged in containers so if you're OK
with an amount somewhere around a pound - you don't have to worry
about other people's cooties. I tried to buy pearl barley because I
want to make beef and barley stew. Their barley bin was completely
out, there was no prepackaged barley in the bin area and there was no
barley on the shelf in the grain section. Who knew barley was so
popular?

You know what else they don't have? They weren't temporarily out,
they simply don't stock it: small containers of sour cream. It takes
me a long time to use up a big container of sour cream and it often
goes bad before it's used up. I'd rather buy the smaller size and
replenish it more often.

I was rather unimpressed with the store overall and the icing on the
cake is they don't provide wifi for their customers. What's up with
that? They gave me a line of BS about why they can't, but other
grocery chains do it, so they can too. Cheapskates. Sure Trader
Joe's doesn't have wifi, but I don't consider TJ's a full service
grocery store - so I don't expect it. Sprouts pretends to be a real
grocery store, so I do expect wifi from them. In any case, I will
return enough times to try their stuffed pork chops and stuffed,
rolled, pork roasts. Maybe I'll decide I don't like those items after
all, but I'm willing to give them at least one shot. It's out of the
way for me, so I'll need to make an effort to shop there.

[Mike D.]

Sprouts is an odd duck. A poor(er) man's Whole Foods, but with produce
that must be eaten on the day of purchase. They have odd things, like
organic jarred goods sourced from everywhere. I have never tried their
meats.

[(null)]

In article <rehpdatejo32siomo...@4ax.com>,

I thought we were talking about two different things. Chops (presumably
unbreaded), get a sear+bake. Rolled roasts just go straight into the oven.

[Todd Michel McComb]

In article <54dd0f34$0$36538$742e...@news.sonic.net>,

(null) <dl...@sonic.net> wrote:
>I thought we were talking about two different things. Chops
>(presumably unbreaded), get a sear+bake. Rolled roasts just go
>straight into the oven.

Or rotisserie.

I don't know why someone would want to buy already breaded chops,
but I suppose those should go straight into the oven. (Shake 'n'
Bake, right?)

(I'm also baffled by the wifi thing. It had never even occured to
me that a grocery store might have customer wifi, but then I have
an active smartphone. Not that I recall ever having consulted the
internet while shopping for food.)

[Peter Lawrence]

While I've occasionally have used my smartphone while shopping groceries at
Safeway to get more detailed product information, where I've found having
WiFi and using the a store's app is at Home Depot where their app will tell
you not only if the item you're looking for is in stock, but on while aisle
the product is located on. Makes navigating their large stores a breeze.


- Peter

[Todd Michel McComb]

In article <mbj6vf$ihd$1...@dont-email.me>,
Peter Lawrence <humm...@aol.com> wrote:
>... where I've found having WiFi and using the a store's app is

>at Home Depot where their app will tell you not only if the item
>you're looking for is in stock, but on while aisle the product is
>located on. Makes navigating their large stores a breeze.

Ah, OK. That does sound helpful. Almost like hiring people to
help customers!

[sf]

We were talking about two different things, but the chops are coated
with the same stuff that's on the roasts. All three are pig products,
all three are stuffed and all three are coated with what looks like
fresh bread crumbs.

[sf]

I use a smart phone app as my shopping list, my data is limited to
500mb per month and I use wifi whenever I can. Why pay more if you
don't need to and I don't need to because I use wifi whenever I can.

[sf]

On Thu, 12 Feb 2015 13:47:00 -0800, Peter Lawrence <humm...@aol.com>
wrote:

> where I've found having
> WiFi and using the a store's app is at Home Depot where their app will tell
> you not only if the item you're looking for is in stock, but on while aisle
> the product is located on. Makes navigating their large stores a breeze.

That's nice! If I shopped there more often, I'd be tempted to install
it. More stores should do that.

[Steve Pope]

sf <sf.u...@gmail.com> wrote:

>I use a smart phone app as my shopping list, my data is limited to
>500mb per month and I use wifi whenever I can. Why pay more if you
>don't need to and I don't need to because I use wifi whenever I can.

I used to think that way.

I was on a 500MB/month plan, I have since paid $10 extra/month and now
I'm on a 3 GB/month plan and it is (for me) worth it not to have to
fiddle with passwords etc. for the public WiFi hotspots.

Steve

[Todd Michel McComb]

In article <tmmqda92q7gjnmp3r...@4ax.com>,

sf <sf.u...@gmail.com> wrote:
>I use a smart phone app as my shopping list, my data is limited to
>500mb per month and I use wifi whenever I can.

I use about 200mb/month. I consider myself a heavy user (using it
to make this post, in fact), although I guess stats differ. I don't
do videos or the like, of course.

[Peter Lawrence]

The last time I was at Safeway, I was looking for an item and launched their
smartphone app hoping that the new version included this same type
functionality as the Home Deport app. Alas, it did not. :(


- Peter

[sf]

On Thu, 12 Feb 2015 20:19:27 -0800, Peter Lawrence <humm...@aol.com>

I understand. I have no reason to use their app or their web site.
If the shelf tag says "sale", that's all I need. Unless they can
assure me that I've gotten a "just 4 U" discount, I don't need it and
they probably didn't give it to me anyway.

[sf]

I don't talk, text or have the desire to use enough data to make it
worth spending $10 more per month. I had the $10 flex card when I was
with Selectel to tide me through overages, but didn't need it.

[sf]

Me either. The most I've used was 285mb, which was a record high.
Wifi is a good thing because it means I have $120 to spend on
something other than my phone.

[Tim May]

At the nearest Slaveway to me, it appears the Free Wi-Fi section is
mainly occupiled by skanks, hoboes, and other "not deemed employable"
lowlifes. Most of them seem to be using laptops, albeit the cheap
(non-Apple) kinds Proably selling stuff on EBay, surfing porn, the
usual laptop stuff.

Safeway gives them a warm spot, free power, free WiFi.

Another reason to avoid the Turd World Nation that Safeway has become.

--
Tim May

[Tim May]

I was on the ATT 200 MB per month plan, and came close to crossing the
$$$$ threshold a couple of times. (Once when I think it wasn't my
fault, but do to some bug, and ATT waived the overage charge.)

I switched a year or two ago to the 3 GB plan and have not come even
remotely close to crossing the threshold.

A 1-2 GB plan for less money would be a good medium.


--
Tim May

[Ciccio]

Now, that's good customer service. Indeed, I have found Home Depot to be
customer service oriented. I really like how every morning they have a
pool of laborers ready to be hired by the customers.

Ciccio

[(null)]

In article <2amqdalmec1j67j0a...@4ax.com>,

sf <sf.u...@gmail.com> wrote:
>We were talking about two different things, but the chops are coated
>with the same stuff that's on the roasts.

Then I wouldn't bother buying the chops. I'd buy breaded chops and I'd
buy stuffed chops but I wouldn't by chops that have undergone both.
Sorry, I didn't know that was the case here.

[sf]

If you actually believe what you said, you have just proven yourself
to be an ignorant boob.

[sf]

How do you manage to use so much data? Surely you own a computer.

[sf]

I've never cooked pork that was stuffed or breaded. I'm interested in
the stuffing part but not the breading. No idea why it's on them,
somebody must like it.

[Peter Lawrence]

On 2/12/15 11:42 PM, sf wrote:
>
> How do you manage to use so much data? Surely you own a computer.

Some apps are real data hogs. The Yelp app is one of them. Another one
which is even worse is the ESPN ScoreCenter app. I think the ESPN
ScoreCenter app pre-fetched and downloaded videos onto my phone even though
I never used that app to watch videos. I just used that app to get updates
on sports scores or read recaps of games.

But it was ALWAYS running in the background (it launched itself at startup)
so I finally deleted it from my smartphones and my data usage went WAY down.


- Peter

[sf]

On Fri, 13 Feb 2015 00:56:49 -0800, Peter Lawrence <humm...@aol.com>
wrote:

Thanks, Peter. I don't use any apps that you mentioned and those I
have installed don't appear to use much. I'm more concerned about
what's using up my battery, which is Phone Idle, Cell standby and
Android OS. From Jan 31 to Feb 12, I've used (according to my
phone)100 MB of data and almost half of it was FB @ 43.41 MB - mainly
because I fiddle on my FB phone app when I'm a passenger in the car.
Google Maps (which is turned on) isn't even a blip on the data report.
My grocery list app, which is what got this started, used only 1.38 MB
of data in that time period. And that, my friend, is why I want my
grocery store to provide wifi. I use it whenever it's available. I
keep zero sensitive information on my phone and conduct zero business
on it, therefore I don't care if the wifi I use is public or not. It
serves a purpose and I make use of it. A penny saved is a penny
earned.

[Todd Michel McComb]

In article <mbke7d$d95$1...@dont-email.me>,

Peter Lawrence <humm...@aol.com> wrote:
>But it was ALWAYS running in the background (it launched itself
>at startup) so I finally deleted it from my smartphones and my
>data usage went WAY down.

The majority of my data usage is probably apps I don't want and
can't delete doing updates and other nonsense.

Still, it fits within a minimal plan, without worrying about places
having wifi.

[Steve Pope]

Todd Michel McComb <mcc...@medieval.org> wrote:

>The majority of my data usage is probably apps I don't want and
>can't delete doing updates and other nonsense.

Do Samsung phones do the same eavesdropping trick as Samsung
televisions?

Steve

[Todd Michel McComb]

In article <mbolv6$3ub$1...@blue-new.rahul.net>,

Steve Pope <spo...@speedymail.org> wrote:
>Do Samsung phones do the same eavesdropping trick as Samsung
>televisions?

I assume so, but I don't know....

[sf]

IMO, any phone that wakes up when you say a certain word or phrase is
listening.