Portion control has health and profit benefits for food industry

June 27th, 2013

Changes in consumer preferences toward health and wellness are impacting the bottom line in the food industry. Companies that are including all natural and organic ingredients in their products are seeing greater volume.

A recent analyst’s report showed that restaurant chains like Chipotle are seeing consistent traffic growth as customers endorse its naturally raised pork, chicken, and beef. Tyson Foods is also seeing an uptick in business as some consumers are opting for chicken instead of red meat because of perceived health benefits.

How does “portion control” fit in as a factor in this new food industry paradigm?

Portion control is a buzz word within the health and diet industries and South Shore Meats has touted its state-of-the-art portion control systems as a way for the restaurateur  to maximize profits. The cut and quality of a center-of-the-plate cut from South Shore Meats can greatly impact the bottom line.

There is also an associated health benefit to portion control; the smaller, leaner the portion, the greater the health benefit. In fact, portion control may be the easiest way to measure the health benefit or risk of your center-of-the-plate cut.

There are many beef producers that are providing “all natural” products. However, that label may be a little misleading. You can have beef from cattle that has never consumed antibiotics or hormones that is truly natural. You can also have “all natural” beef product from cattle that has been antibiotic/hormone free for the last 120 days of its life.

Did you know that “all natural” had varying levels? Were you aware that “all natural” doesn’t always mean “all the time?”

There are no such variances with portion control.

South Shore Meats is setting the industry standard for portion control meat manufacturing, providing the absolute finest cuts of Beef, Pork, Lamb, and Veal for white-tablecloth establishments throughout the Northeast. Our portion control cuts have proven to impact the restaurateur’s bottom line, and may prove to be the industry answer for a trend toward healthier food options.

South Shore Meats touts portion control to combat rising prices

June 20th, 2013

South Shore Meats, the Northeast region’s leading center-of-the-plate portion control specialists, develops strategy in the face of rising commodity prices.

With no end in sight to the steady rise of beef commodity pricing, South Shore Meats is developing creative, portion control strategies to help restaurateurs deliver prime cuts with cutting into profits. The strategy is in response to pricing that has risen steadily since 2000.

“Between the cattle ranchers limiting the kills and our ongoing increased exporting, I really do not see any relief coming our way in the food service industry any time soon,” says Carlo Crocetti of South Shore Meats. “With these high prices being the ‘new norm’, it can be extremely daunting to come up with creative, culinary ways to make up profit shortfalls.”

The answer may lie in portion control, a specialty of South Shore Meats, a USDA certified manufacturing facility.

The company specializes in unique solutions for providing the finest center-of-the-plate cuts while streamlining operations and increasing profits. South Shore Meats has created a new paradigm of Quality, Consistency, and Profitability for the wholesale meat industry.

As an example, Crocetti points to the art and science that goes in to creating a 3 oz. medallion.

“We create the 3oz Medallion from the 6oz Tenderloin Tail which is a bi-product from the Filet Mignons that are processed daily,” he said. “As we cut down the Tenderloin we are left with a 6oz tail. The first cut is the 3oz Medallion and the leftover tip is mixed in with my random weight Tenderloin Medallions.”

The cut, quality, and pricing create a high-end product with maximum profitability for the restaurateur.

South Shore Meats is New England’s premier wholesale portion control meat manufacturing facility manufacturing the absolute finest cuts of Beef, Pork, Lamb and Veal for white-tablecloth establishments throughout the Northeast. This fourth generation, family run business combines state-of-the-art portion control concepts with Old World craftsmanship to provide the finest center-of-the-plate cuts in the industry.

South Shore Meats is located at 12 Taylor Avenue in Brockton, Ma and provides portion control cuts to all major food distributors in New England. More information is available online at southshoremeatsonline.com

 

Smithfield’s sale to Chinese firm could impact prices

May 30th, 2013

Here is some breaking news out of the industry. China’s Shuanghui International has made a $4.7bn bid to takeover Smithfield Foods, the world’s largest pork producer, in what would be the biggest takeover of a US company by a Chinese firm to date – if it passes regulatory hurdles. What will happen to pork prices if this sale goes through? Opening up the Chinese market could send pork prices soaring.

Read the full story here.

Alternative Steaks For Food Service

May 29th, 2012

Over the past few years I have seen beef commodity pricing go through the moon. They have never recovered since 2000. Between the cattle ranchers limiting the kills and our ongoing increased exporting, I really do not see any relief coming our way in the food Service industry any time soon. To give you an example of what I am talking about, currently on my wholesale distributor sell sheet, USDA Choice Center Cut Strip Steaks are consistently circumnavigating the $12 per pound range. In 1995 they were on my list for $5 per pound. USDA Choice Center Cut Tenderloin Steaks are always hovering $22 per pound. Again, back in 1995 they were $13 per pound. Did we have it good back then or what ?

With these high prices being the “New Norm”, it can be extremely daunting to come up up with new creative culinary ways to make up profit shortfalls. Some chefs think that simply cutting their own steaks from primal pieces is the best solution. This cannot be any further than the truth. Between the trim that is not used to the over/under portioning to the expensive bi-products to the shelf life of product wrapped in plastic “Saran Wrap” , this is not the answer.

Portion Control from a USDA certified manufacturing facility the answer.

I am constantly visiting restaurant owners, chefs and food Service professionals up and down the East Coast showing them new and exciting steaks that not only eat great and extremely versatile, but profitable at the same time. We could talk all day about Flat Irons, Culottes, Hangers and Teres Majors which are all great alternatives, but truly a distant second to the 3oz Tenderloin Medallion.

In my facility, we fabricate the 3oz Medallion from the 6oz Tenderloin Tail which is a bi-product from the Filet Mignons that are processed daily. As we cut down the Tenderloin we are left with a 6oz tail. The first cut is the 3oz Medallion and the leftover tip is mixed in with my random weight Tenderloin Medallions.

Our 3oz Tenderloin Medallion has a pound price consistently around $8-$9 per pound resulting in our 3-3oz pack at about $5 per pack or $1.67 per piece. This item fits all three criteria listed above.

1. Great Eating
2. Extremely Versatile
3. Very Profitable

These can be easily grilled with shrimp or lobster tails for a Surf “N’ Turf or simply grilled as Filet Mignon Sliders. The ideas are not only endless but can be creative for all of your customers giving them a higher end item with a lower budget ticket while at the same time maximizing your profits.

What are some of your favorite alternative steaks ?

Porterhouse VS. T-Bones

February 13th, 2012

Sometimes I really don’t understand why a majority of steak-eaters prefer Porterhouse Steaks over T-Bone Steaks. Don’t get me wrong, I love just about any steak, but it’s this phenomenon that gets me thinking. Most people that prefer Porterhouse Steaks say it’s because they like the larger piece of tenderloin. I can understand the reason why people enjoy a larger piece of filet, after all it is the most tender steak on the animal.

 The part that most carnivores don’t see is that with most Porterhouse Steaks, due to the fact that both steaks are cut from the same primal, you are getting the end cut of the Sirloin Strip. The end cut has a nerve that runs down at an angle to the end of the Sirloin Strip. This may cause the Porterhouse Steak to have a tougher chew on the sirloin side. The T-Bone on the other hand has a smaller piece of Tenderloin, but also the “Center Cut” of the Sirloin Strip.

 If the choice was mine, I would choose a T-Bone over a Porterhouse any day of the week.

 Which steak would be your choice?

 

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