I’ve noticed and I’ve never really understood why that when you buy any meat that is crumbed from a butcher in Australia, it is always or nearly always yellow in colour.
Why do they do this and where does the yellow colour come from?
This is going to blow your mind but I had not idea buying crumbed meat was a thing.
Usually breading meat starts with dipping the meat into an egg wash before you dip it in the bread crumbs, so the yellow probably comes from egg yolk.
I do appreciate the answer but this is like a really bright yellow, and it permeates all of the bread, and you could not have enough egg to create this much yellow.
Is it yellow breadcrumbs or just cornmeal?
Now that is a really interesting question. I’ll do some research. Maybe that’s what it is.
Up here in Canada we have a type of bacon that’s traditionally coated in corn meal called peameal bacon - if this (random image from the internet affixed below) is what your meat looks like it might be the same stuff:
https://celebrationgeneration.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Peameal-Bacon-2.jpg
I’m unsure why but It used to be the same here in New Zealand, most butchers seem to have transitioned to panko breadcrumbs now.
The only place i’ve seen this in the last few years at the cheaper butcher chains like ‘The Mad Butcher’ and the one in my link below.
I think OP is talking about this.
https://www.coreysbutchery.com/shop/product/409143/beef-crumbed-schnitzel--from-500g/
Edit.
This image from ‘The Mad Butcher’ includes the breading ingredients.
That’s good find. That packaging lists “colour” as ingredient, so they could be normal breadcrumbs with coloring added.
This was asked on the other site: https://reddit.com/r/AskAnAustralian/comments/15ecqe2/anyone_here_a_butcher_or_work_in_commercial_meat/
The type of crumb being purchased was the answer.
I always thought it was because most breadcrumbs are white. When used as a breading they require a bit of know how to cook the meat properly and not burn the crumbs.
By coloring them you can cook them quicker, cook them easier, and still end up with that “golden brown” color that’s desired for the finished meal.
as an american my butcher has never in any state or county put breadcrumbs on my meat
Do ya’ll not have beef/chicken/veal schnitzel over there?
OP is not saying “any meat” as in “every meat”, just ones specifically designed as crumbed. It’s pretty popular here in Aus to have breaded meats.
It’s certainly a rarity (and a crying shame!). The closest things we see regularly are chicken nuggets and battered/breaded fried fish, but I’ve never seen those premade at a butcher shop either, just the freezer section from the giant companies at the grocery store.
But this thread did make me recall https://shorelunch.com/ which is a DIY crumb. Shake-n-bake is the pervasive product.
Panko is also a popular option for the crumb.
Breaded meat is fine. Buying pre-breaded meat sounds gross.
Probably a good way for the butcher to sell wheat flour at the same price as meat.
This isn’t meant to be rude or anything, I’m just not sure why you’re telling us this.
Is it just an in interesting fact for non-americans?
the OP asked a question about butchers. I have had the fortune to live in most of the united states over the past 40 years and have never experienced what the OP has.
I frankly find your comment condescending and for no reason. It is rude. Does your experience differ in some way? My comment was on topic to OP’s query.
OP asked why, when they see crumbed meat in Australia, the crumb is yellow. I’m struggling to see the relevance of your response that you’ve never seen crumbed meat in America.
Do you have a problem with people mentioning America?
Your original comment could be taken in various tones and they wanted a clarification. For what it’s worth, it is useful to some to hear it, since it could help people see differences between the US and other countries. It’s just said in a way that felt more like “Butchers don’t do this” rather than “As the contrast, I don’t see this done in my country”. Either way though, in the spirit of the question it is sorta off topic.
It’s like asking “Why does this currency have this person on it?” and getting the answer “I’ve never seen that currency used anywhere I lived.” While true, it’s not really relevant, doesn’t answer the question, and can either be taken as a long winded way to say “I don’t know” or stubborn self centered everything worth knowing is centered around your own experiences. Which is definitely reading into it too much, but there are people who act like that, either as trolls or real jingoists.
Okay.
I guess in the same way you found my comment to be for no reason, I also found yours to be the same.
IMO, your comment wasn’t really on topic. They asked a question about why it happens to them, and you replied that it never happens to you. How is that on topic?
I did find it interesting that it doesn’t happen in the US, I was just checking that you were just making a comment about your own experience, and not to help answer the ops question. That’s cool, and I was just checking.
I hope you have a nice weekend:)
You’re one of today’s lucky 10 000! https://www.recipetineats.com/schnitzel/#wprm-recipe-container-22829
Bread is brown. It’s white with unnecessary additives. If you buy breadcrumbs for such purpose, they’re always light brown or wholemeal. There’s no point in fluffy white flour being used which arguably cooks worse with meat cooking methods as it’s finer.
If the meat’s distinctly yellow, it is likely oil too, rice bran oil is common as it’s quite flavourless and results in strong colour, like conola oils. Oil is used to have crumbs stick on meats that have had their fats/bloods well drained. These are usually cuts not reserved for top quality cooking where the meat is preserved as the pinnacle for the dish, rather than meats being added to the dish or being part of the dish.
Source: Not a butcher, but big into slow cook and BBQ, so deal with a lot of cuts and prep.
Rice bran oil is also great because it’s for a very high smoke point. Great for things you want to char or deep fry.
Yeah, I use it almost exclusively. Better for the environment, super useful, and always high quality. It’s like the paragon of cooking oils. What it doesn’t do well, it still does at a 7/10. It’s also a lot easier only having to remember the properties of one oil.
Never seen this myself. Where are you from? It might be a regional thing.
Their post says where they’re from - Australia. Or do you mean more specifically?
Yeah, I’ve been only to Sydney and Melbourne and don’t remember seeing that, but I might be wrong.
I can confirm I’ve seen what you are talking about, but have no idea. Not at every butchers though.
I’m not much of a crumbed meats buyer, but occasionally will buy crumbed fish and some places also have that unnatural yellow crumbing.
Edit: Disregard. Read “crumbed” as “crumbled” and thought OP was referring to ground meat/mince. I still think my reply has some interesting info, so I’ll leave it.
I couldn’t find any pics of what you’re talking about, so if you have one, I’d be curious to see it.
From my searching though, I saw that grass fed beef, which would be the “good stuff” has yellow fat instead of white, so when that is minced it will likely coat the meat with that, giving it a slight tint.
Just a guess, but that’s all I could find.
FWIW, that graph is super US centric. Growth hormones aren’t legal in Canada or the EU, I’d imagine elsewhere neither.
That is interesting, it’s true. Have you never had a schnitzel?
Old man reckons they’re “cornflake crumbs”, similar to what other commenter said but also not Corn flour per say. Makes them crunchy.
