FAQ's
Our beef comes from two top sources:
Swift Beef Company (1855 Brand)
Est. M 969G
555 S. Stuhr Rd.
Grand Island, NE 68801
Our organic grass fed beef comes from two top sources:
Pacific Pastures, www.pacificpastures.com
Eel River Organic Beef, www.certified-organic-beef.com
About Our Beef
We use the best practices for highest quality product selection and processing. Our beef is hormone, steroid and antibiotic free allowing our customers to gain maximum benefit from our cattle’s nutrient-rich diet. A large portion of our customer base are athletes who are trying to perform at their highest potential. Whether you are a bodybuilder, a professional athlete, a CrossFit member, have children in youth sports, or are simply trying to begin a healthier lifestyle, the cornerstone of achieving those healthier goals starts with the foods we eat. There are no “quick fixes” through supplements or fad diets. Supplements are just that: “supplements.” Meaning, supplemental to the foods that we should be eating and are required for a healthy lifestyle. The core to a healthy lifestyle should be the foods we eat - of highest quality, not just what’s on sale at the grocery store. Doctors in every corner of the world will tell you that living a healthy lifestyle consists of eating healthy foods consistently. Whether you choose our 100% hormone free and antibiotic free Angus beef, our 100% organic grass-fed beef, our wild caught seafood, or our hormone free chicken, we make it convenient and cost effective for families to have consistent healthy food in their homes. After all… abs are made in the kitchen!
Angus cattle have been bred for meat consumption specifically in mind. The animal naturally increases muscle and the right amount of fat in an impressively short period of time. This helps ensure the animal is younger at slaughter and has a great chance of grading out as a Choice product or even higher. In return, Angus beef is more tender than other beef.
At “Meats 2 U” all of our beef is wet aged for a minimum of 21days. The wet aging process is in place to ensure your steak is tender and flavorful. There are no chemicals used in this process, the product is vacuumed sealed and marinates in its own natural juices.
The majority (80-85%) of all meats sold at grocery stores have been frozen or near frozen in one manner or another at least once prior to its arrival. Just because it looks “fresh”, doesn't mean it necessarily is. Re-freezing meats (beef, poultry, pork) and seafood greatly diminishes its quality, taste and texture. Once defrosted and in the butcher case, the count-down to its expiration date begins. From the ranch, to the processor, to the butcher shop, many meats have had more than ample time to bloom, and to increase in bacteria count. Have you ever heard the saying "Life begins at 40?" So does it for bacteria count on all beef, pork, poultry and seafood above that temperature! You have heard many news reports of massive recalls of contaminated products usually caused by their mishandling. Severe illnesses have resulted. Whereas the FDA regulates what goes on in these processing plants down to your local butcher shop, the FDA is not always on-site. There is no 24-hour oversight to ensure that meats are kept at consistently safe temperatures (under 40 degrees Fahrenheit) at all times, from the ranch all the way to the butcher's block. Meats 2 U can guarantee safe handling and quality control from the farm to the packaging facility where each cut of beef is vacuum-sealed for freshness and in-house USDA inspectors are on duty round-the- clock. We guarantee our products have never reached temperatures above safe-handling levels, nor have been exposed to oxygen for extended periods. That is why our beef will "bloom" only in front of you, only when you defrost it and only when you are preparing it for your family's dinner table. How fresh- tasting is "fresh"?....you will have to try us out and judge for yourself!!! We are willing to go “fork-to-fork” with our customers: We contend our blast-frozen products will be noticeably superior to any other market's apparently “fresh” product for its taste, texture and tenderness any day of the week.
USDA inspectors are appointed as a direct representative for the consumer. They are in place to certify that the customer is getting the quality they are paying for. If something is not USDA inspected, then you are just taking the vendor's word for it. I urge all our cus-tomers to call our competitors and ask them if their product is USDA Graded. Their answers might sur-prise you! It is also important to understand that for an animal to be graded choice it must be a younger animal. Older age animals may contain an abundant amount of marbling but they are too old to be graded. These cattle are mainly old dairy cows that are no longer producing milk and have been sent off to slaughter. This meat is able to be purchased at a lower cost and then marked up and labeled as high quality “private label” beef. www.beefresearch.org
Yes, meat is graded on marbling or its intramuscular fat. This fat provides flavor and tenderness. The more the marbling, the higher the grade of beef. www.fsis.usda.gov
Angus cattle are grown specifically for their meat. A “brand” of beef is like a “brand” of soup on your grocery store shelf. It does not guarantee the quality of its content. Unless beef is graded “Select” “Choice” or “Prime”, you are not assured of any consistency in product quality. “Brand” names are most often an “ungraded” quality, meaning they do not consistently meet the standards by the USDA to be awarded such a grade, or they would proudly represent such a grade on the label.
Yes, our filets are the real deal, cut from the PSMO Tenderloin. PSMO it is the standard meat term for beef tenderloin. Some competitors use other cuts to make filet. They are able to call it filet because the USDA standard for filet is and meat that has been cut and trimmed of all fat and bone. This means it has now been Filleted. Before buying from someone else call and ask if they use PSMO Tenderloin to cut their filets.
Yes! Remember that marbling is small intramuscular pockets of fat. Obviously a steak no longer appears to be marbled up after cooking. That’s because those fat pockets dissolve during the cooking process and in return, make that piece of meat tender. The more marbling, the higher quality of meat, the more tender that piece of meat is going to be. So remember this formula: “FAT” = Flavor And Tenderness. Need we say more?
We carry both. Our Angus beef is pasture-raised and grass-fed up to 180 days before slaughter. Then “all natural” grain feeding increases the marbling.
We also carry a grass fed grass finished line.
Organic food refers to food items that are produced, manufactured and handled using organic means defined by certifying bodies such as the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) under its Organic Food Products Act. Natural food, on the other hand, generally refers to food items that are not altered chemically or synthesized in any form. These are derived from plants and animals. Thus a natural food item is not necessarily organic and vice versa.
Freezing & Thawing Our Products
The best way is simply to leave the product in the refrigerator for 5-8 hours to thaw naturally. However, our method of freezing and packaging has made defrosting ultra-fast and convenient. The fact that our products are not water-infused (refer to FAQs under “Beef: What's the Difference”) helps achieve our quick defrosting time. If you forget to defrost ahead of time, the product may be placed in the sink with cool water running over it; this process will take about 5 to 15 minutes depending on the product. An 8 to10-oz steak or chop will defrost in less than 15 minutes and a 6-oz chicken breast filet will defrost in about 5 minutes.
Do not use hot water as it could “pre-cook” the outside of your food to some extent. Luke-warm to warm water is fine. When defrosting this way, keep an eye out for any breach of the packaging seal. This is not likely, but it has happed on rare occasions. (please contact us if this is ever an issue) NEVER DEFROST IN THE MICROWAVE! This is the best way to “burn” the exterior of your food as well as sacrifice its flavor, nutrition and tenderness. (Refer to “Resource Center” in our website)
Yes, but make sure you follow temperature guidelines. The USDA standard for holding product in a refrigerated environment for a sustained period is 44.6F . This temperature greatly reduces the growth of pathogens. If you thawed your product and kept it at or below 44.6F and decided a few days later to refreeze it, that would be perfectly safe. There are also studies that show product can reach 60F for sustained periods of time pathogens multiply to a significant level and the food spoils. This link has great information on product temperature and time to spoilage. https://meathaccp.wisc.edu/Model_Haccp_Plans/assets/raw_ground/TompkinPaper.pdf
NO. Flash-freezing uses cryogenics which is known to kill enzymes and thereby diminishing the nutritional value in foods as well as sacrificing its taste, texture and tenderness. We know the importance of, and insist in maintaining the nutritional value of our products.
If the package has stayed completely sealed and the product has never been thawed it will last 12months.
Cooking Tips
Meats2U ships a pure, high-quality product to its customers. Our beef is not water-infused; therefore, the meat begins cooking immediately, not the water in it. Also, the extra marbling in our meat increases the internal temperature a bit and cuts down the cooking time slightly.
Putting frozen product on your grill is fine, however not recommended. Depending upon the thickness of what you are grilling, the outcome may not be ideal. If a cut of beef is too thick, it could easily become overcooked on the outside before reaching its desired doneness on the inside. The same applies for pork. Seafood should always be thawed first due to its delicate nature. Our chicken breast filets on the other hand, should cook quite well from frozen since they are trimmed to cook evenly and quickly. We recommend that food be thawed prior to cooking (thicker cuts are best cooked after being brought to room temperature.
Placing Orders & Delivery
Every customer receives automatic confirmation upon ordering.
You will receive a confirmation email with information on your estimated delivery.
You would have to call corporate office. Once we receive the order, the system is set up so that the order is filled ASAP.
Curbside Pick Up
Place your order online and pick it up for FREE from our local curbside pickup location.
Promotional Code To Use When Ordering Like This:
curbside
That's going to omit shipping cost. In the section labeled "Special Instructions for shipper" in RED on the check out page, indicate what time you would like to come by for pick up.
This pick up will be by appointment only and our staff will come out to the front and hand you your order at the time you have indicated. Please show proof of purchase. A screenshot of your confirmed purchase will do.
Please purchase what you need by 6/19/20, this location is going to close the day after forever. Thank you!
Meats2U Fountain Valley facility:
2889 N. Larkin Ave., Suite #106
Fresno, CA 93727
Hours of Operation:
TUESDAY through FRIDAY: 11:00 am to 5:00 pm
Shipping & Delivery
We ship to the following 7 states ONLY: CA, NV, AZ, WA, OR, ID, and UT.
WE DO NOT DELIVER SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY AND ALL FEDERAL HOLIDAYS.
Due to the pandemic and sourcing issues, delivery of your order can take up to a total of 10 days.
Your order will more than likely arrive within three to five total days but we would rather under promise and over deliver.
Rest assured we will do our best to ship your order as promptly as possible.
Since 2012, Meats2U has always been known as a 3 day max delivery service but these are unfortunate and difficult times. When it comes to sourcing issues, we only have so much control.
By placing your order now, you are securing your product to be placed next in line and shipped sooner than later.
We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your support.
** This shipping protocol listed above does not apply to the “MEAL PREP” (fully cooked meals) section on the website. That section has it’s own “SHIPPING & DELIVERY” protocol, please read that section for further instructions.
(Should you live in a remote area of a state we provide service to, our 3rd party carrier may not provide service. Rule of thumb is if you can place an order on our website, we provide service to your area)
24 hours if you receive any product that is thawed but is still cool to the touch and is not above 40F you can refreeze it.
No, but once an order is shipped from our facility and we receive confirmation it has been delivered we are not responsible for stolen product or temperature abused product that was not claimed in the 24hour shipping period.
This would be considered a special request and would require a call to corporate. Yes, it is possible
It is the customers responsibility to forward the correct information and the customer would take full responsibility in regards to this error.
You will receive an email notification alerting you to login to your account and update your billing information.
There are no minimum or maximum order restrictions; however for orders exceeding (30) items, you will need to contact corporate office to verify shipping cost
Refunds
Please call the corporate office if you have any questions after submitting an order.
While our products are proven customer favorites, we understand that on occasion something purchased may not suit everyone's discriminating palate. If this happens, please notify us by e-mail. Make sure you save any unused portion in a zip-lock bag in your freezer as we do require an item-for-item exchange. We will make arrangements for the exchange within a reasonable time period depending on your location.
Product Guarantee
Since our inception, not one customer has reported they have received less than what they were promised. Our word and integrity is of utmost importance to us which is how we have managed to grow in these difficult economic times the past few years and we intend to keep on growing and providing the highest quality product to our customers for years to come. We will never risk losing customers for a slightly larger profit margin. Feel free to verify our product. We want you to know that keeping our word to you is gold to us.