‘I Have Never Seen Nothing Like This’: Louisiana Butcher Buys Steak From Brookshire Grocery Store. Then He Cuts Into It

Nowadays, it seems like more people are suspicious of their meat than ever—and for good reason.

First, the talk of deregulation in the meat industry has some eager meat-eaters nervous. Second, meat alternatives have gotten really, really close to the real thing. And some people suspect that the government may soon try to force people to eat these alternatives instead of our beloved cows and chickens.

Finally, there are certain issues in the meat market, such as the rise of “spaghetti meat.” So-called spaghetti meat is meat that becomes stringy because it’s grown faster than the animal can handle. And it has some reconsidering where they purchase their meat, or if they should even purchase meat at all.

Still, when one decides to buy meat, they should be certain that they’re actually going to get what they pay for. But if you’re someone like Louisiana-based TikToker and butcher Chad (@thechad000buck), you might be surprised at what that meat package from the grocery store actually contains.

What’s Wrong With This Meat?

In his video, Chad shows a tenderloin cut from a package. The package indicates that it’s a “choice” cut from Certified Angus Beef. But Chad says there’s another issue with it.

“It looks like freaking glued meat,” he exclaims. As he does, he pulls apart the meat easily with his hands, revealing that the meat seamlessly goes from a unified mass into a stringy mess.

“I’ve never seen nothing like this, and I’m a butcher,” he shares. “I have butchered meat all my life.”

For context, a “Choice” cut simply means that the steak has more fat marbling than a “Select” cut but less marbling than a “Prime” cut. In short, this designation alone doesn’t explain why the steak is behaving in the way that it is. So, what could be wrong with this steak?

What Might Cause A Stringy Steak?

It’s uncertain what caused this exact issue, but there are a few things that can cause a steak’s texture to change remarkably while it’s still raw.

For example, repeated freezing and thawing cycles are known to degrade muscle fiber. Even if Chad himself didn’t repeatedly freeze and thaw the steak, it’s possible that the steak was frozen and thawed multiple times before he bought it. This is why it’s important to properly store and properly thaw meat.

Second, it’s possible that the meat was simply no longer suitable to eat. When steak has spoiled, its texture changes dramatically. That said, as Chad says he is a butcher, it’s likely that he would have already noticed the smell if the steak was truly beginning to spoil.

Finally, it may simply be that the meat had been mechanically tenderized. This is when steak is pierced with numerous needles or blades to soften it. This could give a steak the texture shown in the video.

No matter what caused it, Chad says he isn’t taking any chances. By the end of the video, he’s thrown away the steak. In subsequent videos, he shows that he’s now buying steaks from a local farmer/butcher.

Commenters Share Their Thoughts

The text overlaying the video declared that Chad had been sold “fake meat.” However, commenters were quick to remind him that lab-grown beef still isn’t commercially available and that it’s still cheaper to sell beef than any alternative.

Still, commenters had their own thoughts on what happened here and how Chad could solve the problem.

“Exactly why I stopped eating red meat and still iffy on chicken,” wrote a user.

“Stop buying meat from grocery stores support butchers locally!!!” exclaimed another.

“Its a 35 dollar tender choice ‘cho’ steak. it pulls like that and has that goo which is intermuscular fat,” said a third. “Its just a steak. stop freaking yourself out.”

BroBible reached out to Certified Angus Beef via email, to Chad via TikTok direct message and comment, and to Brookshire’s via email.