Celebrity Chef Warns Against Paying for Water: The Truth Behind Marinated Meat for Barbecue Season

The celebrity chef warns against the tricks which, in his opinion, mean you have to pay the price of meat for water and marinade.

– We are easy to fool during barbecue season. The atmosphere is almost more important than the food. The packaging is cool, says Eirik Lillebø.

He has more than 25 years’ experience as a chef and is co-owner of the restaurants Vaaghals and Code. The outspoken chef has previously chastised the industry for poor quality, including when it comes to pork chops.

– There is no doubt that it is the man who is being deceived. And we are easily fooled. You see it in the advertisement. Dad just needs to fire up the grill, turn the meat a bit and drink two beers. And then get all the credit, says Lillebø.

Also read: Easy to make a mistake on the shelf: – Crazy price!

Injected with water

Lillebø believes many people are not aware that some of the meat you put on the grill is injected with water. On several packages checked by Nettavisen, it says “added water”.

• On the fillet from Folkets that we found at Kiwi, it says 7 percent water has been added.
• On the grilled fillet from Coop that we found at Extra, it says 8 percent added water.

It also says “added water” on the summer chops at Rema 1000. But, not how much. But the amount of meat is stated at 80 per cent, so there is obviously a good deal of water added.

In the 14 products Nettavisen examined, there was as much as 76 per cent meat content.

– Spraying water into the meat makes it easier for the brine to soak in. But it won’t make a better piece of meat, says Eirik Lillebø.

Like gel or gum

On the contrary, the meat deteriorates, Lillebø believes.

– It does something to the structure, it becomes either jelly-like or like a bit of hard rubber.

He has no doubts as to why the producers use water.

– Charging for water is good business, of course they make money by injecting water, says Lillebø.

– I’m not particularly fond of buying water, you can get it for free from the tap. I don’t buy the meat, I rather take a glass of water from the tap and drink it alongside, he says.

Also read: New move: – Rema 1000 deceives its good customers, it annoys me

Gilde: – It’s about quality

Gilde has many meat products for the season, including summer cutlets smoked on beech chips. Nettavisen is informed by Nortura, which owns Gilde, that these have been sprayed with water. Water makes up 13 percent of the weight. There is almost twice as much water as in the summer cutlets from First Price.

– Why do you add water to the meat?

– This is about quality. We add water because the product should not become dry and tough during heating. Pork chops can often be perceived as dry, as many people prefer to overcook the chops. By adding water/brine, we get a juicier product, says Head of Department Kjetil Nesse to Nettavisen.

– What would you say to the claim that you charge for water?

– This is a myth and a phrase that is constantly used, but it is not the case, says Nesse.

– Our prices for grocery chains are set based on raw material cost and labor cost. On all our products that are added with lac, we lower the price per kilo to the raw material price, he says.

Nesse adds:

– All processing results in some labor costs, but we have no profit from adding water, says Nesse.

Nortura also points out that it is the store that sets the price for consumers.

– Ikke Rolls-Royce

When water is injected into the meat, the amount of meat is reduced. But there can also be a low proportion of meat in the ready-marinated products.

• Long-roasted Lamb Book we found at Rema 1000 has 85 percent meat.
• The flint roast from Gilde has 84 percent meat.
• Grill Perfekt Baby Back Ribs from Coop has 78 percent meat.

Lillebø is not enthusiastic about the ready-marinated meat that is sold.

– It’s not worth it, if you ask me. Then you pay the meat price for the marinade. And I highly doubt there are any Rolls-Royce products in the marinade, so to speak.

He encourages people to make the marinade themselves.

– Buy clean meat instead, and make a good marinade yourself. There are many good recipes online. Then you can get better ingredients into the marinade as well. And then you know what you’re getting into. There can be a lot of strange things in pre-marinated meat.

– Making the marinade yourself pays off big, and the hourly price for making it is reasonably hefty.

Rejects the criticism

Nortura denies that they use marinade to increase profits.

– We are constantly working to develop good products that are easy to make successfully at home in your own kitchen. If we increase the amount of marinade or added water, this is about making a better product, it is not something we get a higher profit on, says head of department at Nortura Kjetil Nesse.

– Is meat or marinade the most expensive for you to buy?

– The lake price is far below the raw material price, while the marinade prices vary a lot, depending on whether it is a water-based or oil-based marinade. Sometimes the marinade price is higher, but that again depends on the raw meat price. Spice mixtures included in marinades usually have a higher price than the price of the raw material, says Nesse

This is how Extra, Kiwi, Rama 1000 respond to the criticism:

EXTRA: – People must be allowed to choose for themselves

– What is important for Extra is that the customers themselves should be able to choose what they want to put on the grill, and that what they are buying is clearly marked, says communications manager Harald Kristiansen.

– Basically, we completely agree with Lillebø; Feel free to buy a good piece of meat, make the marinade yourself and leave it overnight, he says.

– But then the world is such that many of our customers want good, quick and simple solutions, which are guaranteed not to dry out on the grill.

– As the chef himself says, the marinade helps to get the spice mixture to form and absorb completely into the meat. It also contributes juiciness, so that the meat does not become dry when it is fried.

– We are proud of the grill products in the Grill Perfekt series, which have won a number of awards for their quality, so to talk down marinated products seems to us to be completely wrong.

NORGESGRUPPEN: – Better dining experience

(Norgesgruppen owns Kiwi, Meny and several other chains)

– The way our marinated products and summer cutlets are produced is the way this type of product is usually produced, and it is quite similar throughout the industry, says communications manager Kine Søyland.

– We add liquid primarily because it makes it easier for the consumer to succeed with the preparation. The liquid makes the final product juicier and thus a better eating experience, she says and adds:

– When it comes to the summer chops, we have to add brine before smoking, otherwise the chops will be very dry.

Regarding the marinated products, Søyland says this:

– We have added liquid to the product so that the consumer will have a better eating experience. A piece of meat will naturally lose some of its original meat juice in the time after slaughter. To compensate for this loss of liquid, we add liquid so that the product is perceived as juicier and therefore more tender.

REMA 1000: – Quick to prepare

– Some of the products are natural, others are flavored with salt, spices and/or marinade, and are therefore quick to prepare on the grill, says category and purchasing director Line Aarnes.

– Adding brine will both give the desired taste and give a juicy and tender product.

– Summer chops are a traditional barbecue product that is salted and smoked, and is one of our best sellers during the barbecue season.

– We also have many products in the grill range that only have spices added. There is thus a great opportunity for everyone to find their favourite.