Why do people like Costco so much?

[MrSquished]

Walking through the meats and seafood section at Costco is like a religious experience. They should have a chorus singing angelic hymns blasting as you walk through. With a live chorus performing on weekends

 

[Muse]

Walking through the meats and seafood section at Costco is like a religious experience. They should have a chorus singing angelic hymns blasting as you walk through. With a live chorus performing on weekends

That's quite an idea. Maybe I'll bring my own, a smartphone with a choral recording next time.

I'll be there in 9 days for my every other weekly (everyone wears a mask). I picked out a whole chicken 5 days ago, prepared it in my 6QT instant pot, 24 hours ago. It came out looking a lot like their rotisserie chickens, which I'd been buying for the last 3 trips. I stored it in one of those containers in my fridge. Had some for dinner last night. I decided against their rotisserie chicken because of the high sodium content.

Here's the recipe I used... it's really easy:

https://www.noshtastic.com/instant-pot-whole-chicken/

Ingredients
4-5 lb whole chicken
1 cup gluten free chicken broth , 125mls
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tbsp paprika
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt [I only used 1/4 tsp salt]
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 lemon
- -
Chicken Gravy
1 tbsp gluten free Worcestershire Sauce
2 tbsp corn starch , or potato starch
- -
Instructions
Remove the giblets from the chicken and set aside (I didn't see any in Costco's). Place half of a lemon into the chicken cavity (instead I added a couple teaspoons of lemon juice to the baste).

Mix the garlic powder, paprika, dried thyme, dried oregano, salt, pepper, and 1-2 tbsp oil together in a small bowl.

Using a basting brush, brush the mixture onto the chicken.

Add 1 cup (250mls) gluten free chicken broth to the pot and add the giblets to the liquid (I had stock from the last chickens). Add a trivet and place the whole chicken on top.

Lock the lid, turn the steam vent to 'sealing' and using the manual setting, adjust it to cook for 24 minutes at High Pressure for a 4lb chicken, adding approximately an additional 5-6 minutes per lb for bigger chickens.

When the cook time time is up, allow the unit to reduce pressure on its own without opening the steam release vent (Natural Release) for 12 minutes.

After 12 minutes you can carefully and slowly release the rest of the pressure.

Your chicken needs to be at an internal temperature of 165°F, you can check it with a digital kitchen thermometer. If it is not cooked simply put the lid back on and return it to pressure for 6 more minutes or until fully cooked.
- -
How to Make Chicken Gravy
Remove the whole chicken and the giblets from cooking liquid in the pot.

Add the Worcestershire Sauce and whisk in the corn or potato starch until fully blended.

Turn on the sauce setting (at medium if your pressure cooker allows) and stir continuously for 2-3 minute or until gravy thickens. Add salt and pepper to taste

Pass the gravy through a sieve to remove any lumps and serve hot over sliced chicken.
- - - -
I did not make the gravy yet. I'm going to skim off the fat first.

 

[Fritzo]

Walking through the meats and seafood section at Costco is like a religious experience. They should have a chorus singing angelic hymns blasting as you walk through. With a live chorus performing on weekends

They just upped the game on seafood at our Costco: they sell SEABASS now!!! Real fresh, unfrozen Chilean seabass!!!! One filet at a restaurant will run you $40, and you can get an entire fillet for $25. If you've never had seared seabass...it's a lot like a whole sheet of the best shrimp you've ever had

 

[Fritzo]

Does anyone have a strategy for buying stuff that you always buy when Costco "features" it. By that I mean, they have relocated it so some end cap somewhere that I never go by and its missing from its original location. Then I can't find it. The most recent example was their kirkland natural peanut butter. No idea where it is but there's plenty of jiffy and "mixed nut" butter.

In the past I've looked all over the place and still failed to find it. And I've asked employees and they also have no idea where it ends up. So when something I like "goes on sale" or is being advertised, its like I can't even buy it until that stops.

The problem with Costco is they only carry certain things seasonally or for a limited time. They had these Keto clusters with seeds, nuts, and honey that were absolutely fantastic. Three weeks later...never seen again. Same with these Izod Tech Pants I got recently: best dress pants I've ever worn! They're cut like jeans, made of a light stretch material, and the pockets are oversized and super strechy, allowing you to keep your phone, wallet, and keys in a single pocket. Got two pairs, went back to buy more and they're gone. Izod doesn't sell them directly either

 

[nakedfrog]

So I was seeking out a specific variety of frozen pizza, and it seems the only place that carries it nearby is Costco, so I might finally be taking the plunge... never been in one before, there was never a convenient location or real reason to go.

 

[MrSquished]

They just upped the game on seafood at our Costco: they sell SEABASS now!!! Real fresh, unfrozen Chilean seabass!!!! One filet at a restaurant will run you $40, and you can get an entire fillet for $25. If you've never had seared seabass...it's a lot like a whole sheet of the best shrimp you've ever had

Oh man. Patagonian Toothfish is delicious! It's one ugly fish with one ugly name - Chilean Seabass sounds so much more tasty!

I'll have to see if any of our area Costco's have that and pick some up for a family gathering.

 

[Muse]

The problem with Costco is they only carry certain things seasonally or for a limited time. They had these Keto clusters with seeds, nuts, and honey that were absolutely fantastic. Three weeks later...never seen again. Same with these Izod Tech Pants I got recently: best dress pants I've ever worn! They're cut like jeans, made of a light stretch material, and the pockets are oversized and super strechy, allowing you to keep your phone, wallet, and keys in a single pocket. Got two pairs, went back to buy more and they're gone. Izod doesn't sell them directly either

The pants I'm wearing now are great. I have 4 more on hangers. I bought all 5 at my local Costco. They are convertible, can turn them into shorts with a zipper. Cargo pants, have a total of 8 pockets, two of them zipped.

Love 'em! My every day pants. Asked last week if they have them and she said not this year, try online. I did, no soap.

 

[SaltyNuts]

Also OP:

I just don't understand why so many people like Coney Island's Throwback Thursdays with their 49 cent chili cheese dogs....

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Also OP:

I just don't understand why so many people like Coney Island's Throwback Thursdays with their 49 cent chili cheese dogs....

I am still waiting for what you find is so wonderful about Costco, don’t divert. What is so great about Costco to you?

 

[JEDI]

They just upped the game on seafood at our Costco: they sell SEABASS now!!! Real fresh, unfrozen Chilean seabass!!!! One filet at a restaurant will run you $40, and you can get an entire fillet for $25. If you've never had seared seabass...it's a lot like a whole sheet of the best shrimp you've ever had

my costco has PREVIOUSLY FROZEN seabass for sale for the same price.
it was thawed for our convenience.

what i dont understand is why?
Why not leave it frozen?
seems like a waste of time and effort for them.

Fritzo, was your seabass previously frozen?

 

[sdifox]

my costco has PREVIOUSLY FROZEN seabass for sale for the same price.
it was thawed for our convenience.

what i dont understand is why?
Why not leave it frozen?
seems like a waste of time and effort for them.

Fritzo, was your seabass previously frozen?

All sea bass are previously frozen. I don't get why the defrost it either.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

my costco has PREVIOUSLY FROZEN seabass for sale for the same price.
it was thawed for our convenience.

what i dont understand is why?
Why not leave it frozen?
seems like a waste of time and effort for them.

Fritzo, was your seabass previously frozen?

Other than less effort for you not sure. Maybe because fish spoils so quick it is safer?

 

[Fritzo]

my costco has PREVIOUSLY FROZEN seabass for sale for the same price.
it was thawed for our convenience.

what i dont understand is why?
Why not leave it frozen?
seems like a waste of time and effort for them.

Fritzo, was your seabass previously frozen?

Mine comes in a blister pack that says "Not previously frozen".

 

[PingSpike]

I am still waiting for what you find is so wonderful about Costco, don’t divert. What is so great about Costco to you?

I mostly buy a lot of paper products and things that seem to be marked way up at the regular grocery store. I don't buy a lot of meat and some other items because they seem like a meh deal. But this thread did teach me I should have a look at their chickens.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

I mostly buy a lot of paper products and things that seem to be marked way up at the regular grocery store. I don't buy a lot of meat and some other items because they seem like a meh deal. But this thread did teach me I should have a look at their chickens.

Cool!
Question was directed at tail between nuts

 

[Fritzo]

I mostly buy a lot of paper products and things that seem to be marked way up at the regular grocery store. I don't buy a lot of meat and some other items because they seem like a meh deal. But this thread did teach me I should have a look at their chickens.

Their meat is a premim price because they use premium cuts...but they still sell it at the same or lower prices than grocery stores. For example, you can get prime ribeye (blue packs in the meat dept) for $12.99/lb. Compare that to $22/lb at other places. Their choice beef is pre-trimmed so you don't get any fat/gristle.

My only complaint is they cut their steaks and pork chops WAY too thick- they typically do 1.5-2" cuts.

 

[Muse]

My only complaint is they cut their steaks and pork chops WAY too thick- they typically do 1.5-2" cuts.

I bought pork chops at Costco for I think the first time last week. I didn't realize until I unpacked them that they were so incredibly thick! Something like 2 inches thick! I took a knife and cut them into 3 horizontal slabs. Not easy to do accurately, and of course it was a dangerous task. No blood from my fingers, however. I looked around for some way to freeze them conveniently and used some old paper I got from the butchers at my local indy supermarket when I bought bulk sausage there. Then I looked around and found that they sell freezer paper online. I ordered a roll of that at Amazon, it's coming in 4 days.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EME5KZ0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[sactoking]

I like getting the whole pork loin from Costco. Then I can cut off two loin roasts, usually about 8-10 thin chops, and the rest as 1" chops.

 

[Muse]

I like getting the whole pork loin from Costco. Then I can cut off two loin roasts, usually about 8-10 thin chops, and the rest as 1" chops.

Yup, that's the way to go and what I usually do and I think I'll do that in the future as well. I have one of those in my freezer. You're talking, I think, about the packages of pork roasts, 3 4 sealed separately and bound together, I believe. They are quite lean! The pork chops I just bought were quite fatty and I had to cut off the fat. Sold for $3.29/lb, I bought the package 8 days ago. I cut them up but it would be way easier to just get the roasts and cut them up for chops.

 

[sactoking]

Yup, that's the way to go and what I usually do and I think I'll do that in the future as well. I have one of those in my freezer. You're talking, I think, about the packages of pork roasts, 3 sealed separately and bound together, I believe. They are quite lean! The pork chops I just bought were quite fatty and I had to cut off the fat. Sold for $3.29/lb, I bought the package 8 days ago. I cut them up but it would be way easier to just get the roasts and cut them up for chops.

No, my Costco sells whole pork loins (not to be confused with tenderloin, which they also sell). Roughly the same size and shape as a beef tenderloin. Not the same as the pork roast pack you mentioned.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

No, my Costco sells whole pork loins (not to be confused with tenderloin, which they also sell). Roughly the same size and shape as a beef tenderloin. Not the same as the pork roast pack you mentioned.

Are they alternator sized?

 

[MrSquished]

Their meat is a premim price because they use premium cuts...but they still sell it at the same or lower prices than grocery stores. For example, you can get prime ribeye (blue packs in the meat dept) for $12.99/lb. Compare that to $22/lb at other places. Their choice beef is pre-trimmed so you don't get any fat/gristle.

My only complaint is they cut their steaks and pork chops WAY too thick- they typically do 1.5-2" cuts.

Yeah that's the great thing about Costco, is not just the variety, but the quality/price ratio. It's really good.

 

[sactoking]

Are they alternator sized?

Quite a bit larger. Next time I grab one I can take a side-by-side with the spare alternator I have in my garage.

 

[iCyborg]

Their meat is a premim price because they use premium cuts...but they still sell it at the same or lower prices than grocery stores. For example, you can get prime ribeye (blue packs in the meat dept) for $12.99/lb. Compare that to $22/lb at other places. Their choice beef is pre-trimmed so you don't get any fat/gristle.

My only complaint is they cut their steaks and pork chops WAY too thick- they typically do 1.5-2" cuts.

My main complaint is that Costco tends to mechanically tenderize steaks, so cooking anything below about medium well is at your risk. I don't understand this practice especially with rib / tenderloing etc that don't need this.

E.g. see https://www.mashed.com/164331/the-one-reason-you-might-want-to-skip-costcos-beef/

 

[MrSquished]

My main complaint is that Costco tends to mechanically tenderize steaks, so cooking anything below about medium well is at your risk. I don't understand this practice especially with rib / tenderloing etc that don't need this.

E.g. see https://www.mashed.com/164331/the-one-reason-you-might-want-to-skip-costcos-beef/

If this was really an issue I'm sure we would have already had the class action lawsuit against Costco considering how many steaks they sell.