From this, you’ll find many cuts of meat are packaged with an absorbent pad, intending to soak up the purge.
The bloodlike liquid is actually called purge. Credit: Alamy
Steak School explains that older animals usually have more muscle tissue meaning more myoglobin.
Cows tended to be harvested at an older age than pigs, so the liquid that leaks from steak appears more bloodlike than the liquid that seeps from pork.
The site adds: “When it comes time to cook your steak, the myoglobin will darken as it’s exposed to heat and the meat loses its moisture. That’s why a rare steak looks ‘bloody’ and a well-done steak takes on a grey color.”
Bearded Butchers says purge should be treated like raw meat, with the site advising people ‘to avoid packages of meat that have excessive amounts of purge.’
The artisan butchery website states: “When a package of meat has a lot of purge in it, the meat has lost flavor and tenderness. The more purge, the less moisture in the meat, and the less tasty it will be.
“That’s why we let meat rest after cooking – it allows the juices to reabsorb into the meat.”
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