Just a CYA statement. I trust Costco meat, the facilities it is packaged in and the people processing it. So I don't care if it has been blade tenderized. I am going to cook it to the temperature I want!
Hmmm. How far does that trust extend? Would you eat Costco hamburger at <165°F? Do you have the same trust in their chicken products?
I have never shopped at a Costco, not even sure where the closest one is to me. In general I would have to agree with Bentley's statement, because of how people are today.
Now would I eat their hamburg less than 165? Yes. I would say that as I am repackaging or making patties, I would be putting some salt and pepper on small bites of it and eating it right out of the pack.
Chicken is a different story, first they probably don't run it through a tenderizer, and second the risk of getting sick off chicken seem to be far greater than off cow or even pig. That said I am okay if my cooked chicken breast has some pink in it, not to the extent of what I like in other cuts of beef or pig though. under cooked chicken still has that slimy feel or bite to it. Something the other meats don't have.
As for the tri tip I still have never sen them in any store, and the local butcher shop/meat market is not easy to find here any more. There used to be several good ones. Now it is mostly the custom butchering, where you can't just buy a tri tip or a couple of steaks.
