What should you do when your meat turns gray?

So, you've stocked up on quality beef for your barbecue. It's the perfect bright red color, but once you get home and open the package, you notice it looks a little gray on the inside. Annoyed, you throw it away and head back to the store. But stop! That gray color on its own doesn't mean the meat has spoiled. Again, our old friend myoglobin made that happen. The meat on the surface of the package is exposed to more oxygen, giving it that red color.

The meat at the center of the package hasn't been exposed to that much oxygen, so it still has some purple hues, which can appear gray next to the red pieces. As long as that's the only change, throw it on the grill and enjoy.