Meat Shopping

[Dorian Gray]

For meats unless you have a local full service butcher shop when you can buy "half a cow" (which is often your cheapest option for high quality meat) , if you want quality the only way to do it is to get the primal cuts (SAM's/BJ's work well) and if they offer the service, have them cut it to order or take it home and break it down yourself. There is often a dollar or more price difference (IN THE SAME STORE) between the primal cut and the precut meat.

Example:

Recently I started a morale thing for the folks that work for me that on the friday after payday we have a "bring your own meat" cookout where I supply the grill, the charcoal, etc and cook the food to order. For our first one, I supplied the meat as well as a treat for my folks since they have been busting thier humps recently.

At store X they had Filet Mignon's on "sale" for $9.99 a lbs for inch thick steaks so each steak was about a pound. $10 steak x 14 people =$140 (plus tax). A few cases down, they had the whole beef tenderloin (the primal cut for Filet Mingon) for $4.99 a pound. I got 17 1.5 inch steaks for $110 (after tax) and THEY cut it to order.

Why the price difference? Its about calculating for loss. The can sell the primal cheaper (even if they break it down) because they dont have to budget any loss in to it. They take the same tenderloin cut it the same way, and packaged it individually for sale, they might sale 3/4ths of the steaks cut. Those steaks that go bad have to be made up for in the price of the steaks that got sold, so the price per pound is higher.

I have even ground my own hamburger at home using my food processor which completely eliminates "pink slime" and I can control exactly how much fat is in my final product depending on my use (up toward 30% fat for burgers and down towards 10% for chilis, tacos, etc). This DOES tend to cost more if your buying the meat just to make burgers. But if you are buying primals, your going to have trimmings, this is great for burgers and diced in to small pieces for stews. Atlernately, if you have access to a full service butcher shop, buy a whole roast and have they custom grind it for you on the spot. You will notice a difference in quality and TASTE!

[LovesmyKimmy]

You can do this at stores like... Giant, Hannaford, Tops, Wegmans, and Food Lions too.

[Dorian Gray]

Yep, any store that actually sells primal. Sadly, alot of the stores local to me actually dont have real onsite butchers anymore. Everything is processed at a center and then shipped out prepackaged. The only 2 things you can routinely get as a primal at a standard grocery store here is pork tenderlion (mmmm center cut pork chops) and beef brisket (smoked/bbq'd or jerky).

[Kimmy]

I really liked the tip about grinding your own meat! What sort of food processor do you use?

[Dorian Gray]

Just the regular old food processor.

cube the meat in to 1/2 inch cubes, put in just enough to cover the bottom of the food processor then 6-7 pulses for a "chili" grind and 10-11 pulses for a "burger" grind.

[Kimmy]

Thanks! That sounds pretty easy. Should the meat be a specific temperature?

[Dorian Gray]

I do it slightly chilled. I find that it keeps the meat from becoming mush.

[Kimmy]

Great, thank you.

[Brother Kaman]

I shop a local store where the meat department marks down the meat that doesn't sell quickly enough. Sometimes the markdowns can be outstanding. I have often bought bacon (hickory smoked, maple cured, peppered, thick sliced, you name it) for $0.99 per lb. I buy much of my meat in that marked down section and take it directly home, vacuum seal it an freeze it. I can usually fill my freezer with meat if I shop and check the mark down area daily in the spring, summer and early fall. I bought a quarter beef last year and after cut and wrap by the butcher, the price was about $4.30 per lb. I can usually beat that price daily in the mark down area at the local store.

[Youch]

For meats unless you have a local full service butcher shop when you can buy "half a cow" (which is often your cheapest option for high quality meat) ,

I agree with most of what you said, however you do not need access to a butcher shop (mostly a passe service nowadays) to buy beef by the side or quarter. Plenty of farms available in most areas (within reason) that will provide the same service. In the PNW, there are many. Just need an adequate freezer! HUGE savings can be had......although as I currently operate in the hallowed e-grounds of ULC, I am reminded what Clueless Git might say in this thread of yours, Josh!!

I really liked the tip about grinding your own meat! What sort of food processor do you use?

Vitamix is best, but pricey.....

[Dorian Gray]

Mike, true most suburbs has access if you want to drive a bit. As to Trevor....yes I am a MMM.

[Stormson]

Great tip Josh! Absolutely buying in bulk in any way that you can always saves and sometimes it saves HUGE!

[BpCorey]

I go to Costco.

You can beat your meat, but you cant beat thier meat.

[Kingfisher]

I've found most stores that prepare their own hamburger, especially the large chain groceries but often the small delis, will grind other cuts for ya free of charge as well. At least the stuff off the shelf, I never tried bringing in my own meat. Since they're still priced as a steak/roast I can usually get a better deal by buying what's on sale and having the store grind them, especially when even 80/20 chuck is running almost $4/lb. Plus you've got better control over the quality and fat content. It sure beats whatever comes in those tubes. Mmmm, Kobe filet burgers... and if you like tartare, choosing your own cuts is the only way to go. If you have the option, ask the local farmers; they can often steer (hah!) you to a private butcher who can prepare those slabs (which you can sometimes buy directly from the farm) to your specifications cheaper than an established shop.

Edited June 11, 2012 by Kingfisher

[Rev. Dreed]

we buy a lot of our meat as a whole and have it sliced the way we want it. one store we shop at even grinds the trimmings and packages it seperate for no extra fee.

also the local butcher shop watches for me when we come in and offerer his old meat at a great discount as long as I buy all of it. a few weeks ago i got 65 lbs of misc. beef cuts for 69 cents per pound and it was already packaged and frozen