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Around here, if you're willing to take in unwanted roosters, there's abundant fresh chicken. They are generally really tasty, but generally not so tender. Mostly because by the time they are crowing and annoying the folks enough to get rid of them, they aren't tender anymore. Stewing hens are somewhat similar. Flavorful but not tender. So, you get a rooster or stewing hen to make the broth and a tasteless young chicken for the meat and you'll end up with a really good chicken soup.
If you have access to grasses and greenery, a few rabbits would be a really good thing.
Where in the heck are you getting any groundbeef for $1.99 lb? BTW, some fat on the chicken makes it more flavorful and not nearly as dry. Again, as has been explained over and over, you do not get good quality meats at a reasonable price. Not to mention what do you consider reasonable? $5.00 lb for ground beef, or $3.50 a lb. Chicken at .99 lb or 2.00 a lb?
The only place I find ground beef (and fresh, I might add) is at this Chinese supermarket (the place is huge) in Brooklyn's Chinatown we shop at. But, then again. all fresh meats and produce are cheap there.
At this market, chicken legs cost between $0.59-0.69/pound, leg quarters cost $1.19 a pound, goat meat is $3.99 a pound (for NYC, that's a good price for goat), sweet potatoes/cabbage/roma tomatoes all are $0.49 a pound. I absolutely love this place!
Thank you for all the detailed info, mainebrokerman!
I knew about watching for sales and flyers - but I wasn't aware of the possibility of buying primals and then cutting them myself. Can you do this at a regular grocery store or should I look for independent, local butcher shops and establish a relationship with them?
This might be a good solution as we have a small freezer in the basement.
I was also not aware of the "loss leader" strategy - interesting.
I wonder whether it would be really profitable for stores to use good quality meats as loss-leaders? ...
You can actually do it in the privacy of your own home. Just buy whatever you need from rabbit to cow. You can pick up skinned and hung depending locally. You can also go a bit off the grid by hunting. We had the most lovely venison and lots of it while we lived in Georgia and Alabama. Back to domestic - some farmers sell semi cut, some even sell freezer wrapped. Check your area's game butchers as they often work for farmers during off season.
I've raised a lot of meat, of all species, for my family. I know what it costs to raise premium meat and, believe me, it is not cheap to raise it right. There is no way that anyone can sell you premium quality meat for cheap. If you want good meat be prepared to pay for it.
The only way to get superb vegetables and fruit is to raise your own or else be lucky and have a neighbor who gardens and over-plants.
I have places where I buy decent enough veggies and fruit that can at least be eaten. I buy all the beef that my family eats. My sources and my prices do you no good, OP. You dont live where I live so you can't shop where I shop.
I buy my beef at a restaurant supply store. It comes in big 20-40 pound chunks and I hand cut it I to pieces that I want and I've got a good meat grinder and I buy whole choice grade certified Angus shoulders and grind my own burger.
Will not waste my time reading all the posts as I was in the Grocery trade for 23 years and know all the angles......Whlse and RETAIL.
With the Meat cutters Union scale Meat is NOT going to be cheap. Have you ever seen how they acquire the meat for Ground Beef?.....they use a sharp boning knife to cut/scrape what meat is left on a bone and then will add FAT all going into a grinder for a blend mixture. That is why you will see a label saying "85% Lean and 15% Fat or close to those numbers.
The Govmt does check for accuracy re those numbers......then again a different cut of meat might get into the Ground Beef and thus a weird taste (happened to me at one purchase).
As for Fruit and Vegies depends on where they come from...local farmers or Imported from Mexico/South America..
With the price of Beef (supply/demand) a store I went to yesterday sold Ground Chicken and I bought some thick cuts of Pork center cuts for less then $3.69 a lb. Just happened to think I could cut into small pieces and use it for Tacos....instead of precut at a higher price.
Key word would be "Distribution" when it comes down to a cost of any item.
Last edited by Steve Bagu; 07-23-2015 at 04:39 PM..
Reason: spelling
For good fruit and veg you need to develop skill in picking it out (smell! Your nose is so useful!), but also find a supplier you trust. The buyer is tasting the produce and deciding what to buy. If you find a shop where the buyer does a great job you'll be able to trust their stuff.
As for price, keep in mind what is in or out of season, that is a huge driver of cost.
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