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I am in Charlotte, about 4 hours away from Atlanta which you mentioned you are near or in.
Prices change frequently.
It's not getting the most expensive thing on the shelf (and even then that's a fail a lot of the times), it's like what was said in the other thread. It's researching local stores, farms and CSA's (which also does meats). Posting on here isn't going to get you anywhere. Research near you, talk to people about where they get this or that. Post on your city's board and ask.
If pricing is important to you, note the prices at your regular stores and WF. And then compare THOSE prices to the sources I mentioned before. You would be surprised to find out that it's often cheaper or right in between of the two.
syr,,,I am a butcher for over 30 years and work in grocery stores..
the best price at any particular time is the front page of a grocery store flyer- read that twice,,,the best price is on the front page of the flyer - these are loss-leaders.... to get customers in the store..
look at all the flyers in your area and cherrypick them (just buy the sale items)
also, on meats take some time to educate yourself,,,youtube is your friend,,,,
you can save 30-40% buying whole pieces (primals) and cut them yourself,,or as the butchers to cut it..
its that simple,,
for example,,the "market price for boneless pork chops is 3.99lb-4.99lb (regular retails)
many stores will sell the whole bnls pork loin for 1.99lb (7lb ave.) you can buy this,,,slice it the way you want (in chops, roasts or ribs) or ask the butcher to do it -they will do it fo free)
if you like steak,,,look for the loss leaders on the front page,,,the beef market has been high ,,,so prices aren't that low except on pork and chicken,,
buy in on the sales and freeze ... that's how you save..
also, get to know a butcher by name at a butcher shop or small iga/independent store, ask many questions
don't buy your meats at Walmart,,, nothing is cut/ground fresh on site
also....if you see beef roasts on sale for 2.99lb-3.49 or steaks... you can ask the butcher to grind that steak or roast and it might be cheaper than regular price in the case
chicken is cheap now,,,look for sales ...and stock up
also don't be afraid of reduced meats (beef) it is still good....chicken and pork,, is usually still good, but if its hot,,,and you car Is hot ,,,I wouldn't chance it,,,,again,,,beef will be fine
Food is a commodity and, like all commodities, the prices fluctuate. You can't predict or compare prices; the market is too fluid and food is subject to too many outside pressures (weather, insects, viruses ... ).
Accept this and move on.
Sometimes it's best just to buy what you want, and not waste so much energy wondering if you could get it cheaper somewhere else. Is a few pennies really worth so much drama?
syr,,,I am a butcher for over 30 years and work in grocery stores..
the best price at any particular time is the front page of a grocery store flyer- read that twice,,,the best price is on the front page of the flyer - these are loss-leaders.... to get customers in the store..
look at all the flyers in your area and cherrypick them (just buy the sale items)
also, on meats take some time to educate yourself,,,youtube is your friend,,,,
you can save 30-40% buying whole pieces (primals) and cut them yourself,,or as the butchers to cut it..
its that simple,,
for example,,the "market price for boneless pork chops is 3.99lb-4.99lb (regular retails)
many stores will sell the whole bnls pork loin for 1.99lb (7lb ave.) you can buy this,,,slice it the way you want (in chops, roasts or ribs) or ask the butcher to do it -they will do it fo free)
if you like steak,,,look for the loss leaders on the front page,,,the beef market has been high ,,,so prices aren't that low except on pork and chicken,,
buy in on the sales and freeze ... that's how you save..
also, get to know a butcher by name at a butcher shop or small iga/independent store, ask many questions
don't buy your meats at Walmart,,, nothing is cut/ground fresh on site
also....if you see beef roasts on sale for 2.99lb-3.49 or steaks... you can ask the butcher to grind that steak or roast and it might be cheaper than regular price in the case
chicken is cheap now,,,look for sales ...and stock up
also don't be afraid of reduced meats (beef) it is still good....chicken and pork,, is usually still good, but if its hot,,,and you car Is hot ,,,I wouldn't chance it,,,,again,,,beef will be fine
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? ...
Food is a commodity and, like all commodities, the prices fluctuate. You can't predict or compare prices; the market is too fluid and food is subject to too many outside pressures (weather, insects, viruses ... ).
Accept this and move on.
Sometimes it's best just to buy what you want, and not waste so much energy wondering if you could get it cheaper somewhere else. Is a few pennies really worth so much drama?
When it comes to food, especially good quality food, which appears to come at a serious premium in the US, then yes - those "few pennies" add up.
And if we're talking about staples, which should be quality leaders because we stuff our bodies with them regularly - even more so.
I don't see any drama in the need to maximize food quality and minimize cost.
The questions I asked are very serious and have nothing to do with drama.
Many people could benefit enormously from figuring out how to eat well without breaking the bank - and I am one of them.
Unfortunately the incredible rudeness of some on this forum (obviously rooted in some kind of sick type of nationalistic defensiveness) overshadow the kindness of those who sincerely wanted to help.
So here is the deal, Ohiogirl, and others of your ilk:
if you have nothing constructive and relevant to add to the topic (which is how to figure out good prices for high quality food), how about not adding anything? If the topic grates you, why don't you post elsewhere?
Read back on your posts, ponder over your interventions, look in the mirror and ask yourself who is really the drama creator here.
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? ...
yes focus on butcher shops, or small iga store ,,,the big box stores are going more and more pre-pack (no butchers in the store)
the top three grades of beef are
prime
choice
select
mostly based on health of the animal, and amount of marbling (specs of fat within the muscle)
prime is very expensive mostly sold in restaurants..
choice grade is the most common in stores,, this is still very good
select is good if you want lean beef.....but also know lean and tender don't usually go together
also know your steaks
the steaks along the backbone are usually considered the best ( structure muscles, not working muscles , so they are more tender)
tenderloin (or filet mignon) is rated the most tender,,, (and expensive)
Rib eyes are my favorite, the are tasty and tender...easy to cook
sirloin strip is very good as is T-bone and porterhouse steaks
there are many other steaks, skirt steak, sirloin tips (from sirloin flap meat) hanging tenders, flat iron steaks, chuck delmonicos, flank steaks,
they all can be good
below are the tougher steaks,,,most are fairly lean,,,good to marinate or tenderize..
chuck steaks (chuck is from the front of the critter) and ROUND steaks (from the hindquarters ...back end of the critter)
if you want lean beef,,,buy these and thin slice for stir fry or slice into stew pieces and slow cook
here is a boneless pork loin,,,,, not hard t cut up yourself, the way you want
if you want a good knife,,,go on ebay and buy a forschner victronix 10 " steak knife
and/or a 6 inch boning knife - victronix brand - these are great knives and not too expensive
Your best strategy for produce is to know exactly what's in season and focus on purchasing those items. Google "What's in season in Georgia? Farmers Markets can be a good source of local produce, but it's not fool-proof. Some vendors will supplement their offerings with wholesale items. This is not necessarily bad -- my local FM has a vendor who does this -- but you should know what you're getting. Also, be friendly to the produce workers at your grocery. They can guide you to what's good. Also, if what's out does look appetizing, don't be afraid to ask them if they have something fresher. I wish I could give you a list of what you should pay for different grocery items, but previous posters are right, food prices can vary dramatically. In years past, I kept a price book, but it's long out of date.
yes focus on butcher shops, or small iga store ,,,the big box stores are going more and more pre-pack (no butchers in the store)
the top three grades of beef are
prime
choice
select
mostly based on health of the animal, and amount of marbling (specs of fat within the muscle)
prime is very expensive mostly sold in restaurants..
choice grade is the most common in stores,, this is still very good
select is good if you want lean beef.....but also know lean and tender don't usually go together
also know your steaks
the steaks along the backbone are usually considered the best ( structure muscles, not working muscles , so they are more tender)
tenderloin (or filet mignon) is rated the most tender,,, (and expensive)
Rib eyes are my favorite, the are tasty and tender...easy to cook
sirloin strip is very good as is T-bone and porterhouse steaks
there are many other steaks, skirt steak, sirloin tips (from sirloin flap meat) hanging tenders, flat iron steaks, chuck delmonicos, flank steaks,
they all can be good
below are the tougher steaks,,,most are fairly lean,,,good to marinate or tenderize..
chuck steaks (chuck is from the front of the critter) and ROUND steaks (from the hindquarters ...back end of the critter)
if you want lean beef,,,buy these and thin slice for stir fry or slice into stew pieces and slow cook
Thank you SO, SO MUCH, mainebrokerman - this is very helpful! I will print out your little crash course in beef steaks!
I had tried to learn my steaks in the past but it didn't stick very well :-) ...especially because I use pork more often than beef.
We virtually NEVER eat beef steaks, partially because I didn't grow up with them and partially because the health world managed to scare me with the hormone stories.
When I had them at restaurants, they were indeed excellent - but at home, I never make them.
Now that I caught you here ...may I ask one specific question about beef?
My mother makes a soup which she calls "beef soup" and which I have been trying to reproduce for years to no avail.
She sent me to the store to buy some beef with bone in but I couldn't find the kind that she uses. So she told me to just buy some soup bones and basic stew meat.
Of course, the soup didn't come out the way it was supposed to.
When I went home this summer and looked specifically at what she uses.. it looked nothing like what I am using here! She said that hers IS beef...but it is apparently "a younger cow".
Given the language differences in meat cut terms and that I don't know the butcher jargon very well, least of all the translations for each - it was confusing.
Eventually I figured out that she might be using something closer to a veal shank because her meat looked something like this:
It also tastes very light and tender in the soup, not like the meat you see in your typical beef stew.
Is it possible that what she calls a "younger cow" is actually the veal?
We do have the word for veal...but she calls it darn "beef soup".
If that is the case, why do so few grocery stores carry veal/beef with the bone in? Is it considered a specialty/higher-end item here?
On a different note...what part from the pork should I get for recipes that call for ground meat that is supposed to end up very tender (melt-in-your-mouth type)?
I have been told to get a part of the pork with more fat for this type of recipe...so I got the shoulder butt from Costco (with fat throughout).
The result still turned out somewhat grainy/sandy. Is there a better part of the pork I should be looking for next time?
Thank you a million!
Last edited by syracusa; 07-21-2015 at 07:07 PM..
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