You might be aware of the local butcher shop but hadn't given much thought to ever stopping by to check out what they have to offer. Recently, we moved into a new house that is within walking distance of the local meat shop, one which I have never shopped in before. What I found there was quite surprising. It turned out to be good for my wallet and my freezer. If you opt to buy your meats at the grocery or super store, not only are you missing out on savings, you may be missing out on quality.
When you are price checking between regular packages and that special "family saver" larger package, make sure you are checking out the price per pound and not relying solely on the total price. In some cases, the regular packet is cheaper than the family pack. You can buy multiple packs of the smaller size for less than the supposed family saver packages.
A butcher shop gives its customers so many more options for meats than just prepackaged, what-you-see-is-what-you-get. For instance, you can save up to $2 a pound on boneless pork chops by purchasing a whole boneless roast. The butcher can then slice the roast into chops suitable for your family dinner. Additionally, butchers can cut out your work time by providing other services like trimming the fat from meats, slicing or grinding meat, and then repackaging it to be freezer-ready — at no additional charge.
You can find additional savings in the meat shop by deferring to your butcher for recommendations on meat substitutions for your favorite dinners. Often, they can recommend a less expensive cut of meat, an alternative meat, or a new way to prepare a tired dish. For the adventurous, you can also get expert advice on less pricey cuts of meat that do not look appealing to the eye but are more than acceptable for your stomach. You may not know that some of the most flavorful meats are those that you may not normally look at twice.
When shopping for meats outside of the butcher shop, make sure you don't look just for designer labels. The only sticker you should concern yourself with besides the price is the tag from the USDA. Look for meats with "Quality Grade" stickers. You should also understand what the other labels mean to your mouth and your wallet. For example, "prime" is the best cut and the most expensive. The next cut is "choice," then "select," followed by "standard."
It is also key to remember that even if a label proclaims the meat to be 100% natural, it is likely that it has still been injected with something unnatural, such as carbon monoxide, to keep the meat from turning brown. Read the ingredients label to see what else is in your meat product.
Never go for meats based on price. Grocery stores typically will place the nearly-expired meats at the lowest prices. It is a good choice if you plan on cooking the meats immediately. But if you are looking for the freshest cuts, select the packages furthest from the front and stacked at the bottom of the pile.
A trip to the meat market can be much less expensive and much tastier than what you find in your usual grocery store. Don't be afraid to ask questions for a better idea of how to stock your freezer. Also, inquire about meat packages some butcher sell specifically for the freezer. You can select from several packages that are cut, packaged, and freezer-ready to keep your freezer stocked for all your cooking needs.
Lately I just pick up enough for the day's meal. I no longer buy a weeks worth of groceries at a time including meat.
I find it's just as easy to stop in the store as it is to pick up take out.
Great for living on a budget and for cooking a meal for two. Not worth worth it to me to buy a lot of stuff and freeze it and then never use it, this way I know it's fresh and I won't waste it!
Sara - how about we keep the discussion to what was written in the article, rather than trying to preach your own views. If I wanted a discussion on whether eating meat is ethical and moral I would have searched for it.
I am not against one way or the other, I just don't like to be preached to about someone else's way of living, unless I have asked for it.
Shop at a Sam's Club for low cost but fresh meat. The meat department there is only allowed to sell meat for 24 hours vs 3 days at other markets because they know most buyers are stores that are going to resell. They'll custom cut too and do special orders. Never had a problem with those guys!
I don't have a butcher in the town I live in, per se. But we have a good sized agricultural community. So a few families from church will get together and "go in" on a lamb or a cow, and divide the meat. I know it sounds pretty old school, but it's extremely fresh, almost always organic, grain fed, well taken care of, and yummy. The price is comparable to supermarket prices, sometimes a bit more, but the quality can't be beat. And this is the epitome of buying local. I haven't done this yet, but I'm thinking this spring we'll do a lamb. I'll let you know how it turns out.
