Meatless in self defense

sub vet · Oct 25, 2014

With the price of ground beef at $3.99/lb, named grinds like ground chuck even higher, we tried our first meatless dinner.

Stir fried tofu
-sugar peas
-mushrooms
-and water chestnut
-oyster sauce

with fried rice that included
-peas
-green onions
-and fried eggs
-soy sauce.

I think we're going down to just a couple of meals with meat a week until the prices are back in reason. Organic chicken is now the least expensive item at the market!

Alacrity59 · Oct 25, 2014

Nice start. How can we help?

oc_in_fw · Oct 25, 2014

Alacrity59 said:
Nice start. How can we help?

Send him meat

Fgl28 · Oct 25, 2014

Pasta Primavera, Thai Curry with Veges and Tofu. Bean and cheese burritos. Works for me. Lots of mushrooms. I also make omelettes with salad for dinner.

Alacrity59 · Oct 25, 2014

oc_in_fw said:
Send him meat

Ok . . How do we usually do this?

eastomjac · Oct 25, 2014

cabbage and carrots stewed together last nite.$1.50 for the cabbage and .25 cents worth of carrots.and im still a carnivore at heart.veggies are good for you.

oc_in_fw · Oct 25, 2014

Alacrity59 said:
Ok . . How do we usually do this?

I will send you my address and I will make sure he gets it :biggrin:

Seriously, I need to start scaling back on the meat, too. Not just for the money, but for the health.

simon1 · Oct 26, 2014

Have you thought about buying on the hoof and having it processed? Last spring we went in half on a beef with the ranch managers next to us. The total of on the hoof and processing worked out to about $3.25 a pound.

That's $3.25 a pound for hamburger meat, but also for ribeye, T-bone, roasts, ribs, etc. How much is ribeye in the store now, about $7 something a pound?

The year before that they raised a calf from one of their personal cows and let them graze on my pasture, so the only thing it cost us was the processing fee.

My uncle has a family ranch in Oklahoma, and we've been going in half on a beef with mom for ages.

Now would be the time to start looking into it, so you would have a handle on what the beef prices might be for next spring. And a good chest freezer is invaluable; I've never been without one. The one I have now mom and dad gave to me almost 20 years ago when they bought a new one for themselves.

DoctorShavegood · Oct 26, 2014

Eat more fish.

Osborn Cox · Oct 26, 2014

DoctorShavegood said:
Eat more fish.

Unfortunately, fish isn't exactly cheap either.

beginish · Oct 26, 2014

Osborn Cox said:
Unfortunately, fish isn't exactly cheap either.

Dried beans, though....an 89 cent bag of dried black or pinto beans goes a really long way, and they can be incredibly versatile as the base for a dish.

sub vet · Oct 26, 2014

simon1 said:
Have you thought about buying on the hoof and having it processed? Last spring we went in half on a beef with the ranch managers next to us. The total of on the hoof and processing worked out to about $3.25 a pound.

That's $3.25 a pound for hamburger meat, but also for ribeye, T-bone, roasts, ribs, etc. How much is ribeye in the store now, about $7 something a pound?

The year before that they raised a calf from one of their personal cows and let them graze on my pasture, so the only thing it cost us was the processing fee.

My uncle has a family ranch in Oklahoma, and we've been going in half on a beef with mom for ages.

Now would be the time to start looking into it, so you would have a handle on what the beef prices might be for next spring. And a good chest freezer is invaluable; I've never been without one. The one I have now mom and dad gave to me almost 20 years ago when they bought a new one for themselves.

I've bought bulk frozen before, it's definitely an option but as another poster said, there is a health benefit to going meatless. When I was physically able to hunt we usually had 90+ pounds of Elk and Venison in the freezer, can't do that anymore.

lloydrm · Oct 26, 2014

Meatless can be really good/healthy and enjoyable eating. I would say 80% of my meals are meatless (lots of chickpeas, beans, lentils stewed with vegetables) and I like it. A nice steak every once in a while is way more enjoyable than eating meat every day, IMO.

VerbaVolant · Oct 26, 2014

Hunt.

DoctorShavegood · Oct 26, 2014

Osborn Cox said:
Unfortunately, fish isn't exactly cheap either.

Actually here in Austin the salmon, talipa, catfish, and trout are not too bad. Shrimp on the other hand has skyrocketed. I stick with the trout and salmon.

The beans and lentil idea is good. Cheap and delicious.

sub vet · Oct 26, 2014

VerbaVolant said:
Hunt.

Been there/done that but a disability prevents any more hunting.

Jim · Oct 26, 2014

Do you have a restaurant depot or wholesale club near you? - remember every step taken in processing a piece of meat adds to its cost.
I can get whole chickens at <1.29 a pound at several places, I can break them down into pieces or cutlets, and them make stock from the roasted bones and veggie scraps.
Buying "primals" (major pieces of a beef) can also save you a ton of cash. Knife time is free, all you need is a sharp knife and youtube and you can save big.

VerbaVolant · Oct 26, 2014

Jim said:
...all you need is a sharp knife and youtube ...

+1
How true !

Osborn Cox · Oct 26, 2014

Jim said:
Do you have a restaurant depot or wholesale club near you? - remember every step taken in processing a piece of meat adds to its cost.
I can get whole chickens at <1.29 a pound at several places, I can break them down into pieces or cutlets, and them make stock from the roasted bones and veggie scraps.
Buying "primals" (major pieces of a beef) can also save you a ton of cash. Knife time is free, all you need is a sharp knife and youtube and you can save big.

This is the route I try to go whenever possible, restaurant Depot is excellent *if* you have storage/freezer space. I've recently started grinding my own beef using "beef clods" from RD for about $2.50/lb and mix in some chuck roasts as well. I don't think I can go back to store bought ground beef anymore, and if I can grind my own for <$3/lb that's leaner and that tastes much better why would I?

CaptainTime · Oct 26, 2014

My wife is a master at getting the best deals. Before I met her, she had raised 3 kids on her on with a very low paying job.

She always has an eye for finding the deals. I grew up in a rural community, so I will keep an eye out for large cuts such as a pork leg and cut it up and home and put it in freezer paper.

I find freezer paper keeps food better than the freezer bags. Less freezer damage.

There are ways to make meat go further as well. A single budget cut of beef steak can freed both of us when I make a beef and barley stew from it. And there are a few days of lunch leftovers as well.

Nothing wrong with vegetables, they are an important part of our diet, but our bodies are evolved to need meat.

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Meatless in self defense

sub vet

Alacrity59

Wanting for wisdom

oc_in_fw

Fridays are Fishtastic!

Fgl28

Alacrity59

Wanting for wisdom

eastomjac

oc_in_fw

Fridays are Fishtastic!

simon1

Self Ignored by Vista

DoctorShavegood

"A Boy Named Sue"

Osborn Cox

beginish

sub vet

lloydrm

VerbaVolant

DoctorShavegood

"A Boy Named Sue"

sub vet

Jim

VerbaVolant

Osborn Cox

CaptainTime

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