Great ingredients - low cost

[Peter the eater]

I have agreed to cater an event for friends, which is something I don't do very often. The details are pretty vague as the event is months away but I have begun scheming. I'm expecting a rather modest budget but will have creative carte blanche.

So I got to thinking about really good ingredients that don't cost much. I realize it depends a lot on where you are (what's local) and when you are (what's in season) as well as supply and demand, quantity of purchase, etc. Sometimes its just a matter of liking something the vendor wants to get rid off.

For example, I consider the following year round protein items to be excellent value: pork tenderloin ($4/lb), farmed Atlantic salmon ($5/lb), chicken thighs ($3/lb). Fresh ginger always seams to be a steal. Corn on the cob in season.

So I am interested in hearing about peoples go-to groceries, those ingredients that have a high bang to buck ratio. Can you dazzle a crowd with pork tongues? Beef kidneys? Some under-appreciated bean?

[wattacetti]

Pork tongue, beef kidney and beans could probably play a really nice role in this dinner but that depends on the crowd you're catering for. If they're squeamish, you'd be doing a whole lot of camouflage.

I used to work with oxtail until James MacGuire mentioned in the local paper that it's an ingredient he uses to enrich beef stock (prices went up afterwards).

Pork belly is always good ($3-4/lb at an Asian grocer). Ditto quails which usually run about $1.50 each if you shop around. I can sometimes get whole ducks for under $2/lb so that gives up meat, fat and fond right there. Fish-wise, farmed Atlantic salmon like you and I can occasionally get blue marlin on the cheap.

On the vegetable side, that sort-of depends on the time of the year and this is where things will really change for your menu planning. It's going to be root vegetables soon if one stays with local produce though various cabbages stay reasonable. Same with certain Asian ones though the foot-long "baby bok choy" isn't a bargain (tastes bad too).

Starch: there's always the potato. Quinoa is relatively cheap as are Puy lentils. I'm also experimenting with amaranth though I haven't found an application I'm happy with yet.

[Fat Guy]

I think the major caveat here is that some ingredients are perceived as cheap fillers, and if you put too many of them on a menu your meal is perceived as cheap. You don't want to be serving a meal of potatoes, beans, farmed Atlantic salmon, chicken thighs, cabbage and pasta. You know? So I think the trick, when catering on a budget, is to find cheap stuff that's not perceived as cheap, and to use noticeably cheap stuff in combinations that minimize it. For example last night at Tabla's Bread Bar in New York I had a great fall menu item, apple-potato chat. It was chunks of crisp local apples and waxy potatoes mixed with tamarind, lime and chili, and topped with crispy chickpea-flour noodles. I imagine the food cost on the dish was quite low, but in eating it one didn't get the impression of being served filler at all. That's the trick.

[rooftop1000]

Peter

I head for the boneless pork loin at 1.99 rather than the tenderloin. Another good meat is turkey breast roasted and taken off the bone in one piece to be carved or boned raw and stuffed and roasted. If the event is after "the holidays" Ham is another option to be picked up cheap if you have the storage room. I find these 3 meats can also be served hot or cold...and if cold you can have so much fun with condiments. Just something as simple as cranberry mustard had people buzzing at en event I did (canned whole berry cranberry sauce and dijon)

tracey

[Khadija]

When I am in Nova Scotia, I eat tons of farmed atlantic salmon at home. It's cheap, and I love it.

HOWEVER, I do not get excited when I am served salmon in restaurants, at dinner parties, events, etc. In many contexts, when I am invited to a party, event, or dinner, I can reliably predict that salmon will be on the menu. Salmon is just so ubiquitous in Nova Scotia.

I'm not sure what your guests will like best, but if I were attending the event, I'd be a lot more pleased to see pork with some interesting apple-based presentation than salmon. If you have to have fish, how about rainbow trout (cheaper than salmon, and in my opinion better)?

[wattacetti]

I'm reading Steven's comments re: perception of cheap ingredients and he's right.

BUT, if you intentionally and openly state that the event is going to show the fun stuff that you can do with inexpensive ingredients, then sky's the limit.

[alwang]

I'm always amazed at how cheap mussels are, for the amount of flavor they pack. I also find skate an interesting, inexpensive fish that may be more unique than serving yet another piece of salmon. I think buying a whole fish and serving it family style is another way to stretch the budget a little when entertaining.

There are any number of relatively cheap braising cuts that can make for a pretty impressive dish: beef short ribs, lamb shanks, etc.

[Pebs]

I like to make cornish hens for a cheap wow factor meal. You can stuff them with things that make them very memorable and then glaze them at the end with an expensive ingredient added for flair. Wal-Mart has individually frozen small sized birds that I find to be tastier than the double packaged larger ones from Tyson and one per person is perfect. And they are cheap.

I also recently made a bracciole dish as a take off on something I saw on Bobby Flay but I used round steak. It was pounded thin, spread with a mixture of shredded pecorino romano, parmesan reggiano, chopped fresh parsley and chopped fresh oregano and minced garlic. Then rolled, tied and grilled to medium rare. I served it sliced in medallions with a roasted tomatoe, garlic and basil sauce. My very fussy, "I know everything about food" ex-chef sister refused to believe it was round steak.

Cindy

[Peter the eater]

So I think the trick, when catering on a budget, is to find cheap stuff that's not perceived as cheap, and to use noticeably cheap stuff in combinations that minimize it.

Absolutely. And the 'money food' should up front and recognizable to the eye and tongue. So part of the battle must be gaging the crowd's perception of what is cheap food. I think my group will go for just about anything provided there is enough choice.

Some things (flank steak, lamb shanks, marrow bones) are seen as cheap but have become quite pricey. On the other hand, I saw fantastic tiny new potatoes at the market being sold as "pig potatoes" for a very low price.

Whole duck is a great idea. Pork loin or belly, too. Pork in general is severely underpriced here - in the last few years the number of pig farming operations in Nova Scotia has gone from over 200 to about 30.

Quinoa is a good choice as well - its a good price at the bulk food store, and its still seen as quite exotic.

[weinoo]

Another "trick," especially for hors d'oeuvres, is to use an expensive ingredient and s-t-r-e-t-c-h it out. As an example, a scallop ceviche can be served in tiny portions on an edible spoon like an endive leaf. A pound can then make 50 or more servings.

The other night at a party, one of the passed hors d'oeuvres was beef tartare on house-made potato chip. A pound of fine beef used this way can also make quite a number of appetizers. Shrimp are another example. Tuna too.

For go-to groceries with a high bang for the buck ratio, I think you're better off with whole chickens rather than thighs. Cutting 'em up yourself saves a lot - and then you have carcasses, wing tips, etc. for stock. Pork butt is another cut that can be had quite inexpensively and doesn't need to be laden with filler. Lamb shoulder also.

Find out your budget and then go from there!

[Peter the eater]

I'm always amazed at how cheap mussels are, for the amount of flavor they pack.  I also find skate an interesting, inexpensive fish that may be more unique than serving yet another piece of salmon.

You are right, mussels are cheap and delicious, but I am always disappointed if I take away the shells and see the paltry mound of actual meat from a 10lb bag. I guess they could be on the half shell.

Skate and shark are really cheap here, could be a winner.

I agree salmon is ubiquitous. I poached 8 big ones for a wedding last year, served it as a cold buffet, but the best part was the leftover broth from the steaming - pink gold!

I'll have to post a few trials later on this thread - so many qualified eJudges here!

[wattacetti]

"Months away" places this event some time in the November/December/January time frame, no? You may actually be able to take advantage of holiday availability in this case, especially on items that either started frozen or can be frozen without seriously impacting on its quality.

If it's January the challenge becomes "what will they eat because everyone thinks they're fat".

Shark's a nice idea especially when you go around and tell people that you're serving "tiburon"

[Fat Guy]

Shrimp have a high perceived value, yet smaller shrimp are quite inexpensive and there are a lot of things you can do with them.

Eggs are super cheap, yet can form the basis for some very elegant dishes.

[paulraphael]

BUT, if you intentionally and openly state that the event is going to show the fun stuff that you can do with inexpensive ingredients, then sky's the limit.

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don't you mean the floor's the limit?

i second the idea of pork. even exotic pork, like berkshire, or other heritage breeds, is a complete bargain compared with most other meats.

and it's so delicious you should be able to come up with some true delicacies at bargain prices.

off the top of my head i'm thinking of the pork buns they serve at momofuku noodle bar. steamed dough, braised berkshire pork belly ($5 or $6 a pound?) something for texture, and some sauce. they cost next to nothing to make but they're so good no one thinks twice about paying $12 for two.

[Catherine Iino]

Winter squash. If you get a huge hubbard squash, the per pound price is next to nothing, and the flesh is delicious. You could make a soup (the really simple one from the Bittman/Vongerichten cookbook always gets raves) or use it to stuff pasta or just roast it.

[tastykimmie]

So I think the trick, when catering on a budget, is to find cheap stuff that's not perceived as cheap, and to use noticeably cheap stuff in combinations that minimize it.

Absolutely. And the 'money food' should up front and recognizable to the eye and tongue. So part of the battle must be gaging the crowd's perception of what is cheap food. I think my group will go for just about anything provided there is enough choice.

Some things (flank steak, lamb shanks, marrow bones) are seen as cheap but have become quite pricey. On the other hand, I saw fantastic tiny new potatoes at the market being sold as "pig potatoes" for a very low price.

Whole duck is a great idea. Pork loin or belly, too. Pork in general is severely underpriced here - in the last few years the number of pig farming operations in Nova Scotia has gone from over 200 to about 30.

Quinoa is a good choice as well - its a good price at the bulk food store, and its still seen as quite exotic.

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why pig potato? do pigs eat them? i'm lost..................

[Peter the eater]

On the other hand, I saw fantastic tiny new potatoes at the market being sold as "pig potatoes" for a very low price.

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why pig potato? do pigs eat them? i'm lost..................

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Yes, thats it exactly. The local tradition has been to see the larger potatoes as bigger and better, while others that are smaller or maybe a bit green (exposed to daylight) go to the pigs.

[Peter the eater]

Winter squash. If you get a huge hubbard squash, the per pound price is next to nothing, and the flesh is delicious. You could make a soup (the really simple one from the Bittman/Vongerichten cookbook always gets raves) or use it to stuff pasta or just roast it.

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Ooooo I love the squashes, not familiar with the hubbard though. This forthcoming event should be early spring or late winter so using squashes would be appropriate. Puree in fresh pasta?

It may be a "finger food" affair altogether, no utensils, nothing bigger than a bite, just glorious nuggets everywhere.

[Fat Guy]

If you do a finger-food event, shot glasses of squash soup work brilliantly -- if you have enough shot glasses (demitasse cups work too). Pretty much any dish layered in a shot glass seems fancy.

[Peter the eater]

If you do a finger-food event, shot glasses of squash soup work brilliantly -- if you have enough shot glasses (demitasse cups work too). Pretty much any dish layered in a shot glass seems fancy.

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I have 144 shot glasses, tall and slender, all clean and in a box.

I love the shot glass concept for the same reason I always pour my coffee (in the morning, at home) into a clear glass mug - you can see the colours!

I used them earlier this year for a St. George's Day Feast (which you all know from your palmberry is April 23). Its just like St. Patrick's Day, only a lot more English. I served venison on a stick with Cumberland sauce in the glass. It was not a big hit but I think that's because of a combination of issues, specifically colour and temperature (too gray and too cool). Live and learn! It was an inexpensive flop because the deer meat was free from a friend.

[Fat Guy]

Free deer! That's what you need. Free is even better than cheap. For stuff you get from friends who hunt, for roadkill, for the wild turkey the farmer next door shot . . . for all those things I recommend grinding them up, adding spices and maybe an egg, and making patty sausages, meatballs, etc.

[Khadija]

"Free is even better than cheap." That's one the best line I've heard all day (but it's only 7:40am here).

Free deer! That's what you need. Free is even better than cheap. For stuff you get from friends who hunt, for roadkill, for the wild turkey the farmer next door shot . . . for all those things I recommend grinding them up, adding spices and maybe an egg, and making patty sausages, meatballs, etc.

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[Jamie Lee]

"Free is better than cheap".... now my new sig line, attributed, of course, to the incredible FG - Thanks

[Fat Guy]

(While it did spring wholly formed out of my mind, I see there are 518 Google hits on the same phrase.)

[ray goud]

Baby zucchini, at our farmers' markets, in season. They are trying to get rid of it, almost, since too much on the plants is bad for production. So I get it for literally pennies per zuke, when the seeds are just about nonexistent, and we feast on them.

Ray