large, cheap cuts of meat

[amccomb]

I've seen a few threads on budget meals, so I've got some ideas, but I'm now looking for cheap cuts of meat that I can just throw in a pot and braise all day. I figure for the first meal, I would serve the meat with a side and veggie, then throw a bunch in with rice or beans or pasta for another meal, and then throw the scraps in a soup.

I know buying whole turkeys or chickens are cheaper than buying the parts and are good for long, slow cooking. What are some other cheap, high yield cuts of meat? How do I cook them and what do I do with them afterwards? I'm on a tight budget, so I can't really add a bottle of wine or anything like that - mostly water, canned tomatoes, or stock from my freezer.

Also, I want to avoid organ meat. I don't trust myself to make something tasty with them, and my husband would refuse to eat it if he knew what it was!

I just wish produce wasn't so darn expensive! $3 for a single red pepper? $3 for enough spinach for one person? Yikes! Looks like I might be stuck with mostly root veggies and onions for awhile.

[mtigges]

Have you read here

[amccomb]

Have you read here

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I just started to, but I'm not sure which cuts of meat are really cheap. Are pretty much all the meats in the braising thread really cheap?

I suppose I could make a list of possible meats and then go to the store to see what the prices are, but I was hoping to make my whole shopping list BEFORE going to the store, so I don't have to think on my feet about what else to buy to go with the meat I pick.

Edited October 24, 2005 by amccomb (log)

[Angeline7270]

I braise pork shoulder quite often. Pretty cheap cut of meat, needs to braise or be smoked for many hours to be really good. What I ususally end up doing is starting it the night before in a 225 degree oven. By morning it's falling off the bones. I refrigerate the meat and the braising liquid separately, an hour or so before dinner time, I throw potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic and cabbage into a roaster with the braising liquid, which i skim the fat off of after it cools. About 30 minutes before the veggies are done, I add the pork shoulder to reheat. For leftovers, I make shredded pork tacos or BBQ pork sandwiches, but save enough meat to make a soup out of any leftover veggies and the braising liquid, adding whatever stock I have on hand and maybe some cooked beans, pasta or rice. You get a lot of bang for your buck that way.

[mtigges]

Best bang for the buck IMO is short ribs. Though they're getting more expensive due to popularity. Then lamb shanks. But a good beef blade pot roast is pretty good too, and very cheap.

[9lives]

In addition to the above, I like to braise a beef brisket/ with carrots, onions and celery...tough cut of meat but gets very tender after several hour at low temp.

[shelora]

I've seen a few threads on budget meals, so I've got some ideas, but I'm now looking for cheap cuts of meat that I can just throw in a pot and braise all day.  I figure for the first meal, I would serve the meat with a  side and veggie, then throw a bunch in with rice or beans or pasta for another meal, and then throw the scraps in a soup. 

I have been experimenting with bleakness lately and eating well regardless. Cheap cuts of meat, ingredients that are staples like garlic, onions, canned tomatoes, that sort of thing. You can glean wonderful earthy flavours without truffle oil or $3.00 red peppers.

At this time of year, I dust off the crock pot. You can literally throw all your ingredients in the pot in one go and let them at each other. Come back at 5 p.m., throw on some rice and you've got yourself dinner.

Lamb shanks, beef short ribs, stewing beef, all three are tasty, economical and lend themselves to slow cooking or braising.

Even ground meats can be an option to make meatballs, cabbage rolls or a meat loaf.

I just wish produce wasn't so darn expensive!  $3 for a single red pepper?  $3 for enough spinach for one person?  Yikes!  Looks like I might be stuck with mostly root veggies and onions for awhile.

Cabbage, parsley, garlic, onions, potatoes and canned tomatoes. Maybe a parsnip or two and some squash. All this has the makings for some seriously tasty food. After all, the great cuisines of the world were created out of minimal ingredients and by frugal people.

[woodburner]

Beef Chuck roast, is a great cut for slow simmer with vegetables, plus they work well reheated, and they are inexpensive as far a current beef prices go.

You also might look at joining a wholesale club like BJ's or Sam's. You can purchase large size beef cuts, and cut them down to your liking.

woodburner

[jsolomon]

Additionally, large ham roasts are also well-suited to this treatment, and can be had fairly inexpensively.

Also, this time of year, good cheap vegetables can be found in the squash family. I have been working my way through the winter squashes relatively cheaply for the past month or so.

[Bissey]

I braise pork shoulder quite often. Pretty cheap cut of meat, needs to braise or be smoked for many hours to be really good. ... You get a lot of bang for your buck that way.

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Amen, sister. Pork shoulder is hands-down my favorite big chunk to braise or smoke or slow-roast on my day off, then munch on for the rest of the week. I get mine CHEAP from a local farmer, who in addition to growing excellent product, has the best deep-fried southern accent I've run across since I moved down here. Even if you're not a citizen of the Pork Belt, chances are that there is a farmer within a half-hour's drive of your home who will just happen to have a few whole shoulders or smaller cuts thereof (a bit easier to manage for the home cook) that he or she'd be more than willing to sell you. You might get a cup of coffee and a great accent out of the deal, too. And if you happen to go to William Brinkley in Creedmoor, NC, you'll undoubtedly get a protracted version of his favorite slow roasting technique (I'll just say it involves a brown paper bag and a process known as "sage-in' it up").

-Jason

[lesfen]

Beef Chuck roast,  is a great cut for slow simmer with vegetables, plus they work well reheated, and they are inexpensive as far a current beef prices go.

You also might look at joining a wholesale club like BJ's or Sam's. You can purchase large size beef cuts, and cut them down to your liking.

woodburner

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I'm so glad someone started this topic again. I feel like a total moron because I'm just discovering that you CAN freeze leftovers. I'm so ashamed. I have a small family and I was wasting so much food.

Oh yeah, pork shoulder. Pulled pork from the slow cooker. Hell yes.

I love me some chuck roast but I just can't bring myself to pay for them. I can't believe how expensive beef is, around here anyway. But damn, you can't beat the smell of a chuck roast with 'taters, onions, and carrots that have been in your crock pot all day when you get home. But, economically speaking, right now my local chain has been running chicken legs or thighs for $.94/Lb. You can't beat stocking your freezer for less than $9.00, but then again I don't know how many folks you're feeding.

I'll second the suggestion for BJ's and Sam's tho'. I bought a giant boneless pork loin about 6 weeks ago ($11.35 total price, can't remember the poundage) and I'm still eating from it. Now, granted, I'm only feeding two-and-a-half people, but I managed to get 4 small "roasts" and (I think) about 9, 3/4" chops out of it. For the roasts, I've just been studding them with garlic, giving them a healthy coating of S&P, browing them in my cast iron skillet, and then throwing them in the oven (same skillet) for about 50 minutes. The meat is very good and you can't beat the pan gravy. Come to think of it, that's what I've been doing with the chops too. I love gravy.

[touaregsand]

Mostly affordable, slow cooked dishes

Lamb/Beef,

Chicken, , Soups and stews,

The nuts and dried fruits in some of the recipes can be expensive. But not all the recipe include them.

[woodburner]

Chuck roast also has a hidden secret which some people are unaware of. Slow roasting in a 225ºf oven for about 6 hours until the internal temperature reaches 170ºf or a sharp fork slides right through.

It will stall in internal temperature for about an hour or so at 160ºf, very similiar to brisket, just let it cook. When done the meat will shred perfectly for beef taco's.

woodburner

[Rebecca263]

Hey, I haven't worked since February and there is a 16 year old girl in the house, THAT'S expensive without groceries! Meat happens about once a week, and we then stretch it into lots of extra meals. We're big on brown rice, steel cut oats and bulghur. Steel cut oats cooked then added to salads or soups, yum! Whenever the butcher has any meats on sale, I stock up and cut small one pound portions myself. A one pound mini roast is 4 meals for the two of us, one big early supper, one soup, one salad lunch topper and one breakfast filler(egg whites and...) And, no, I haven't lost any weight eating less meat, au contraire, I've gained over 30 pounds! ULP. Got to cut out the olive oil and the cheese.