Wisdom from The Action Wisdom In Action

Become a Grinder

From the Dollar Stretcher.

"No matter where you live, you've likely noticed a rise in beef prices in the past few years. Some credit Dr. Atkins and his low-carb diet, while others point to problems associated with mad cow disease, E. coli poisonings, and higher transportation or grain costs. Regardless of the reason, prices have risen, and in order to keep our food budget in line, we've had to be more careful and creative in our purchasing habits.

One thing we've done for many years is grinding beef. We've had friends who were butchers suggest that we rinse all beef and thoroughly cook it (150-degree internal temperature) to minimize exposure to or kill any bacteria. And they further suggested minimizing the purchase of ground beef products.

We have stopped buying the cheapest ground beef in five-pound chunks and started looking for inexpensive cuts of beef that we could grind at home."

The article goes on to tell of KitchenAid grinder attachment use--I don't even own a KitchenAid mixer, yet I'm a grinder. I buy whole beef eye of round cuts from the warehouse stores, cut them into fourths, then run the fourths through my food processor. After all is ground, I them measure and bag 2-cup portions for freezing. If I have the time, I also cook up a 2-cup measure right then and bag it in 1/2 c. portions for meal use.

Another fourth is cut up in cubes for stew, another is left uncut for a "roast", and the last is sliced for "steaks."

I also do the same for whole pork loins. Average price per lean pork loin: $1.99/lb. Average price for lean eye of round: $2.39/lb.

You can't buy pre-ground meat in the stores for that much. I also buy bulk boneless/skinless chicken breasts ($3.49/lb.) and grind or cook them ahead.

Posted by Cute at 6:37 PM

Labels: financial (non-tax), food preparation and use