Getting the most bang for your buck -

[verygayFrogs]

I'm asking because meat around here is super expensive for the nice cuts like top roast and was wondering how to make the most for your money.

 

[Absolutego]

The best way to stretch out any meat is by breaking it down. That allows you to add a bunch of cheaper filler foods like onions/rice to the mix, and if you add some spices/moderate the moisture content it'll keep longer. With red meats, I prefer stews and braised dishes using chuck cuts. With poultry, shredding works great using breasts, especially if you sautee it in a salsa or other liquid to improve the texture.

All of the cuts that mark themselves as "stew cuts" or "stir fry" cuts are charging you a premium for the chopping. Better to buy whole where you can and do the final prep yourself.

 

[Papa Adolfo's Take'n'Bake]

Pork is usually really nice and cheap. 5$ can often net you enough pork chops to feed a lone person for 3-4 days (assuming you also eat enough hearty foods like potatoes, beets, and turnips.) Bulk Chocken Breast however, is usually THE way to go. If you have friends that have something like a CostCo/BJ's/Sam's club member ship, you can often give them some cash to provide you with a big hunk of frozen chi.cken.

To be perfectly honest tho, If you are looking to acquire meat for cheap, stop being a little bitch and learn how to hunt.

 

[TheRedChair]

I buy in bulk and then cut down and freeze as needed. I usually have 30 pounds of meat in the Freezer.

Ball Tip Steaks
Beef Ribs
Beef Brisket
Eye of Round Steak
Prime Chuck Roast
Iron Flank Steak

All of those above are examples of less expensive pieces of mean and many are used in thin strips, making hamburgers, making fajitas, Mongolian Beef and so on.

I also buy Rib Eye by the slab and cut down as well. Cheaper to buy in bulk.

 

[MerriedxReldnahc]

My family has been having really good luck with finding cheap pork tenderloin, it feeds all three of us with enough leftovers for someone to have it for lunch the next day. And then ground beef, obviously. I love salisbury steak and it feels more fancy than just making it into taco filling or burgers. I get 4 patties per pound so again, feeds three with leftovers.

 

[ColtWalker1847]

Better to buy whole where you can and do the final prep yourself.

This. Use the scraps to make stock or soups.

A whole chicken or bone-in picnic ham or whatever is going to yield you twice the food than the pre-cut stuff.

A $5 chicken will make almost a weeks worth of food if you plan it right and have various cheap things around to stretch it. Rice, onions, root vegetables, egg noodles, herbs, etc.

To be perfectly honest tho, If you are looking to acquire meat for cheap, stop being a little bitch and learn how to hunt.

Hunting is expensive AF to get started doing and costs a ton if you don't live near a good area. Even then the state DF&W can yank the rug out from under you for silly reasons.

Do your hunting in the "manager's special" bin.

 

[A Cardboard Box]

Add 20% wood pulp by volume.

 

[The Shadow]

Number one: Those roast chickens you can get at Sam's Club. Fucking godsend for cheap protein.

There are plenty of good proteins other than meat. There are a lot of beans and nuts in my diet.

 

[Freshly Baked Socks]

Buy 10lbs of burger/sausage. Divide into 1lb packs and freeze. Use one at a time for making meals.

 

[XYZpdq]

Number one: Those roast chickens you can get at Sam's Club. Fucking godsend for cheap protein.

There are plenty of good proteins other than meat. There are a lot of beans and nuts in my diet.

The Costco near me has those cold and your get like a chicken and a half for five bucks.

 

[MembersSchoolPizza]

I'm asking because meat around here is super expensive for the nice cuts like top roast and was wondering how to make the most for your money.

I don't know where "around here" is in your case, but...

• Freeze! If you only have a fridge with a built in freezer, dedicate at least half of your space to freezing meat. I have a freezer in my garage I keep a fair bit of meat in.
• This one is obvious, I'm sure, but watch the sales. I very rarely buy any meat that isn't on sale, unless I really need it for something specific in a hurry.
• Pork is usually affordable if you don't go for bacon. Pork chops, butt roasts, even loin roasts are all pretty reasonable here. A quick look at the website of my prefered grocery store has a 10 pack of pork chops for 10 dollars.
• Related: Avoid bacon. It's a sucker's game anymore, because it's so damned popular. Unless you catch it on a good sale, it's just not worth it, and you lose so much of it to grease. Granted, you can save the grease, but still.
• Ground beef in chubs is another cheap way to get a lot of protein. It's not the best burger, but it's edible, and if you use it for things like spaghetti, casseroles, chili, and things like that it's perfectly acceptable. It's "okay" for just a burger, too. I've ate a lot of burgers made with it.
• Watch for "Manager's Specials". This is meat that's hit it's sell-by date. Use your best judgement, but if you're going to take it home and use it that evening, it's probably fine.
• Slow cook. A crock pot will give you nice, tender meat if you have time to wait. Lets you get away with less ideal roasts.
• You can also use a pressure cooker, although the results are less ideal.
• Tenderize meat. There's a number of options. A tenderizer mallet, a cube-cutter, using a buttermilk marinade... Again, lets you get away with cheaper meat.
• Bread your meat. Breaded fried chicken, chicken fried steak, breaded fried pork chops, etc. It's like adding filler to meat, kind of. You "feel like" the breading is part of the meat, so you feel like you're getting more meat than you actually are.
• Pre-cut your meat, and cut it small. It's another "filler" trick, but if you're making a stew, for example, you can get away with a lot more veggies and potatoes if you cut your meat up into smaller pieces.
• Combine the last two suggestions. This is what I call the "Chinese Takeout" trick. You can get a huge dish of sweet-and-sour pork or General Tso's chicken, but once you strip the breading, and the brocoli, and onions and bell peppers and stuff out, there's not as much meat in there as you think.
• In general, try to make meat based dishes, rather than meat being the dish. A steak-and-ale pie instead of a steak, chicken pot pie instead of chicken, meatloaf instead of hamburgers, etc. This has two benefits in one - it lets you get away with less meat, and it lets you get away with lesser meat.