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55 sats \ 7 replies \ @k00b 4h \ on: My favorite food is skyrocketing in price econ
We were carnivore back in 2017 and got well acquainted with beef prices, and how best to find bargain beef, in California. Hands down, our best bet was Safeway's Weekly Ad. IIRC when ground beef was on sale we'd get it for $1.99/lb, and choice grade ribeye, or ny strip, for $5-6.99/lb. (Not-on-sale GB was $3.99/lb and not-on-sale ribeye was $14-16/lb.)
I went and looked at their weekly ad just now and you can still get GB for $2.99/lb (cheaper than I've found in Texas), but that's consistent with the 50% increase you've noticed.
Their not-on-sale choice grade ribeye is similarly 50% more expensive.
The all time best beef deals happen, or at least used to, around holidays where stores go big on main course loss leaders. During Ramadan, we'd get ground beef for $.99/lb in big 10 lb sleeves. Around Thanksgiving and Christmas, we'd get entire sides of ribeye, still vacuum sealed from the processor, for $4.99/lb.
I'm completely shocked that ground beef can be 2.99/lb in California! That goes against my bias about prices there.
I've definitely been doing the big 10 pound rolls of ground beef. I have a developed by trial and error a pretty good way of dividing it up (after messing around WAY too much, weighing out ground beef in ziplock bags).
My method is - just cut the 10 pound roll in 3 parts, of 3.3 pounds each. Leaving the existing plastic on. Then take a circle of plastic from a cut-up thick ziplock bag. Put it on each of the cut ends, and secure with a silicone band (silicone bands last way longer than rubber bands, and are far more resistant to cold and heat).
Then I don't need to worry about freezer burn, and using 10 pounds of ground beef at one time.
Also, even if a don't need the 3.3 pound package, I'll always just bake some meatballs or patties of the leftovers. Nothing is wasted.
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~3lb packs are perfect for meatloaf, makes for a few easy dinners. If you have a smoker, highly recommend smoking a meatloaf... satisfies a craving for brisket.
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California beef on average was higher quality and less expensive than what I find in Texas. I don't know why.
Maybe it was our proximity to Harris Ranch.
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We'd freeze the 10lb rolls whole to avoid exposing them to air. We'd go through a round in no time - I'd eat at least two pounds/day and my wife at least one pound.
We'd would roll up the open end like a bag of chips and use a chip clip to keep it shut. We'd keep it all in the same bag to reduce exposure to air.
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Ziplock bags increase your per lb cost a bit too, suckers ain't cheap, and washing/reusing them is a recipe for funk
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"Loss leaders" like that are great to keep an eye out for if you're going to town anyway, always gotta check the flyers if your pinching sats.
That ground beef they're probably losing 25% or so on, but the ads get people in the door... they know you'll buy other stuff when you go to take advantage of that ad.
Actually scored a whole tenderloin for $16/lb not too long ago from the flyer, winner winner filet mignon dinner.