Cheap Meals: Eating on a budget.

BrutulTM

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Flat Iron steaks were only "discovered" in 1998. They come from a single muscle in the chuck that's surrounded by tougher cuts. They were rejected at first because they are kind of labor intensive for the packer, but around 2006 they started showing up a lot of places. I imagine people didn't know what they were at first but once they got more popular then the price went up on them.
 
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Dr.Retarded

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With chuck I would brown and braise all the way. Fuck SV. What you gonna SV that shit for 5-6 hours to get it tender? you can braise that shit for 2-3 hours and get perfect results every time.
We've actually been reverse searing on the grill and cooking it for long enough to wear some of that connected tissue starts to break down but still keeping it medium. I'll pick out ones from the store when they're on sale that have a good muscle grain that it's easy for me to break apart and slice into pieces to do like a British Sunday roast. As long as I don't overcook it and then slice on on a bias it's nice and tender despite it being such a trash cut.
 

Dr.Retarded

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Flat Iron steaks were only "discovered" in 1998. They come from a single muscle in the chuck that's surrounded by tougher cuts. They were rejected at first because they are kind of labor intensive for the packer, but around 2006 they started showing up a lot of places. I imagine people didn't know what they were at first but once they got more popular then the price went up on them.
Yeah I want to say it started getting him in '06 or 07. They're just so good, and we're even better when they were cheap.
 

Dr.Retarded

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probably food network
Maybe but I think I read about that particular cut on serious eats possibly. I just remember seeing something that talked about it being as tender as filet mignon, but a hell of a lot cheaper so i started buying it, I was very happy with the results I was getting. Most of the time I cooked it like I would a flank steak, but it would turn out even better. I still like flank steak, and it's got its own unique flavor or minerality, but it's not cheap anymore either.
 

Lanx

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Maybe but I think I read about that particular cut on serious eats possibly. I just remember seeing something that talked about it being as tender as filet mignon, but a hell of a lot cheaper so i started buying it, I was very happy with the results I was getting. Most of the time I cooked it like I would a flank steak, but it would turn out even better. I still like flank steak, and it's got its own unique flavor or minerality, but it's not cheap anymore either.
alton had episodes for 1999 and 2003 for steak
 
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Dr.Retarded

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alton had episodes for 1999 and 2003 for steak
That was the Glory Days of food Network. I used to watch Emeril live every night back in college. At all so often fall asleep on the sofa drinking whiskey and watching triple d. That and original Japanese iron chef. I can watch episode after episode of that show, and even the food Network American one was pretty good. It's a so fun and fascinating to me to see these guys at the top of their game make some amazing dishes on the fly.

I need to fire that stuff back up, buy a good bottle of bourbon, and just enjoy. Rather watch that stuff than a stupid superhero movie.
 
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moonarchia

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That was the Glory Days of food Network. I used to watch Emeril live every night back in college. At all so often fall asleep on the sofa drinking whiskey and watching triple d. That and original Japanese iron chef. I can watch episode after episode of that show, and even the food Network American one was pretty good. It's a so fun and fascinating to me to see these guys at the top of their game make some amazing dishes on the fly.

I need to fire that stuff back up, buy a good bottle of bourbon, and just enjoy. Rather watch that stuff than a stupid superhero movie.
Iron Chef is on Netflix now, latest season was 2022, think they have another coming up this year maybe. Hopefully more than just 8 episodes this time.
 
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Bodhy

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On the weekend, I paid the $65 for a Costco membership and it basically immediately paid itself off just in what I saved on meat. When you buy meat in bulk, you can literally halve your meat bill for the week.

If you want to eat on a budget, eating healthy is really the best option. I can eat a full complement of fitness appropriate, macro-worked out meals for an entire week for $70. Will be less now with Costco. That leaves me another $700 free in disposable income just from one of my income sources for the fortnight.

I think the people who struggle to afford food are just eating out too much or eating too much takeaway. Eating healthy is the best for a budget.
 
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Anachron

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On the weekend, I paid the $65 for a Costco membership and it basically immediately paid itself off just in what I saved on meat. When you buy meat in bulk, you can literally halve your meat bill for the week.

If you want to eat on a budget, eating healthy is really the best option. I can eat a full complement of fitness appropriate, macro-worked out meals for an entire week for $70. Will be less now with Costco. That leaves me another $700 free in disposable income just from one of my income sources for the fortnight.

I think the people who struggle to afford food are just eating out too much or eating too much takeaway. Eating healthy is the best for a budget.
Does the Costco you go to have self-checkouts?
 

Lanx

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I think the people who struggle to afford food are just eating out too much or eating too much takeaway. Eating healthy is the best for a budget.
even tho he's a banned shit now, the ppl who struggle to afford food, don't have the budget to buy in bulk... like it's pretty simple to say duh... buy a big package of steak

but they don't have the funds to buy that bulk
 

Control

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even tho he's a banned shit now, the ppl who struggle to afford food, don't have the budget to buy in bulk... like it's pretty simple to say duh... buy a big package of steak

but they don't have the funds to buy that bulk
There's trying to get value for your money, and there's struggling to afford food. If you're literally struggling to afford food, you shouldn't be buying steak at all. If you can't afford bulk rice/beans/eggs at Costco, then you're just gonna starve because it's hard to eat for less money than that unless you're hitting up food banks. (Ironically, that would be a healthier diet than the majority of American eat.)
 
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mkopec

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Yeah were not poor, upper middle class for our area and I dont even buy steaks anymore unless its like $6-$8 LB. Because Fuck that. Its chicken and pork time. Chicken is still cheap as hell, so is pork. Just bought a 5lb bag of leg quarters for $7.99. Chicken breasts are like $2.50/lb and like the most versatile meat. Boneless thighs are even cheaper. Stir fry, Indian, Mediterranean..etc..etc... Pork Butt is like $1.89/lb and you can do several things with it other than the pulled pork everyone does. One butt will feed a family for several days. Last time I made pork steaks out of one and we ate like kings for a week.
 
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Fogel

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Publix usually has BOGO's alternating between chicken and pork, so I stock up then. Rarely see any deep savings on beef outside of ground beef.
 
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Lanx

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Publix usually has BOGO's alternating between chicken and pork, so I stock up then. Rarely see any deep savings on beef outside of ground beef.
wow i've never seen bogo for the meat section at my publix
 

Siliconemelons

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Publix’s rarely will do standing rib roast on sale that gets you below Sam’s and Costco prices and its just like uncut ribeye
 

Lanx

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Publix’s rarely will do standing rib roast on sale that gets you below Sam’s and Costco prices and its just like uncut ribeye
if it wasn't for BoozeCube BoozeCube turning me onto publix fried chicken, i wouldn't make a weekly trip, at most i'd take a stroll after coming out of home depot, b/c it's next door ish
 

Dr.Retarded

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We did cheap stir fry last night. Most expensive item was the shrimp, but that was on sale for I think $4 a pound frozen. Wish I would have gotten more. Used up some carrots, bell pepper, onion, cabbage we had in the fridge,and added some broccoli. The wife got a pound of mushrooms for 50% off. Made some basmati rice, and it's probably $12 worth of ingredients. I'll get at least 2-3 meals out of it for two people and still have vegetables left to do another round with some frozen chicken thighs. I don't eat huge portions, and neither does the wife, so it's pretty easy to stretch out everything with leftovers.

I guess having soy sauce, and some five spice I got on sale also contributed but I can get ridiculous amounts of meals from both of those items once they're in the pantry, I guess I don't necessarily can sit her pantry items or dry goods like that to be part of the meal cost.

It does bug me that vegetables are going up in price, because we buy a lot of them, but that's why I like easy meals like this to use up whatever scraps I have.

IMG_20240417_212757504~2.jpg


There's definitely cheap stuff out there, especially when you focus on getting stuff on sale, just figuring out other uses for cheaper things. I've been using a lot of cabbage lately just because it stays good for such a long time in the fridge, and I like it, and it's just pretty damn versatile.

The new wok is wonderful. I'll have it for years upon years.
 
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Burns

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We did cheap stir fry last night. Most expensive item was the shrimp, but that was on sale for I think $4 a pound frozen. Wish I would have gotten more. Used up some carrots, bell pepper, onion, cabbage we had in the fridge,and added some broccoli. The wife got a pound of mushrooms for 50% off. Made some basmati rice, and it's probably $12 worth of ingredients. I'll get at least 2-3 meals out of it for two people and still have vegetables left to do another round with some frozen chicken thighs. I don't eat huge portions, and neither does the wife, so it's pretty easy to stretch out everything with leftovers.

I guess having soy sauce, and some five spice I got on sale also contributed but I can get ridiculous amounts of meals from both of those items once they're in the pantry, I guess I don't necessarily can sit her pantry items or dry goods like that to be part of the meal cost.

It does bug me that vegetables are going up in price, because we buy a lot of them, but that's why I like easy meals like this to use up whatever scraps I have.

View attachment 525239

There's definitely cheap stuff out there, especially when you focus on getting stuff on sale, just figuring out other uses for cheaper things. I've been using a lot of cabbage lately just because it stays good for such a long time in the fridge, and I like it, and it's just pretty damn versatile.

The new wok is wonderful. I'll have it for years upon years.
If you are getting into Cabbage, here is a super cheap recipe from Poland/Eastern Europe called Haluski. It can be used as a side or a main dish. If used as a main, you may want to add cut up sausage or hamsteak.

I add paprika for extra flavor and cayenne for a kick. In order to reduce the calorie content a bit, I also skip the butter (600 Cal is 600 Cal) and just use the bacon grease produced by the bacon (but of course it reduces the flavor). There are a lot of variations on this recipe, adding various other flavors (like Soy sauce, peas, etc.), but this is the base recipe, similar to one my grandmother used to make for some Polish friends of hers.

2024-04-18 12.29.13 www.smalltownwoman.com 5656e5a0d00d.png


 
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Dr.Retarded

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If you are getting into Cabbage, here is a super cheap recipe from Poland/Eastern Europe called Haluski. It can be used as a side or a main dish. If used as a main, you may want to add cut up sausage or hamsteak.

I add paprika for extra flavor and cayenne for a kick. In order to reduce the calorie content a bit, I also skip the butter (600 Cal is 600 Cal) and just use the bacon grease produced by the bacon (but of course it reduces the flavor). There are a lot of variations on this recipe, adding various other flavors (like Soy sauce, peas, etc.), but this is the base recipe, similar to one my grandmother used to make for some Polish friends of hers.

View attachment 525259

I do something pretty similar with potatoes instead of noodles. Always smothered cabbage and ham hock, too, especially to go with beans or black eyed peas. Good cold weather dishes.

Now that it's warmer I keep it around for tacos and slaws. We make an Asian sort salad with it, carrots, daikon, cucumber, and cilantro, and whip up a vinaigrette that changes most times. Just a nice crunchy and refreshing side for grilled chicken and such.
 
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