how do y'all have so much meat on-hand?

mojo

I'm constantly amazed at the frequency with which people prepare all those outstanding cooks. Every time I decide to grill something, it involves a trip to the store for seasonings and, most importantly, MEAT! I have always been under the impression that buying meat fresh (never frozen) and cooking it within a few days was the best approach, but that's not always possible with me. I often get home late and just want to get something going on the BGE, but there's nothing in the fridge.

Do you eggsperts buy in bulk and freeze, then thaw when needed, or do you make frequent trips to your butcher? Seems like a silly question, I know, but my wife doesn't let me go to the grocery store very often (when sent for a carton of milk, I'll routinely get home 2 hrs later with $150 worth of junk, and maybe not even the milk ).

WessB

Costco baby..or Sams.....buy in bulk...cut to your desired thickness...foodsaver and freeze...but "yes" fresh would be better, just not practical all of the time. I probably have a 100# of beef in my freezer right now..

Mainegg

LOL We buy a half of beef and a half a pig and freeze it. and I stock up when things are on sale. the hardest part is remembering to take something out of the freezer.... and Sam's and the food saver is your friend! Julie

FlaPoolman

I buy in bulk and freeze but I also pass 2 butchers on the way home from work One of them calls my cell when he gets something special in

Richard Fl

I buy fresh and also on sale. Currently have 2 side by side frig/freezers and a vertical 26 cu foot freezer. Have 3 turkeys 12-15 lbs left over from the holidays. $.69-$/79 cents/lb.
This week Target has St Louis Ribs on sale $1.49, not sure how many I will buy, that depends on my storage capaacity.

Good deal for us and the friends I cook for. PS also have a neighbor that has a 24 cu/ft side by side with only beer in the frig. Great freezer space.

Panhandle Smoker

Buy bulk and freeze. I got a big freezer and I keep it full. :laugh: Just in case. :ermm: :laugh:

Richard Fl

Since when do butchers start stocking beer?? LOL

FlaPoolman

Petty's has a keg. Free beer while you shop :ohmy: :woohoo: :woohoo: I can never get out of there cheap

Richard Fl

Great on Saturday AM.

Slick

What they all say: vac seal and freeze. A good freezer can be had for no more than $300, vac sealer $100 on up. You will be surprised at how fast it fills up! Last year, we froze 100 lbs of our blueberries, sliced apples, apple sauce, etc.

Mainegg

LOL Pat that is so funny. when Neil and I was first married we took some of our wedding money to buy a microwave. a big deal then. I don't think many had one in our area. We went to "Mad Man Dewie's" in Elmira NY. he served ice cold beers while you shopped and Neil was happy to have a few free beers! that was our first "big" purchase and I will never forget it. :silly: sat will be 28 years :)microwave is long gone but I will keep him a few more good Pool men are hard to come by

mint-tulip

Restaurant Depot if you can be a member. It's the best.

FlaPoolman

Congrats to you and Neil and best wishes for many more. You are right we are a rare breed but thats probably a good thing :ermm:

WokOnMedium

I try to figure out what I can cook over the weekend. Make the stop Thursday or Friday after work. Cook a couple pork tenderloins, and a couple burgers. The next day 3 racks of ribs, then kick the egg up a little for a chicken. I get great meals and great leftovers for that time of the week I'm either on the road or don't have time to cook.

My niece told me that when I'm away from home, her mom doesn't cook. She just heats up the things I've cooked! My sister blushed a bit.

And I love my butcher...they have a wonderful beer selection!!!!!!!!!!! Still lookin' for Duval. :laugh:

Boss Hogg

Mojo,
AQfter not cooking for the first 35 years of my marraige, I got a BGE last July. Now, the first things I look for in the Sunday newspaper are the grocery store flyers. I look for good deals and stock up. Like the other folks said, vacuum seal & freeze.

Brian in PA

smokinsop

I'm a sucker for grocery ads.First thing I look at in Sun and Thurs np ads. Had to upgrade to much larger freezer. Caught butts on sale this week for .89
lb and chuck roast for 1.89. Needless to say I spent 100.00 before I got out of store. It's a damn disease. Only have 2 people in house.

thirdeye

A couple of years ago I bent the shelf in my beer fridge. So much for Lite beer :laugh:

mojo

Wow, this must be a bit of a hot topic by all of the responses. So vac seal and freeze seems to be the overwhelming answer. This leads me to several questions, since I've never vacuum packed anything before.

1. Any recommendations for a good vacuum sealer (brand or unit)?
2. How long will meat keep when frozen vac packed?
3. Do you thaw the meat rapidly (microwave), overnight in the fridge, or run water over it? I guess it would depend on the meat we're talking about, right?

Thanks for all of the input, I love this Forum!

mikeb6109

Hey Wayne that is some serious meat storing were you getting ready to feed the troupes?? :woohoo:

smokinsop

I use a FoodSaver with rolls instead of bags as you never know how big a bag you will need. I have found steaks more than a year old in freezer and still were good but as a rule I try to keep no more than 6 mos for beef and pork, 3 mos for poultry. I thaw in refrigerator
unless I really need and then I use combo of microwave and cold water

oldfishinglure

We live in a medium/small town with only one Walmart (Crappy meat selection) to shop in and one butcher store...1.5 hours each side to the big cities. been thinking of buying a foodsaver and making costco/sams runs ocasionaly but didnt know how long Foodsaver items would stay good...

thirdeye

Yeah sort of. The town has a huge parade (for these parts) for the opening of Fair and Rodeo week, and one of my cookin' buddies has a corner lot office in a turn of the century home right at the end of the route. He's from a farming family and most of his clients are farm and ranch folks. They come to town for the parade, and for about 15 years he has thrown a party for everybody. I'm one of the helpers....in charge of the brisket. cookin' and cuttin'. Heheee. Oh, and also the burnt ends. So I hand pick them out a few days early.

On top of that, we cook up about 100# of pork butt, a yearling lamb, all the sides and enough sloppy Joe's and hot dogs for 150 kids. This is a lamb and 4 or 5 butts.

AnnaG

Hey ya'll,

I have some in the freezer, but Hurricane Katrina taught me a lesson... That was not fun cleaning out 3 freezers after not having power... Yuck...

On the upside, how often has a Hurricane like that happened... I keep what I need in the main freezer and the others are for water frozen in jugs now...

Being without water, power, communication, etc will cause you to change your lifestyle...

Thanks...
...AnnaG...

Canugghead

Brian, same here! never cooked for first 29 years of my marriage, but since getting my first egg in May '08 I now started learning to cook. The only type of meat I don't stock up is pork butts because they're a pain in the butt to defrost! Butts are cheap here in local oriental supermarkets, for example, last week I got them at 95 canuck cents/lb.

Rolling Egg

Vac and seal here too Mojo. I cooked out of my freezer all the time except maybe when we have guest over for steaks and I want the best. Then I go fresh. Right now I have about 15 2 inch ribeyes froze, 6 whole chickens, 6 eight pound pork butts, 15 pounds ground beef. Happy Egging!

Misippi Egger

Vac seal is great! A tip I learned a while back (and was in the manual for my newest vac-u-seal machine) - if the meat is juicy (steak, fish, etc.) then put a narrow (1" wide) strip of paper towel into the bag next to the meat. The paper towel absorbs the juices before they get sucked into the vacuum hampering the seal. Also makes a great white background for labeling.

Mr. & Mrs Potatohead

Personally, I don’t think freezing meat is bad. I can’t tell a difference unless it has been in the freezer too long…That is bad! My rule of thumb is: Beef 12 months, Pork 6 months, Fish can go 6 months too, if sealed well or frozen in water. I’ve just tried that for the first time, it works well.
As for having meat on hand: I had an option of all or nothing last January…
So I bought the whole thing! 856 lbs. hanging weight, of grass feed, then finished steer. It is SUPER!!



I have been selling some (now a side) cause we could never use that much in a year...But we are making a major dent in the remain side thus far!

OttawaEgg

I get meat on sale, then vacuum seal it and freeze it.

I have about 60 new york stips in the freezer that I paid about $1 each for (had to cut them myself - big deal LOL).

Also, about 18 racks of baby backs, bought at 60% off.

If I want something for guests, I hit the butcher.

cookn biker

Keeping meat on hand, always. I like to go to Safeway on Sat. morn after my workout and scan the reduced bins. I always find great things there and spend lotso bucks.

Mainegg

Same here Molly, I hit the grocery store first thing in the am and get the bargains. but I am jealous of all you getting butts for 89 and 95 cents a pound???? I was excited to see them at 1.89 a pound this week. ribs are 6.99 a pound...... and I get my rolls for my food saver on Ebay. there is a guys that sells tons of bags and rolls. roll are the way to go as making the bags aren't that bad if you have an older model with out a bag cutter. my back up one I got at a yard sale for 2.00 works great but I have to make the bags. if we are doing up a ton of stuff and both of us are bagging and sealing i will get it out.

rsmdale

I use a foodsaver commercial grade and heavy duty rolls.I do a lot of long range fishing and hunting and it keeps really well.We had some albacore steaks from 07 last night and they were great.Make sure you get a good seal and you should be fine.

GOOD EATS AND GOOD FRIENDS

DALE
Socal