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raw ABTs @ $12 a pound?

RRP
RRP Posts: 25,880
While meat shopping Fri I saw a display of raw ABT’s which I would not buy even if I had a wad of $100 bills in my pocket, as they were so poorly made and displayed!

I guess my question is:
are ABTs becoming so commonplace that other eggers here are also seeing them offered in grocery store meat display cases???
Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.

Comments

  • TechsasJim
    TechsasJim Posts: 1,908
    Very common at our HEB chain.   They do them on the half shell rather than the whole pepper.  Varieties are cream cheese, sausage and brisket.   

    I made my own forever and still do occasionally but these are well made and normally not that expensive—routinely on sale.   
    LBGE, 28” BS, Weber Kettle, HCI 7.8 SE Texas
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,167
    Here in flyover country the pre-made half boat ABT's (cream cheese only) have been available in the Kroger stores for 3-4 years.  
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
  • Photo Egg
    Photo Egg Posts: 12,110
    $12 is not the price of the ABTs. It’s the profit margin on LAZY! Ha Ha
    Thank you,
    Darian

    Galveston Texas
  • caliking
    caliking Posts: 18,727
    That's nuts. HEB had prime tri-tip for $8/lb the other day. They've had pre-made ABT's for many years, but I don't recall them being outrageously priced. Tried them a few times, and they were pretty good. 

    #1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
  • dmourati
    dmourati Posts: 1,265
    I'm not really a price-based food shopper but I wouldn't buy pre-made ABTs. 

    The type and amount of bacon, the proportion to the other ingredients, and the size of the jalapenos are all a matter of taste. I prefer to have control over these variables. 
    Mountain View, CA
  • Langner91
    Langner91 Posts: 2,120
    My very first egg cook was pre-fab ABT's. I remember it like it was yesterday...

    I was so excited to cook on it, but I needed to find something that was fast, easy and cheap in case I screwed it up, so when I saw the Kroger ABT's, I grabbed them. 

    It was all about wanting to cook on my new toy.

    But, they weren't $12 a pound.  I am like those ABT's; fast, easy, but mostly cheap!


    Clinton, Iowa
  • Legume
    Legume Posts: 14,602
    We’ve bought the HEB ones a few times, usually a last minute call to come bbq at a friends house.  Quick rewrap of the bacon the they definitely do the job.  Serves a purpose when you’re caught short on time.
  • pgprescott
    pgprescott Posts: 14,544
    The biggest issue with the pre-constructed abt is that in order to do a proper job of wrapping them, the bacon needs to warm up and be stretched a bit. That ain’t gonna happen in the store. Result is loosely wrapped bacon that doesn’t really give you the best presentation. They usually eat just fine in a pinch though. Just not very pretty.  
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,663
    im pretty fast at punching out abt's now but if i included labor cost into the first few batches then 12 bucks would have been cheap. if i want to get lazy now i just cook the bacon fist and add it to the cream cheese mix....as good, no....good enough is sometimes a win
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • RyanStl
    RyanStl Posts: 1,050
    They have them in St. Louis next to the overpriced premade kabobs.
  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,880
    RyanStl said:
    They have them in St. Louis next to the overpriced premade kabobs.
    Schnucks perhaps?
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    RyanStl said:
    They have them in St. Louis next to the overpriced premade kabobs.
    Great way for meat departments to get rid of expiring food....prep it into something new.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • Legume
    Legume Posts: 14,602
    Those chicken breasts swimming in marinade that look so easy.
  • pgprescott
    pgprescott Posts: 14,544
    RyanStl said:
    They have them in St. Louis next to the overpriced premade kabobs.
    Great way for meat departments to get rid of expiring food....prep it into something new.
    Just like a chef does at the restaurant. 😜
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    RyanStl said:
    They have them in St. Louis next to the overpriced premade kabobs.
    Great way for meat departments to get rid of expiring food....prep it into something new.
    Just like a chef does at the restaurant. 😜
    See @stike RE: best by date vs safety.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    Or that other guy @PigBeanUs knows something about that.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • RyanStl
    RyanStl Posts: 1,050
    RRP said:
    RyanStl said:
    They have them in St. Louis next to the overpriced premade kabobs.
    Schnucks perhaps?
    Yes, I mainly shop at Schmucks, but Dierbergs likely has them too.  I've never bought them.
  • PigBeanUs
    PigBeanUs Posts: 932
    prepared-food prices rarely have much to do with the cost of the food that goes into it.

    slice of bacon, some cheese, half a jalapeno... cheap.

    standing there making the things for two hours? that's the real expense.




  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,167
    Checked today at the local Kroger-priced at $10/lb.  Did not buy.  
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
  • Legume
    Legume Posts: 14,602
    By the pound doesn’t make sense.  Do the math and figure the each price.
  • PigBeanUs
    PigBeanUs Posts: 932
    Legume said:
    By the pound doesn’t make sense.  Do the math and figure the each price.

    or do the math and figure the price by weight

  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,880
    edited October 2021
    I know I started this thread, but afterward I had a flashback to maybe 6 years ago having seen a tray of ABTs at Costco. While I forget the price I do recall that they really looked quite sloppy and haphazardly made like by some drunk. B)

    I have never seen them there ever again.
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
  • Legume
    Legume Posts: 14,602
    PigBeanUs said:
    Legume said:
    By the pound doesn’t make sense.  Do the math and figure the each price.

    or do the math and figure the price by weight

    If you’re not figuring it out by volume, you’re just wasting my time.
  • PigBeanUs
    PigBeanUs Posts: 932
    RRP said:
    they really looked quite sloppy and haphazardly made like by some drunk. 
    So. They looked as authentic as those in the BGE forum!
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,167
    Early in the game at Kroger they were selling for $1 per ABT.  I'm sure the number crunchers figured that you could go less than 10 for a $10/lb price point.  
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
  • RyanStl
    RyanStl Posts: 1,050
    I made ABTs this weekend using small  plabano peppers. I didn't like them as much.  I also didn't pay enough attention in the bacon Isle and accidentally bought sausage strips.  Never heard of a sausage strip before; not as good as bacon.
  • PigBeanUs
    PigBeanUs Posts: 932
    Bacon Isle. 

    Had a vacation planned there pre-Covid. Nice to know the place is rocking again. 
  • RyanStl
    RyanStl Posts: 1,050
    Maybe I'll recognize some of your family members.
  • TechsasJim
    TechsasJim Posts: 1,908
    Just checked HEB, non sale price $8.49/lb.   

    Laziness factor is about 1.5 so I went for it.   
    LBGE, 28” BS, Weber Kettle, HCI 7.8 SE Texas