Three Ways to Save Smart (or Buy Smart!) at the Meat Counter

Sage and Plow hosted local butcher Keith Mitchell this past weekend for his class “How to Save Smart at the Meat Counter.” Here are three keys he offered for savvy meat-buying:

1. Buy big and cut your meat yourself!

Mitchell brought to class a 17-lb ($5.59/lb) chuck roll (not chuck roast) and a 7-lb ($2.25/lb) boneless pork loin he’d purchased from his local Costco. From those two cuts of meat he cut the following:

• 3 “butcher steaks” (similar to ribeye or delmonico steaks, valued at around $9/lb)
• 3 braise steaks
• 1 flank steak
• 3–5 Denver or zabuton steaks (which could be used for stew meat, brisket burnt ends, or steaks themselves)
• 4 lbs of cutoff to grind into chuck or sausages
• slabs of pork sirloin
• 12–13 pork chops
• a good-sized pork roast
• 2–3 lbs of cutoff to mix with the beef trim to grind

That’s at least 15 meals’ worth of meat out of two large cuts—and great variety for the money.

Mitchell’s advice? Buy big and cut your meat yourself at home. You can do it with a little know-how, a cutting board, and a sharp kitchen knife. Plus, you know there aren’t add-ins or parts of different animals in the meat you consume this way. And it enables people to eat well without spending huge bucks.

2. Understand Labels: The Phosphate Question

Some processed meats contain sodium phosphate, which has received a negative attention in the media. Mitchell acknowledged the rap and offered a clarification: butchers do not use the non-food-grade sodium phosphate that painters use to clean their brushes. They use food-grade sodium phosphate. The phosphate changes the meat’s pH so the meat holds more water—a filler to make the meat less expensive.

Some companies use natural phosphate substitutes, and that will appear on the label as “spices.” These “spices” are usually culture orange peel and onion.

Mitchell’s advice: If you know what’s on your label and what it means, you can make informed decisions about your meat purchases—whether that’s to buy a meat with a water filler in it and save some money, or to opt for the more expensive meat without the fillers.

3. Understand Labels: The Nitrate Question

Nitrates are another part of meat labels that receive a bad rap. Mitchell explained that while high levels of nitrate can become carcinogenic, the FDA regulations ensure that nitrates at that level are not found in the meat we buy. Nitrates are used to cure meats, primarily to prevent botulism from forming in the meat. Some companies use natural nitrates, like celery powder and beet powder. Mitchell offers the caution that “natural” doesn’t always mean there are no risks. Farmers may pump their celery and beet fields full of nitrogen to up the nitrate count so that the natural nitrates perform more uniformly across the mass-production scene. The best alternative Mitchell has found is sodium nitrate found in naturally occurring sea salt that is produced in Italy.

Mitchell’s advice: Be apprised of the benefits and costs of both traditional sodium nitrate, as well as nitrates from celery and beet powders. Then you can be a more savvy consumer at your grocery store.

Mitchell will be back in August to teach about jerking, canning, and freezing meat. Join us then for the next installment of our Meet the Butcher series!