Beef prices and cuts

[RumBar]

I don't buy beef that often mainly due to the price and because I've found so many other things to grill at a fraction of beef prices, but I was looking around at meats at Kroger last week and came across this brisket for $79!
Way out of my league for a family of 2 and 1/2!  I also came across these beef back ribs bone in which seemed like a good price but I wasn't sure what to do with them so I passed.
Any suggestions as to what I should have done with them in case I find them again?


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[Johnpv]

You can do the beef back ribs like you would pork ribs.  Well not exactly the same, but the idea is to do them low and slow and smoke them.   I find them a little harder to get just right than say pork spare ribs, but they're very tasty and can be made tender.  These are some beef back ribs I did.

[LaTuFu]

If you have the ability to get a separate freezer (upright or chest) buying beef directly from a farmer or processor is the way to go.  Our family of 4  goes through a lot of food (thanks, teenagers) so getting 400 lbs of beef at $3/lb packaged and frozen is pretty sweet. 

[RumBar]

That's a great idea and a great price! I'm in farm country so I will look into it. Thanks.


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[Lightning]

I've smoked beef back ribs a couple of times.  As Johnpv mentioned, they aren't too different from pork back ribs to cook.  The main differences I encountered with them is they might take a little bit longer to smoke and they didn't seem to need as much rub and sauce as pork ribs.  I dialled that down after my first run of beef ribs and only put rub and sauce on the top surface.  The membrane's definitely heavier and a bit trickier to remove, too.  I've only smoked beef ribs a couple of times so I'm still fine tuning everything.

I was talking with a friend of mine a couple of weeks ago about the cost of living and a couple of things came up.  Housing costs, which are becoming seriously unaffordable in this part of the world, and food price inflation.  Beef, specifically, came up and my friend pointed out that he was talking to another person who remarked that they'd never expected beef to become a luxury item.  Which is an unfortunate situation.

[Darko]

I don't buy beef that often mainly due to the price and because I've found so many other things to grill at a fraction of beef prices, but I was looking around at meats at Kroger last week and came across this brisket for $79!
Way out of my league for a family of 2 and 1/2!  I also came across these beef back ribs bone in which seemed like a good price but I wasn't sure what to do with them so I passed.
Any suggestions as to what I should have done with them in case I find them again?


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Ignore those beef ribs. There is very little meat there. That brisket may seem expensive, but there is a lot of meat there that can be used for many meals. Get a vacuum sealer & a freezer and you'll save a crapload of money.

[Idahawk]

Beef is actually dropping in price nationwide according to a few reports . I shop for value when it comes to BBQ meat , if I buy beef ribs I'm careful to not buy " shiners" ribs that have had the majority of meat removed they are not worth the effort , look for meaty ones. For small families I suggest Tri-Tip or chuck roast . Many other beef cuts are excellent for BBQ but don't buy lean cuts and expect magic to happen. 


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[Lightning]

I saw an article about that in the newspaper a few weeks ago and it said that wholesale cattle prices have been falling, but I've yet to see that reflected in beef prices at the stores.  At least not yet.  There might be a propagation time that has to go by first before price reductions make it to the retail level assuming the reduced costs make it that far.

I'd love to try doing a small prime rib roast but they're so expensive I'd be loathe to risk it because if it goes badly, it's a waste of a very expensive piece of meat.

[RumBar]

I've been looking locally for farmers selling beef and while I have found a few most have all ready sold out for the summer. Prices are around $3.45 a pound for 1/4, 1/2, or whole.  Looks like the way to go but I'll have to invest in a deep freezer first.
In the mean time and as a learning experiment I'm only buying what meat is on sale and then I'll figure out how to BBQ it once I get it home. Actually looking forward to the challenge. I'm sure there will be some misses but nothing a spoon full of baked beans and BBQ sauce can't hide.


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[Idahawk]

I saw an article about that in the newspaper a few weeks ago and it said that wholesale cattle prices have been falling, but I've yet to see that reflected in beef prices at the stores.  At least not yet.  There might be a propagation time that has to go by first before price reductions make it to the retail level assuming the reduced costs make it that far.

I'd love to try doing a small prime rib roast but they're so expensive I'd be loathe to risk it because if it goes badly, it's a waste of a very expensive piece of meat.

You could nail a Prime rib dude , no problem ...they love a  low and slow roast , the roti works well also  And if you do a prime rib you gotta do a minimum of 4 bones or it just gets well done on the ends with like one center cut piece .


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[Idahawk]

I've been looking locally for farmers selling beef and while I have found a few most have all ready sold out for the summer. Prices are around $3.45 a pound for 1/4, 1/2, or whole.  Looks like the way to go but I'll have to invest in a deep freezer first.
In the mean time and as a learning experiment I'm only buying what meat is on sale and then I'll figure out how to BBQ it once I get it home. Actually looking forward to the challenge. I'm sure there will be some misses but nothing a spoon full of baked beans and BBQ sauce can't hide.


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Is that the cut and wrapped price ? 
Many butcher shops offer meat packages as well , it's an affordable way to get a lot of meat but not so much you need a giant freezer ( although there super nice to have ).


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