Six ways to save money on . . . meat

publication date: Jun 23, 2008

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author/source: Fiona Beckett

Meat is another food whose price has risen due to growing demand and the increase in animal feed prices. Although the percentage increase is smaller than some products such as pasta and rice the impact is greater because meat prices were higher in the first place. Here are six ways to cut down.

Don’t go for the prime cuts
They may be more convenient but you certainly pay for it. Popular cuts such as chicken breasts (especially if skinned and off the bone), steak and prime roasting joints are always more expensive. Substitute cheaper alternatives: chicken thighs instead of breasts, topside or skirt instead of rump or sirloin steak and shoulder of lamb or pork instead of leg or loin. (In general pork is cheaper than either lamb or beef)

Buy on the bone
With the exception of lamb chops and cutlets almost all meat is cheaper if sold on the bone. Pork chops belly pork and ribs, chicken thighs, wings and drumsticks, duck legs (just £1.74 for two in Sainsbury’s last week) and stewing lamb are all good buys. My organic butcher was selling the unappealingly named ‘scrag end’ for just £4.87 a kilo last week, enough to make a substantial stew for six. The downside of having to skim the stew is more than made up for by the added flavour and texture you get from meat that’s cooked on the bone.

Eat offal
OK. I admit it’s not for everyone but it’s often as quick to cook as prime cuts and just look at the prices! Last week I could buy ox liver (only not classified as calves liver due to a technicality) for just £2.70 a kilo - around 70-80 pence for enough for two. Pork kidneys were £4.51 a kilo and lamb hearts just £3.99. If you mixed them half and half with diced lamb shoulder in a tagine you could make an incredibly inexpensive meal. Chicken and pigs’ livers also make great French-style patés, if you’re feeling creative.

Check mince prices carefully
There’s a bewildering number of different lines and pack sizes. Last week at Sainsbury’s for example you could pay anything between £2.40 and £6.02 a kilo for beef mince. The more expensive lines tend to be the leaner, healthier ranges but you can make cheaper mince just as healthy by browning it and discarding the fat. Check out prices of lamb, pork and turkey mince too. They may be cheaper than beef.

Make what you buy stretch
Do as our mothers and grandmothers did and pad out expensive meat with more frugal ingredients. You can stretch meatballs or a meatloaf for example by adding soaked bread, breadcumbs or rolled oats or add dumplings to a stew. If you do buy a more expensive joint for a Sunday roast take charge of the carving so you can ensure some is left over for the next day(s) (serve a stuffing and/or lots of roast potatoes to keep everyone happy!) Slice meat thinly so it stretches further. Think of dishes such as Italian scallopini (made with chicken rather than veal) or a Thai beef salad or Vietnamese Pho all of which use very little meat.

Make your own marinades
You pay a premium for letting the butcher or supermarket do it for you - and they don’t generally make a very good job of it!