How many people buy supermarket chicken and meat?
Despite the constant messages in the food press that we should all be eating free range, grass fed, organic, etc., I have to feed up to four people a week on just my salary. I don't have a lot of time to shop in a lot of different places either. So a few times a week I feed my family chicken that I buy on sale for 69 cents a lb. at the supermarket, Trader Joe's hamburgers or frozen shrimp probably from Thailand. Am I slowly killing us all? Do other people feel this constant pressure to buy hyper-expensive meat and poultry, or do some of you also buy regular meat and poultry at the regular supermarket? I even eat farm raised salmon every now and then. We eat virtually no processed foods and never any fast food, but the cost of the real quality meat is cost-prohibitive. Will I go to foodie hell?
Chowpatty
Jun 18, 2008 08:03PM
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We are all going to die eventually, some slower than others. I like to eat healthy, but don't go for the hype.
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i shop at the local grade a market (shop right). not fancy. the butchers are good. i spent years making friends with them. i'm very happy with the meats.
fish? i'm best buds with my local monger. they buy fresh every morning in the new fulton market. produce is my weak spot. i grow some but that's not enough. i need to do better.
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Bingo...I buy meat at the supermarket, but travel to a good market, rather than the closest, which only has precut meat on a prewrapped on a styrofoam tray. In my case, that's Grade A, too, either Stamford (Comm Park) or Norwalk.
For fish, I'm a bit pickier, and supermarket fish don't cut it. Fjord in Greenwich, or New wave in Stamford (more limited, but great quality, and 1/2 the price of Fjord. Closer, too.
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CBAM
Take a drive up to Pound Ridge and try Scotts Market for some good beef. Great quality and jfood thinks better than Grade A in STM. Other place in the area on Route 7 in Norwalk is Leitizia but sometimes th\e meat is hit/miss. But jfood has found hangar steak there.
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We buy rotisserie chickens from Costco and Ralph's market - they're juicy and reasonable and tasty.
I've bought fish at Whole Foods, Gelson's, Ralph's, and like getting Costco's king crab legs or lobsters...
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I do try to buy organic, free range meat whenever possible, but I can definitely empathize how expensive it can get. But last week, I just discovered "Buddhist" style Bo Bo chickens at a Chinese market. These chickens are fresh, lean, flavorful and are free range to a certain extent. And an entire chicken was only $5! I usually spend 3-4 times that for one at Whole Foods. So I was really happy to discover these chickens.
I don't eat as much meat as the typical American. So spending more for my meat will not affect my budget as much as those who can eat a 1 lb steak on a regular basis.
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Which market sells Bo Bo chickens? I haven't been cooking much lately.
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This was in Flushing. Don't remember the name but it's a relatively new large market on Main Street near Sanford, I think. Here's their website which lists where you can find it.
http://www.bobochicken.com/markets.htm
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They got a retail market in Manhattan. Next time I make roast duck I'll get it from them. So that's where you get quail.... Thanks for the find...
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No, I do the same.
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I just blogged about this!!!
I rob Peter to pay Paul. I have 5 kids, 3 of which are young men who can eat their own body weight in meat. I buy grass-fed, free range lamb on line, which works out to be about $17AUD a kg. BUT, I recently wanted to cook shanks... and at $3 EACH (x 7, mind you) even at the spewpermarket,the grass fed option wasn't an option. So it was Slaveways meat all the way for that dish (albeit I got about 24 adult serves out of one dish, but with 7 mouths to feed, I am creative like that)
I find shopping at local orchards and farmers markets IS actually cheaper than supermarkets, for fruit and vegies, and then if I want to splurge and get some organic pineapple for just hubs and I, I don't feel so guilty.
I get an online delivery of fruit and veg once a fortnight, so I don't even have to go out to always have fruit and veg in the house.. and my supplier is most certainly cheaper than the supermarket. It's not organic, but it is guaranteed Australian produce only. I also get milk, bread and cheese delivered at a noticeable discount from supermarket prices.
So really, all I have to get is the occasional top-up of fruit and veg from a local source, and I buy my meat as ethically as possible,
And sometime "ethical" means buying gas-packed supermarket meat, so I can afford the ballet fees.
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Don't believe the hype!!! You are not killing anyone by serving homemade food prepared from your local supermarket. Believe me, I would love to serve/eat only from my local organic butcher, farmers market, co-op, cheese shop, fish monger...but I work full-time + as most people do, and it is just not possible most weeks to make so many stops for food. And sometimes I am just too light in the wallet for the one stop shop at Whole Foods and SuperTarget is just so convenient and cheap. You are not dining with Chef Boy-ar-dee so don't stress. BTW...where is "foodie hell"?? I have always called Taco Bell "Taco Hell" so I will assume it is there.
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What, exactly, is the toxin that we are supposed to be concerned about in the mainstream meat supply? If it is toxic, why isn't the average lifespan plummeting?
The fear and hype is nonsense. The USDA actually does a fairly good job of keeping our food supply safe and if you cook meat properly, it is safe. The only truly proven strategy for extending lifespan through diet is severely restricting total calories for adults but if you are a true chowhound, that would make life seem interminable.
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I think much of the organic movement is more about greener living and humane treatment of the animals, than it is toxicity(although for many hormones & pesticides are a concern too).
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That's why I hunt and fish. My kids called it happy meat. It was happy until I dropped it, caught it. Organic too. And aerobic for the human.
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I dont believe the hype put out by the organic/greenie folks. I buy my meat & poultry at the local butcher shop, but if I do not get there on a weekend before he closes, or on a Sunday I will buy chicken, and cryovac pork products(ribs,pork loin,porkbutt,etc) from my local grocery store. Never beef though( I cant stand sub-choice graded meat at most supermarkets)
We never buy prepared foods, including rotisserie chickens from anywhere.
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I buy most of what we eat from Scotts (division of Kroger), SavALot, Walmart, and occasionally Meijer. I don't buy meats at Walmart for the most part because they just don't taste that great and their prices are usually higher than the other stores....price match doesn't always work because they'll package items differently than the others. I shop the sales at Scotts and get some great deals, also buy the reduced for clearance meats there. SavALot keeps going up on their meats but I buy some if the price is right. Thankfully, I'm still able to find meat that hasn't been enhanced. I just want plain ole meat and will enhance myself, thank you.
I tried a local farmer's small meat shop and his prices were astronomical and, to be quite frank, the meat was worse than Walmart. He sells his good stuff to restaurants in Chicagoland and the rejects are sold to locals at his farm. Some people have even gotten rancid meat from him so he's quickly losing customers after just opening earlier this spring.
Produce comes from different places. All three stores carry some local produce when available and usually it's at a great sale price. I buy fresh when I can either at the local stores or at roadside stands. Living in Indiana, there's only a short growing season when those items are available. We also have a small garden and I can or freeze as much as I can for winter use. I don't go for the hype either but do my best to feed my family homecooked nutritous meals for an affordable price. I feed 2 adults, a 14 yr old girl, and 8 yr old boy for anywhere from $50-150 per week. That amount includes health and beauty, cleaning products, paper goods, etc. It fluctuates because when I find a good deal, I stock up for a week when work was slow and there's just not as much money in the budget.
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I will not buy meat from Wal-Mart, Sam's Club or anywhere it isn't cut on site. That's just me, though. I have good results from meat bought at ShopRite, Price Chopper and Stop and Shop home in New York and also from Hannaford and Market Basket in Mass. You just have to know what to look for - I buy only organic chicken and turkey and Angus beef, and limit our pork somewhat.
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I've slowly started to ween myself off of supermarket meats.
But I'm doing so not necessarily because of health (or ethical) concerns. Rather, it's for taste.
I just joined a CSA for salmon and beef and I find the taste to be so much superior to what I can get at the market, organic or not.
I tend to eat less because the flavors are so much more pronounced that I think I probably spend the same amount of money, if not less than if I were to buy from market.
Bottom line for me? When it comes to meat (esp. beef and fish), I buy based on taste, not health or ethical considerations.
Nothing lives forever, not even planet Earth.
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ipse, can you please provide contact info for your CSA? thanks!
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For poultry: http://www.rainbowranchfarms.com/Frequently%20Asked%20Questions.htm
For beef and salmon: http://www.fishhugger.com/index.html They aren't technically a CSA, but there's no membership and the prices are reasonable and the quality very good.
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thank you!
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A lot of the pop science the green crowd touts is dubious at best, flat out wrong at worst. There's a lot to sympathize with, but there's a lot that's been peverted by politics. I would love to be able to buy more local, organic goods for the taste as well as for the social benefit, but the sad fact of the matter is that doing so would exceed my food budget two-fold, driving me into the poorhouse very quickly. So it's off to the mass market for me.
The USDA does an excellent job of ensuring that our food is safe and of high quality; as soon as any link in the supply chain is tainted, it is separated from general consumption and destroyed. The mass-produced meat mightn't taste as great as organic meats fed on natural feed and not pumped up with saline solution, but if you're into cooking, think of it as a challenge to your abilities. And know that at least it's far better than the rancid stock heavily spiced by the king's chefs in the court of Henry VIII!
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The USDA does an excellent job of ensuring that our food is safe and of high quality; as soon as any link in the supply chain is tainted, it is separated from general consumption and destroyed.
*Snort* You must be joking. I have no doubt that lots of good people work at the USDA but the agency as a whole is an underfunded, understaffed mess that won't even let ranchers test for made cow voluntarily. The USDA has virtually no power to order a recall and our standards are so low that the vast majority of first world economies will only buy our meat and poultry because they get pressured into it because of their other economic interests.
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Hi Patty,
I don't think it's really a health issue. All meat/poultry in the country is inspected and approved for human consumption -- the commercially raised animals/birds are treated with antibiotics and fed commercially-raised food that has been treated with pesticides, etc., but while there is speculation that the overuse of antibiotics in animals is contributing to "superbugs," and that the pesticides are bad for your health, there are not sufficient studies that prove this, or the practices wouldn't be legal for use, nor the meat/poultry approved for sale.
IMHO, the reason to purchase organic/free range meat/poultry is because it has been *humanely* raised and is less damaging to the environment, not because of health reasons. My personal feeling on the subject is that the the price of commercially raised meat/poultry does not accurately reflect the cost to society -- if it reflected all of the environmental issues related to commercial agriculture, it would be more expensive, as it should be. With regard to beef, it's only relatively recently (like the last 30 years or so), that we moved from pasture-raised cattle to corn-fed; the latter allows the animals to get to market much faster than the former, plus the former requires much more land, so it is preferred now. In the past, it took around 2-1/2 to three years to get a cow to market, and so they were more expensive. Now, it takes 14 months.
I personally try to buy the organic/free range stuff, but I am not feeding a family of four. I'd rather eat less meat/poultry and know I am supporting better animal husbandry, environmental and land use practices, than eat more and not think about it. But I do not consider it a health issue (for humans, at least).
What I would do if I did not want to pay top dollar at Whole Foods for meat/poultry is try to focus on the best of the commercially raised stuff. Foster Farms poultry is California grown, doesn't use hormones and uses only very limited antibiotics, for instance. Beef at Gelson's is hormone free and they have good price discounts at times. Costco sells nice lamb from Australia that claims to be "all natural." I would also try to focus on meals where meat/poultry is the accent rather than the substance of the meal, so you need to buy less and price isn't as big a concern.
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Well said Dana. I keep seeing discussions here about meat suppliers that fail to address sustainability and animal welfare. I don't think most people realize that the amount of fossil fuels required to produce a lot of factory farmed foods is astronomical This is not the case with grass fed beef. As far as cost goes, perhaps those of us who can afford local foods should buy them in order to try to bring the price down. Factory farmed foods are 'artificially cheap,' in that they do not reflect the true cost of making the food (monetary, environmental, or ethical). If small farms were subsidized to the extent that large scale corn producers are, we wouldn't be talking about this difference in price.
JeremyEG
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I purposely didn't read all the other replies but would like to point out that "organic" doesn't automatically mean "better for you." Let's take a cow, who is not designed to grow up consuming nothing but grains, and because of the GI disturbances this can cause, they are given antibiotics in factory farms. If the factory farm is feeding them all ORGANIC grain, that still doesn't = a healthy cow, and if they are sending that cow to the same processing plant that values speed over quality and care, where ecoli is getting ground into the meat because of speed over precision, it doesn't matter what the animal ate. The animal living on corn and then you consuming that animal is the unhealthy part. Yes, you're taking in less chemicals and that's good, but I really think people need to start looking for sources, local sources if possible, where they do things with care and thought and try to do the best, most healthy thing they can even if they can't afford to be certified organic. My local amish people at the farmer's market aren't certified organic but when I talk to them about what they use to grow their plants, how they keep bugs at bay, what they feed their animals, how they live and where they are processed and they know all the answers, I feel 100% good about buying from them, and about my money going back into the local economy instead of to the giant farm who may have supplied meat, milk or produce at a place like Whole Foods (where I rarely shop).
On top of that, Americans could do with eating less meat. Buying slightly more expensive meat and using it more sparingly while increasing consumption of inexpensive grains and beans benefits not only your pocketbook but also your body.
For me, the choice is not Tyson chicken or we'll go broke, it's that if all that's available is Tyson, I will just do without chicken til I can find a better source and maybe have some pasta or rice and beans for dinner.
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I eat what I can afford.
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I do not buy fresh meat from national mega markets, but I do not have problems buying meat at a local grocery. I know the local farmer they buy the meat from and I know where it was processed. They have butchers in every store that will do custom cutting and processing if given 24 hours notice. I have worked as a baker in their central commissary, and I trust them completely.
The only meats that I will buy in mega-groceries are national brands such as Johnsonville, Nathan's and Bob Evans products.
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I have the best butcher in Westchester and buy all my meat from him. He's at Stop and Shop and his name is Vinnie.
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Dolores, tell me more about Vinnie - what makes him the best butcher? Can he get prime meats? Does he sell lamb top round? which Stop and Shop do you use? I shop at the Post Rd. store and find they don't know or will cut meats for me. Once the old Food Emporium closed in Mamaroneck and they transferred Tony to Briarcliff Manor, we've been lost.
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I think you got the answer you were going after, an affirmation all was well. Few people, I would guess, eat totally organic.
Depends on why you think you should eat organic
- Will I go to foodie hell?
Other people's opinions don't matter.
- Am I slowly killing us all?
Who knows? There are studies showing that hormones in meat can be harmful to children. Depends on whether you believe them. Does the USDA do a good job of protecting us? IMO, no. What do you think the motive is of large meat producers ... to provide the healtiest product to your family ... or to maximize profit
- I even eat farm raised salmon every now and then
This area gets into whether you have a concern about the impact to the environment ... and extending it ... to the animals themselves.
It depends on your beliefs and priorities. Even if the people sounding alarms are correct, it will be years before there might be an impact, if any. Depends on whether you want to play meat roullete.
That being said, I try to eat organic as much as possible, but I buy supermarket meat and farmed fish on sale. I eat at restaurants I know don't serve organic meat. Then again, I'm older so maybe it won't catch up with me and I don't have kids, so that's not a concern.
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Rw, what did you do with the Romanita tomatoes that were on sale just prior to the ban?
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EdwardAdams is referring to the NON organic tomatoes that were on sale ...
a 20 lb box for $1.59 ... yep ... that is for the WHOLE box ... couldn't turn that down.
To make it even better they were in perfect condition and FDA approved as safe from the latest samonella outbreak. The following week the same store marked them down to 99 cents for a 20 lb box .
Lots of salad, fresh salsa and just snacking. I put them in glass jars and still have a lot that are in stellar condition.
Which brings up another point ... keep your eyes open. Yeah, you have limited time. However, it doesn't take much time to stop by those markets you've passed by a zillion times and check them out.
I did this shopping on $3 a day thing and one criticism I got was that I had unlimited shopping time. Actually no ... I hate shopping ... even food shopping.
However, if you take ten minutes once a week to stop and scope out a new market ... over a year that is 52 markets. I've lived in this area four years ... so I'm pretty familiar with what stores have the bargains.
My local Raley's will mark down meat and fish. I once picked up whole organic chickes for two dollars each. We have a great store called Grocery Outlet that carries all sorts of organic food ... I picked up a pack of Aidell's organic sausage for $2.99 ... $5.99 in most markets ... Wild Alaskan smoked salamon 8 oz for $4.99 ... regular price $18.
A local Latin market gets a whole pig every week from a local farmer which he cuts up. I can't say it is organic, but I do know it is an unintentianlly free-range piggy and the prices are less than the supermarket. The guy makes some nice sausages out of the pig. Also, he seems to glom on bargains. One week he had Rosie Organic chickens for 99 cents.
And even if your market stop doesn't yield meat finds, if you get other discounts you can afford to splurge for organic meat if that seems like something worthwhile. Hey, I'm even a fan of Walmart, sort of ... and they have lots of low cost organic products.
However, I really can't say the last time I bought meat at Whole Foods. That is just too expensive. Lots of the lower tier markets are starting to carry organic hosue-brand meats.
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Safeway is greatly expanding its organic house brand of meat, dairy and canned goods, often puts in on sale, and the quality is pretty good.
There is apparently some evidence (no idea if it is solid or anecdotal) that sticking only to organic dairy products and meats may lower the incidence of migraines in those that are prone (and dairy is one of the top triggers of migraines).
I wil admit, when I am feeling broke I tend to eat less meat rather than buy lower quality, but it is much more because of taste issues than any big concern about health. I figure that trying to keep my sodium intake within reasonable amounts, eating only in moderation and getting enough exercise are much more important to my health than worrying about the source of my meat, and one can only do so much....
I am particularly fussy about the source of seafood, and rarely buy it at the supermarket. However, much of my concern does have to do with environmental, not health issues (might be more worried about health issues and mercury, etc., if I were of child bearing age, but thankfully those days are past). I won't eat farmed salmon, but it is for environmental reasons, not health reasons or even taste issues (though I like the taste of wild better). If I can't find wild salmon at affordable prices, I do without (which means that this year I've eaten almost no salmon except on my recent trip to BC and Alaska).
When I do splurge on expensive, high quality, organic meat, it is usually to buy chicken: I find the quality makes the most difference in taste (to me) in poultry. Obviously, this is less of an issue in recipes where the chicken will be cooked in a flavorful sauce, but I do find that my success with roasted chicken or turkey very much depends on the source of the bird. Besides, even the most expensive free-range, organic chickens aren't horribly expensive compared to high-end beef.
Happily, eating less meat both helps save money and is environmentally sound.
.
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I'm still in school, with a very meager budget. Not only do I buy supermarket meat and chicken, I often buy it at one of the down-market stores. And I typically purchase in bulk during sales. Earlier this week I stocked up on chicken quarters (thigh and leg) for $0.49/lb. I use the money I save to splurge on necessary luxuries, such as imported parmigiano-reggiano and fresh herbs (keep meaning to get my container herb garden rolling.)
I don't buy fish or any seafood at the supermarket. Even there, the price is too high and the quality is suspect. I generally don't eat seafood unless I catch it myself, or I'm treated to a dinner at a resto.
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I get everything from WalMart. It would be a luxury for me to be able to think about how or what the animal ate or where my food came from. I'm lucky I can afford any food at all. So I never even think about it. Maybe if the organic food cost the same, I would give it some thought.
At least I don't eat from fast food restaurants, even if I could afford to, I wouldn't.
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I won't buy any meat from Wal Mart. I can't speak for every Wal Mart in the country, but the 3 in my area that sell groceries do not sell "pure" meat...Every single package of beef, chicken and pork are marked as being "Enhanced with up to 10% solution". For one thing, I brine my own chicken and pork when I cook it, so I don't need this, and for another, this means I am paying for water weight instead of pure meat, so the lower cost of the meat really isn't that low.
While I prefer a couple of the meat markets in Rochester, I have yet to find a grocery store that can even come close to Wegman's.
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Every WalMart in the country only sells case-ready meat since September 2001 - the ones "enhanced with up to 10% solution".
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F01E5D8133AF936A25751C0A9659C8B63&n=Top/News/Business/Companies/Tyson%20Foods,%20Inc.
Of course, WalMart says "positive consumer response" caused them to expand their case-ready meats to all stores. And that solution is actually up to 12%.
http://www.walmartfacts.com/FactSheet...
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that can't be true, since my walmart does carry Harvestland brand chicken. not enhanced and is a good tasting chicken.
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Well, if you looked at the story I linked, it *was* from 2003. So perhaps WalMart has finally realized that not everyone wants the case-ready meat and finally chose to distribute a little organic food. But overall, I'd hazard a guess that the majority of the meats at WalMart are case-ready.
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I get the majority of our meat from Costco. We appreciate the taste difference compared to Walmart meats, and the only other 2 local chain supermarkets are super spendy. If I stock up at Costco on meat (we eat small, tasty meals now instead of huge portions like we once did) and our other essentials- I can just pick up my farmer's market veggies and fruits, and stop 1x a week for other things at the chain market. I used to think I was imagining the taste difference, but side by side- a rib eye from Costco tases WAAAAAAAY better to me than one from Winn*Dixie. I wish I had a local butcher to compare. I like the idea of it, I loved my butcher and meat options when we lived up North. I also made 3x more than my current yearly salary. The closest "butcher" to my house sells pre-shrink wrapped rock-solid frozen stuff that was tough, stringy and shrivled up when cooked. We get tasty hotdogs (Belly Busters) that are (I think) BEST brand from him -100% beef and everyone that tries them loves them, but I hated the bacon, NY strip and filet mignon we tried from his place. There is a butcher about 30 miles from here but I haven't been in.
It's the same with chicken at Costco. I get the Kirkland ones, pre-portioned 2 per in the handy perforated packs that go right in the freezer. We can get 2 meals out of 1 pouch.
I don't think I've EVER seen chicken on sale for 69 lb unless it was organ meat. I do shop the sales whenever I can and actually clip coupons (people laughed at me, now I have them all doing it!!)
If I make the best choice I can to feed my family what is fresh, tasty and good for us and that choice happens to be a hunk of salmon from New Zealand (or wherever the f* it is that I'm not *supposed* to buy it from) then I live with it in my own bliss, you know? Simply because I can not afford to throw down $17 a pound for hand fed chickens who never spent time in a cage will never make me feel shame, ever.
Lighten your burden, Chowpatty. Don't let anything mess with your head. And rejoice that you have a Trader Joe's in your area- I miss it. That and Wegman's, and Acme, and Stop-n-Shop... They used to TRIPLE coupons at some of those places!
;o)
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Whole chickens are 69¢/lb this week at Albertsons ( I live in San Diego county) Split chickens are 99¢/lb...the price of not owning a knife.
I buy what is on sale wherever every week. If it isn't on sale, I don't buy it. Sometimes organic is less expensive than non-organic.
I also will buy at Costco and Trader Joe's if I have to have something that night and have no time to shop around.
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We do have Albertsons about 20 miles north that isn't too bad when they do the $10 for 10 sales. I'll go if I'm in the area. In FL the big chain Publix is buying out the remaining few Albertson's, which is too bad... but I still won't buy red meat there if I can help it... Unless it's something I would throw in the crockpot...
If it's not on sale and I need to have it, I'll change my menu! Never to be done under duress- one night recently I ended up going home with nothing-I didn't take anything out of the deep freeze and I had no time to thaw if I took it out when I went home... I wandered the aisles, I was confused and pissed off (and hormonal, I'm sure). We ate soup and grilled cheese that night.
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I buy most all meats and poultry from the grocery store. I tend to buy organic milk since I find it taste better. I like to shop at ethnic markets where available. More interesting with lots of choices and good prices. I have used a gourmet butcher/seafood/market for prime dry aged beef and like to get my seafood from the place near the docks over the grocery stores fish but do buy non local fish from the grocery store. Farm raised salmon is okay by me.
Interesting encounter at the grocery store the other day. While selecting eggs an older women started on about how much better the free range eggs were. "They don't give them all those chemicals and they don't put them in cages". She went on to say that she can't eat the regular eggs anymore because they taste terrible compared to the free range eggs. I nodded my head but know better that those free ranged chickens are not so different in that the cage door is left opened but it is not like they are running around the field all day. I have not been able to tell a significant difference in taste or texture between the different types of eggs in the supermarket. Now right from the farm/hen is a different story.
Although I would like to eat organic I find the cost prohibitive and always wonder if the difference between the two makes a big difference in one's overall health and life span. My suspension is that it doesn't.
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Thanks for all your kind replies! We do eat pasta, beans and rice and we don't eat that much meat, in answer to those who suggested that. However I have a teenage son and he gets growly if he doesn't get any meat for days at a time. I do splurge on free-range eggs, decent parmesan from Trader Joe's, and try to get fruit and veggies from farmer's markets when possible. But you have all convinced me to consider joining Costco again. I never found it useful before but perhaps if I have to cook more meat it would be.
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I had a big dinner party recently for around 15 people where I wanted to serve the lamb chops from Costco. I went and bought 5 1-1/2 lb packages of the spring racks of lamb, at 9.99 per pound (about 7.5 pounds). When I went to the checkout, my membership had expired the month before, and I had to pay $50 on the spot, and I bit my lip but did it, figuring at some point during the year, I'd make up the difference. So at Costco, I paid approximately 75.00 for the lamb, plus the 50 surcharge, or $125.
I went to Gelson's afterward to pick up some other stuff, and the rack of lamb there was $17.99 per pound (or 7.5 lbs for $135 dollars). So, I actually ended up saving 10 bucks at Costco, even with the membership fee, assuming I'd decided to still serve lamb if I had to buy it at Gelsons prices!
If you are serving 4 on a regular basis, Costco will likely be worth it to you.
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We don't. Supermarket chicken just tastes bad and I stopped eating it a long time again. Mr. JudiAU lured me back with good chicken and now we eat one every other week or so. I would rather eat a small portion of meat or eat the good stuff occasionally than eat the less good.
I buy half a pig (not certified organic and hee hee not USDA slaughtered) and a whole lamb every year. Excellent quality, always in my freezer, good for the environment, and more to the point it tastes GOOD. And, buying in bulk is much much cheaper.
I am still working on beef. I want to like grass fed but I was raised on corn fed. I just haven't found a supplier I like. I've always been really picky about grades and grass fed just tastes cheap to me.
I figure it is all a process. I want good stuff and thus far Tiny JudiAU doens't have a vote. We've been trying to be better about working some veg options into the week. That cuts down on the meat and carbon bill. We are also pretty good about "meat flavoring" options such as home cured bacon, pancetta, sausage etc.
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Patty, As an aside, Slow Food Los Angeles may be starting a Meat CSA or a bulk buying club. It cuts the cost and the quality is really superb. You might consider jointing the listserv if you don't get it at www.slowfoodla.com
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Yes absolutely... down to the farm-raised salmon. Before I became aware of the health & environmental issues we ate it once a week, so I figure a few times a year is a vast improvement. I actually have a lot of options for naturally-raised & organic, as well as great conventional butchers, in my area but it often comes down to one-stop shopping at the place that delivers. And not making my DH completely insane with my 'houndism... he likes to eat well but sees no need for multiple trips to multiple stores and markets. I've come to appreciate the simplicity
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I buy range fed beef from the supermarket because that's all that we have here. Fortunately, beef in Colombia costs "only" about twice what you pay in the US. Chicken here costs about 4-5 times as much as in the US.
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I may be stubborn, but I refuse to pay fifteen dollars for a damned chicken. Well, I did once. I was tired of chicken not tasting like the chicken of my youth, so I bought a free range organically grown scratch-on-the-ground chicken for about the price of a 24k gold chicken statue, and guess what? It didn't taste any better than the chicken legs I was buying in a ten pound bag for three dollars at WalMart. I do not like white meat. I find it tasteless, and I deplore those tasteless chunks that are ubiquitous to all lunch salads, whether at finer dining establishments or Wendy's drive through.
I think I may still have a couple of steaks left in the big freezer that are not organic 100% grass fed dry aged beef, but the changeover is almost complete. I figure if all of the information about how great grass fed beef is on good cholesterol and Omega 3's, I could probably eat that at least five nights a week and still be eating "healthy," whatever that means. (I think it means not having Oreos for dinner.)
But I do need a little variety in my diet, and I've been eating poultry since I was a kid and pretty much loving it. So now I've found that I can pick up a box or two of frozen quail at a price that's pretty decent, as in under two bucks a quail, and sometimes much less than that. I don't think it's possible to feed a family of four with two or three quail, and you'd probably have to save quail bones for at least a decade to make a half way decent stock, but I am one of those, "Yay, I live alone and I can eat off of the good china if I damned well want to" group. Two quail make a nice dinner, and when I'm in the mood to play with miniatures (I used to build "grown up" doll houses for a hobby), it's kind of fun to make a teensy bit of brown rice, apricot, Grand Marnier stuffing for the little birdies, toss a half rasher of bacon over their little bodies and pop them in the oven for a delicious and fun meal.
But every once in a while I do just have to have an old fashioned stuffed roast chicken with giblet gravy and scratch mashed potatoes, and when that urge hits, my experience is that WalMart chicken tastes every bit as good as one from Central Market or Whole Foods. But that could be all in the kind of sage I use...?
So stop worrying about "foodie hell," Chowpatty For me, foodie hell comes with check out at Whole Foods! Feed your family And try to have enough left over for some microwave popcorn and a good rented movie! Ain't nothin' wrong with that.
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if nobody has mentioned it, Kosher chicken is raised and slaughtered in a generally humane manner and I think the flavor beats organic by a mile. (still not cheap)
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Agreed. Whole Foods often has Kosher chickens and it is one of the few products I will go out of my way to buy there..
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Couldn't find the original article I read but it contained horror stories of children as young as 15 working 12 hour days without proper training using implements and on lines forbidden to anyone under the age of 18 at Agriprocessor, the nation's largest kosher chicken processor. I don't care how good the poultry is or if it's a bargain, I won't buy from a corporation that unneccessarily endangers kids in this country, illegal immigrants or not, just to save a buck or because it tastes better. Bad enough it happens in other parts of the world.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26042783
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That was a terrible story. There is an interesting piece in the NY Times from last year about some Jewish foodies who are reexamining the definition of 'Kosher.' In a nutshell, they ask if it's more ethical to eat Kosher birds produced by slave laborers and using environmentally harmful ingredients even if the plant technically conforms to Kosher standards. I can't find the original article but it's certainly in the archives.
I know Michael Pollan argues that most of these issues would be solved if meat processing plants of all kinds allowed visitors or were 'glass walled.' He argues that many would become vegetarian and that the days of slaughtering 400 cows/hour would end, and that the price of meat would rise to something closer to the true cost of producing meat. I wonder if that's true. Certainly many I know were horrified by the actions of this Kosher plant and have made changes accordingly.
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Sometimes I eat free-range, grass-fed, organic, and hormone free, but it is not something I can afford to do all of the time. I don't eat tons of meat, but my husband does so I have to have it in the house pretty consistantly. I've been trying to cook with more tofu to get less and less of this in our diets, and after a month of raw eating that I began today, I won't be eating anything but hormone free meat for awhile(have a pre-existing health condition and trying to get pregnant). It would be nice if everyone could eat this way all the time, but most people cannot afford to or do not have the access so there is no point in feeling guilty.
Arika
http://rawforamonth.blogspot.com
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We're just two and I pretty much buy whatever suits me, although lately I can't help but notice the prices. I paid over three bucks for an eggplant a couple of weeks ago, definitely an eyebrow raiser. I try to shop for very fresh vegetables, organic wherever possible, which is easy here in northern California. When it comes to meat, I buy what looks good, sometimes at Costco, where the sheer volume means that things are very fresh, sometimes at Safeway, for the same reason and for their amazing sales, and sometimes at local independent markets, because I can pick and choose and get things I might not see elsewhere. Chicken is probably what I worry about most, and I clean and trim it carefully, but like others have said, I resist spending a lot of money on it.
I suspect we pay a lot for hype and at the moment, we're paying the price of fuel, so I tend to distrust what anyone says and to trust my own instincts. As far as I can tell, we haven't died from what we eat. Foodie hell is reserved for people who feed toddlers on MacD's fries three times a week (there are more of them than you can imagine). So give yourself a break.
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Just how 'green' is that food if you have to spend an additional 30 minutes or more in traffic to go get it? "Local" produce in this area (Reno) means anything grown west of the Rockies--the local Sparks 'farmer's market' is virtually all California produce at the couple of stalls that are actually selling produce (the other 70 or so other vendors are selling cell phones, crafts, face painting, and other garbage....)
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I was at my mom's house in Carson City this last weekend and she came back from that town's farmer's market with corn, tomatoes, green beans, squash, potatoes, and, of course, cantaloupe, all grown locally (the farthest away being the famous Fallon cantaloupe). Of course, you'd still be driving 30+ miles to get there!
I've heard that about the Sparks farmer's market - also that it's mostly corporations - what a shame!
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Right and don't even get me started on the ecological cost of all that water intensive farming, soil amendment and fertilizing that's going on in places where nature just flat out never intended farming to happen.
Of course, I live right next to one of the best agricultural education and research institutions in the world. We've got a meat laboratory where they slaughter, process and package lamb, beef and pork into bacon, steaks, hamburger roasts, you name it on site. You can get a 25# family box vacumn wrapped so it won't freezer burn for $59.99. Sausage too and jerky so good it was featured in the NYT. The variety boxes go on sale too.
If I'm looking for a really good deal I keep an eye on the Sam's prices for whole pork tenderloins or beef tenderloins and steaks. They will even slice them for you at the butcher counner!!! But with a family of 3 I have to be really careful about freezing and using promptly. It's not environmentally responsible or a bargin if is dies a freezerburn death.
Still even with the naturally excellent growing conditions we have her, local foods take an environmental toll and you just want to try and find things that are grown where they naturally grow best and haven't been shipped ridiculously long distances to get to your market. I'm lucky, watermelon, berries, corn, melons, onions, pretty much most produce grows well here for much of the growing season. I stock up and freeze or can what I can and then buy frozen when there's something I need during the off season. Canning jars are your friends!
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Fortunately here in the Great White North air chilled chickens are readily available and they do have more flavour than water processed birds. Brining further enhances taste.
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I have a feeling the supermarket chicken and beef is quite fine -- not to be feared, at least. I don't eat that much of it, preferring fish or vegetarian entrees. Mainly I buy it for my pets, mince it up with scissors, serve it raw, and they've never gotten sick. It's not all tainted, like some people fear. Believe me, my cats are very fussy eaters --they would know. The dogs, however, would eat anything...
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We're not red meat eaters. For poultry, the local supermarket carries Springer Mountain Farms chicken, which seems to be a reasonable middle ground in terms of price, flavor, and humane treatment of livestock.
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Personally, I am more concerned with the origin of the food than sticking to the real quality meat. In other words, I would buy the chicken for 69 cents a pound (and do all the time....but my chicken meals tend to be Indian versions so I don't feel I need the quality I would look for if I were roasting it....). OTOH, I would never buy the frozen shrimp unless I were assurred it WASN'T from Thailand. I don't want to pay for the gasoline to get it here, nor do I want the gasoline wasted on frozen shrimp anyway. And my husband and I long ago stopped eating fish that we hadn't caught ourselves (or was caught by friends). It was partially a health concern on his part, and partially the fact that we realized that once you've eaten line-caught halibut there really is no going back to the supermarket stuff.
I have to confess that I do splurge on the free-range organic turkeys....when you are roasting one for Thanksgiving they are much better.
I try and eat a healthy diet, and stick to locally grown produce whenever possible. But I certainly don't obsess about it. You shouldn't either.....
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I'm in the UK and I don't really buy meat from the supermarket. It's not a health issue and is mainly for ethical and environmental reasons, but also because you get much better quality meat if you buy it from a butcher. I am particularly fussy about chicken - I very much disapprove of the intensive farming which gives you that 69 cents per pound bird (although it would never be that cheap over here). My local budget supermarket (a German chain called Lidl) has recently started doing free-range chickens which are double the price of their normal ones but still a bit of a steal at around £5 each so I will buy those when they're available. Apart from anything else the flavour is so much better. I bought regular chicken thighs from a halal butcher the other week and they were tasteless - I won't be doing that again in a hurry.
If you're worried about ethical farming, lamb is often your best bet. It's impossible to intensively rear lambs, so you can be pretty sure that they've been grazing in fields, like they should.
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Whole Foods is too pricey. I go to a fish market for fish, and an Italian salumeria for sausage, but otherwise, buy all my meat and chicken from Stop and Shop. Then again, I'm lucky to have my butcher Vinny cut my meat when I place an order.
There are no Vinnies in the other Stop and Shop stores, so I can only recommend, Chowpatty, that you get to know your butcher. And hope he's a Vinny. Good luck.
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Hmmm...Maybe I'm one of those who has fallen for the constant messages from the food press, but I no longer buy 69 cents a pound for chicken. It just doesn't seem possible to get a good animal product at that price. And, I say "animal product" because I think we sometimes forget that chickens are actually chickens, and ground beef comes from cows-ethical and moral considerations aside!
Plenty of previous posts already detail the dramatic price difference between regular/conventional/supermarket meat an the amish/local/CSA meat. But there are many people, with both small and large families, who choose to pay the higher prices. It is (lets hope) unlikely that you are killing your family by feeding them TJ's hamburgers, but if you are asking about it, then there must be a personal concern there.
I had that personal concern as well, and now I pich pennies to get the money to buy local meat! And, when I find myself at Harris Teeter I make it a point to pay for their organic brand. I am super lucky that I can afford this, but even in these changing economic times, I am not willing to let go of my common sense... they say if its too good to be true, then it probably is! Well, paying so little for chicken rings of it to me!
As an aside, I have a feeling that more people who think this way are not responding to your post because this is such an emotionally charged question that easily devolves into a sanctimonius answer. I feel preachy as I type this because it is hard to advocate for something with so many bad implications (ie-cheap meat is bad, it has hormones, hormones could be bad for children, don't you love your children?!).
I hope everyone takes this only as my two cents, not an indictment
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There are lots of issues here. I think the OP was referring to the quality of the food that can be made with supermarket meats. I think most of us who cook agree that even a lower quality chicken can be made delicious (brining, proper seasoning, etc). But there are much bigger issues in play here.
Most of the 'food press' that people keep referring to, would love us to continue buying factory raised meats. Indeed, the industry doesn't have complete control over any other kind of meat. When people mention 'the hype' about organic and local foods, it reminds me of 'the hype' we heard about the need to switch to hybrid vehicles about 10 years ago. I agree that the pro-organic message is often carried by annoying messengers, but that does not change the fact that factory farmed meats are not sustainable (by anyone's analysis that I know) and do not reflect the true cost of the food.
I think we foodies are in an unusually powerful position to effect change in the industry. Bittman's article from the NYTimes.com about changing the way we think and talk about meat is a great start. His example of making 'grilled vegetables with some chunks of lamb' for dinenr vs. 'a leg of lamb with some veggies' is clear and probably reasonable for most of us (even the carnivores among us). The food industry may be able to count on the masses to buy whatever meal deal is being advertised at the time but for those of us who cook, regardless of our cooking abilities or budgets, do not have to take the bait.
Yesterday, I spent $13 on a black feather chicken which was locally and humanely raised. That's more than the supermarket chicken costs. Much more. So my fiancee and I had a delicious chicken dinner last night. Tonight, I will simmer the carcass and make a chicken/rice soup with veggies and potatoes. Tomorrow, I have tortillas and chile in adobo to make chicken tacos with black beans and homeade salsa. That's 4-5 meals from the one chicken that did indeed cost more but we'll survive on what I believe are 5 great meals for under $5 a piece. In fact, we'll do more than survive. We'll eat very, very well, and pick up another locally raised bird later in the week.
Maybe we need a separate board to help people who want to switch to local foods stay within their budgets? That might be fun. So many good ideas on this board.
JeremyEG
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I did the same the other day...
bought a decent free range chicken from the local butchers, costing about £7 ($14). I got the butcher to take all the meat from the bones. With that i got 4 decent portions of chicken (2 breasts, 2 legs, plus the carcass)
Once at home, I
- Stripped all the excess meat from the carcass, and made a chicken burger
- Rendered down the excess fat to save for cooking, leaving some chitterlings
-Boiled down the carcass to make 4 portions of stock (which I froze and made into soup, used for risotto, and stews)
- stripped the cooked meat off the carcass after making the stock, and mixed with mayo and other stuff to make a chicken sandwich.
- made a delicious chicken stew using one of the breasts
- roasted one of the leg portions with herbs and lemon
- made a great chicken pie with the other breast
- made a tasty paella dish using the other leg.
So all in all, that one chicken went a long way, working out very economical and providing many meals over the course of a week or so. Takes a bit more effort than buying packaged and prepared chicken from the supermarket, but its a hell of a lot more rewarding
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I'm curious as to where do you find free-range chicken for £7. In London a two-kilo bird will set you back more than a tenner.
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Was at Willam Rose (I think) on Lordship Lane.
Wasnt organic, but it was free range....
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Good post. The religious quality of much of the promotion of organic and local foods is getting and will continue to get a backlash - so I must commend anyone who manages to dial that tendency *way* down, because that quality will ruin the cause to which is intended to serve.
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I thought hormones were banned from all poultry, no matter how cheap or mass-produced, at least in California?
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Hormones are, indeed, prohibited for use in poultry throughout the US. When your chicken's label says, "Hormone Free," it is basically like labels on olive oil declaring "no cholesterol." No reason for it to be there in the first place, except for marketing purposes.
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I buy sale chicken, beef, pork and lamb at Safeway often. I also buy these products and some seafood and fresh fish at Costco. And I usually buy fresh fish and sometimes buy fancy free range chickens at my local "gourmet" market.
I don't consider Safeway any safer than the "gourmet" market, though. Note that this week Whole Foods recalled (nationally) a bunch of "natural, organic" Coleman Ranch ground beef because of e-coli problems. Even though the beef was raised "naturally," and without hormones, etc. Coleman's decided to have it processed by Nebraska Meats, a company notorious for problems with federal meat inspectors. They've been cited many, many times in the past 6 years, according to the Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/...
And now there has been an e-coli incident traced to this meat.
I do spend money at farmers markets for varieties of fruits and vegetables that are bred for flavor rather than for ease of picking, but I can't afford to buy organic, grass-fed boutique beef, pork and lamb. It's just too expensive.
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I have no idea where to buy one of these specialty chicken products anyway. The supermarket is it. All other options are over 30 minutes away. Well, in the last year or two, a place that sells very expensive beef and a little pork opened up about 20 minutes away, but even so, I don't think they had chicken. Surely most people in this country can't get these specialty foods without long drives?
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When I visit my Dad in NH it used to be the same deal. 3 Large supermarkets (not even that small a town) and no access to naturally raised meats of any kind. Just this last visit though I walked by the health food store which now has a meat case about 50 feet long with beef, pork, bison, and chicken and the supermarket now stocks bison. I know some people complain about frozen meat but I can't taste the difference so I try to stock up when I find a good supplier and just toss it in the freezer. It's true though, it can be difficult to find naturally raised meats. It's even sadder to me, as many people have mentioned, that animals raised on the foods they were born to eat (cows on grass, chickens on vegetarian feed, etc) are now considered 'speciality items,' and the genetically modified animals that are fed foods they can't digest followed by drugs to fight the infections caused by the foods are called 'regular.'
That's been a real triumph of marketing in the agribusiness field.
There are also many sites like "Animal Welfare Approved" that have searches by zip code that might help you find suppliers nearby. Also lots of places like Niman Ranch ship directly. By the way, Niman Ranch Bacon is really something special. : )
JeremyEG
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That site you mentioned lead me to check on Trader Joe's and see that their newest location in my area is closer than the old one. Still not really in my tromping grounds, but closer. Perhaps I will scope it out sometime this week if I get enough time for the drive. I'm not averse to freezing if needed.
I did notice in my searching about a poultry called Miller Amish Country Poultry. Their website seems to claim their chickens are raised by family farmers in an open floor barn with no antibiotics. But it isn't local. It must be shipped to get here. I have seen one of these birds somewhere locally before. I remember the label. I'm not sure this is the same as free-range, though. Anyone heard of this brand of poultry?
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The local vs. organic/humane issue is always interesting. Certainly few of the meats we buy in the supermarket are local. Depending on where you live, they might have traveled 2000 miles to get there but probably in larger quantities which makes shipping more efficient. As far as I know, most of the Amish poultry is well raised and the chicken I've eaten has been delicious but you should check with someone who knows more than I do (not hard to find such a person!).
Someone whom I really trust explained that for now, it's better to boost demand for these products if you afford them. When I was in college, a free range chicken cost $6/lb because it was a rare specialty item. Obviously the price has come way down as companies have realized how profitable free range poultry could be. At the Farmer's Market yesterday, a grass fed beef farmer I spoke with just constructed his own processing plant because his mail order demand got so great that he would have had to send his cows to a large plant and didn't want to do that. His demand is about double his supply and it's allowed him to buy more land for his cows to graze on naturally. We want land used for organic farms, not for Tyson processing plants.
But I never know at Whole foods whether to buy the local conventional veggies or the organic flown in from Chile. Certainly a tough call.
Please report back on how the chicken works out!
JeremyEG
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JeremyEG,
Initial report:
I drove to the Trader Joe's and secured an Empire Chicken for around $10, which was less than I thought I'd be in for. Interestingly, this was the first chicken I've ever bought that still had a few feathers attached. They were easy enough to yank. This is related to the cold water used in the processing of the chicken. The wing tips were missing, so I couldn't fold/tuck the wings in my usual manner. I did not salt this chicken since it had been Koshered. I usually do, though. I preferred the raw odor of this chicken to my typical chicken (some unlabeled supermarket bird). There was some liquid in the cavity, but I patted the whole bird dry and let it dry more in the fridge to mimic my usual treatment, minus the salt. I roasted it.
I found the breast portion to be more flavorful than my usual chicken. Not the tenders, though. Those seemed lifeless as usual. Possibly the thigh was better as well. Not the legs, really. I'm wondering if this relates to my seasoning habits compared to theirs. Anyway, the leftovers made great stock. Oh, I don't consider the wings a fair comparison, since they were slightly overcooked.
When my spouse can accept another roast chicken, I will report back on the Miller Amish chicken and any final conclusions.
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Thanks! That sounds good. I'm always hesitant to season Kosher chicken as well because it can be so salty. So how many meals will you get out of the $10 chicken? I keep finding that the per meal price is reasonable with a little creativity.
I just had a grass fed porterhouse last night. They cook much faster than supermarket beef so I overdid it by a few minutes but it was delicious. I am simmering the bones now to make beef stock which I'll turn into French Onion soup tomorrow.
Thanks again for your report!
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I never would have guessed that how the beef is fed would change how long it takes to cook. You'll get it just right next time!
I think the chicken would have made three meals serving two. I got the original roast chicken dinner, then chicken salad sandwiches the next day. It made enough stock to make a small soup recipe, but I didn't do that. I froze it into 2 T ice cubes to use here and there. You have to realize that what counts as one serving for my spouse is really one and a half or two servings for another person.
So, I'd say that chicken made 6 servings up to 9 servings, depending on hunger levels. That isn't too bad on a per serving basis. Roast chicken is nice for utilizing the whole bird. It is one of the few items I'm good at using that way. If I'd been even more on the ball, I could have saved the schmaltz.
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Second report as promised:
I tried the Miller Amish Country Poultry this evening. The bird was a nice looking one, and had no giblets. It was slightly smaller than the Empire one I tried. Just as with the Empire chicken, I found it nicer to handle in terms of odor and skin, etc. than my usual bird.
I held it to dry up a bit overnight and then roasted it. What a difference a wing-tip makes. I was able to tuck these properly, and these wings were very yummy, better than my average bird. Also, the breast was better as well. I felt the dark meat was like my typical chicken. So, overall it is a better bird than the typical no-name supermarket bird. It wasn't much more expensive, either. It was more like $1.50 a pound, which just isn't that much more expensive than a regular bird. I think I'll switch for purposes of roasting a chicken. I could look into their chicken breasts as well, but I don't know if my market carries those in this brand.
Thanks for encouraging me, Jeremy, to report. It gave me the motive to buy and try the bird. Otherwise I might have just said, oh well, it can't make much difference.
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I definitely find the Miller chicken to be superior to the usual grocery store brands. For me, especially with the price of everything else going up, they are a good alternative to the very pricy Bell and Evans or Maverick Ranch.
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I live maybe 10 miles, if that from Miller Amish Country Poultry in Orland, Indiana. Their website says that Kroger distributes it but I never see it in my local Kroger-owned grocery store. In fact, I can't remember seeing it anywhere in this area!
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It can be so frustrating to find a particular food! I get cooking magazines and they have brand recommends in them, but I rarely can find their recommended brand, unless it is something like Heinz Ketchup.
There you are a few miles away and you can't get the chicken. Life is so like that.
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I actually saw the Miller Amish Country Poultry in a local store last week. It was a small local chain store. I didn't buy any because I have 5 chickens in the freezer already but after I use that up, I'll go over and try it.
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Glad you found some. Unless you roast chicken often, though, you probably haven't eaten those five chicken yet.
Since I reported before, my local market switched to a different brand, which I don't like as well!
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Chickens are not vegetarian! They eat bugs, worms, rodents, pretty much anything they can get at! If you buy a chicken that was purportedly raised on a vegetarian diet, you can be pretty sure it was not a free-running bird. Chickens were not "born to eat" pelletized corn and soy. Furthermore, rampant infections in commercially raised chickens is due more to overcrowded conditions that promote the spread of disease than the feed itself. Chickens have no inherent problems with digesting commercial feed. I think you are conflating the issue of ruminants being raised on a primarily corn and soy based diet (which can cause g.i. illness) with the general issue of poor animal husbandry, which includes chicken, pork, and beef production.
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Yes, I agree with you that chickens aren't meant to be vegetarian. I think what Jeremy meant to say is pastured chickens -- chickens raised on grass, where they can eat grasses, insects, etc.
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My bad. I'm well aware that chickens love to eat bugs (especially larvae right?). I did mean pastured. You seem to know quite a bit about this. Do you know why pastured birds seem to have so much more flavor than commercially raised birds? Is it the breed? The age of the bird at slaughter? Just wondering. Thanks.
JeremyEG
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I think it's partly because they get to run around like chickens are meant to so their flesh has more muscle and therefore more flavour. They're also older when they are slaughtered.
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Greedygirl is right, the superior flavor of pastured chicken comes partly from getting to run around, and partly because they come to weight more slowly so are slaughtered later. Some of the flavor differences are in the breed too. Commercial chickens have been bred primarily to put on weight quickly. Broilers are slaughtered at 6 weeks in a commercial operation! Flavor is a secondary concern.
But a lot of the flavor comes from the diet. Pastured chickens eat a much more heterogeneous diet than factory raised chickens. They will eat whatever they can forage and whatever scraps you throw at them: vegetables, fruits, spoilt milk, etc. The difference is most visible in the egg yolks: pastured eggs usually have bright orange yolks, whereas eggs from battery hens are pale yellow. It is real hard to eat grocery store eggs after having the real thing.
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Greedy and laguera explained it well. The best eggs I've had were in Thailand. The yolks were so orange and so rich. I've never had scrambled eggs that were so satisfying.
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MN, do you ever get to the Union Square greenmarket? Not all the egg vendors are great, but there are a couple farms that have superior eggs.
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One of the egg vendors at USQ also sells pasta made with the same eggs. Even the pasta has a rich buttery taste. I can't remember the name of the vendor but man, those eggs are serious. I sometimes poach them and serve them over salad. Delicious summer meal.
JeremyEG
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That is Knoll crest. Their chickens are not pastured. There are other vendors that have far superior eggs.
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Do you have a favorite? Thanks for the info about Knoll Crest.
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Violet Hill. They are expensive, like $8 per dozen, but they are really good. Windfall farms' are good too, but they are $7/half-dozen. I think all their eggs are from Aracuna hens (blue/green shells).
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Yes. When I get eggs for things like bi bim bap or scrambled eggs or anything where you can taste them, I get them at Violet Hills Farms. They're kind of pricey, though. I believe it's about $4 or $5 for 1/2 dozen eggs. But they do taste superior. If I'm baking or something like that, I get my eggs at Whole Foods or from Knoll Crest at the greenmarket. I just can't bear to pay that much for eggs if they're going into a cake.
Violet Hills are good. But I still have to give the nod to the Thai eggs. My sister and I were staying in a hotel in Phuket where they served "free" breakfast. I really didn't expect much, but was so surprised how delicious the eggs were. I had them every morning.
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Violet Hill's are the best! Windfall has good eggs too but they are $7/half dozen!!!
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JEG, by "genetically modified animals" do you mean normal cross breeding? Humans have been breeding domisticated animals since domestication. Otherwise, livestock are rarely if ever genetically modified organisms in the same sense of a few of our food and fiber crops.
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I am the youngest of a family of nine and as far as I know my parent bought all the groceries from the grocery store, that was if they could afford chicken that week. I remember the nights we had cubed steak with onions, and peppers, boy what a treat. They did what they could and we are all still alive. Gee, now that i think of it I remember drinking water from the garden hose. I even shared a soda with a friend. Come on now, lets drop the paranoia and start living a little
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I try to eat all organic and it drives my husband nuts. The regular supermarkets in Maine (i.e. Hannaford) have a good selection of organic meats that are reasonably priced so I buy my meats right there. In Delaware, we are not so lucky. There, I buy my meat from Hickman's butcher shop and pretty much everything there is organic. However, I will share a funny story. I was recently turned on to cooking whole chickens on the grill. The first time I bought a Perdue chicken (definitely NOT organic) from the grocery store and cooked it. It was awesome. The second time I bought an organic chicken from Hickman's and prepared it exactly the same way. There was a definite difference in taste, and the Perdue chicken was better. However, I'm sure I don't want to know what was pumped into that chicken to make it taste better : )
Anyway, I don't think you'll go to foodie hell.
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The same thing happened to my mom! I'm not sure if it still says so, but the Perdue chicken package used to say something like "Up to X% of weight is comprised of a sodium solution" That sodium solution is what makes the chicken "juicy" and for many years it was the reason people didn't like brining because things would turn out too salty!
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That X% is actually up to 18 percent that is initially injected into the chicken. Much of that leeches out into the "diaper" underneath the chicken, so the processor can say "May contain up to 12% added water." However, the sodium stays behind, so that chicken is actually quite high in salt. The rest of the water leeches out during cooking, which is why the meat shrinks.
Chicken processors do this for two reasons: to "plump" up their profits (obviously, we are paying for this water in weight), and as a preservative. That Perdue or Tyson chicken was processed at least THREE weeks before it landed in the grocery store. Once in the store, held at 40 degrees, the bacteria count doubles every six hours, or four times per day.
The USDA has not made our food safe, despite what some posters here think. They have left the onus of preventing poisoning on the consumer, which is why all of our beef, poultry and pork come with cooking instructions -- heat to 160 degrees. The industrial growers and processors are allowed to continue with their profitable and potential harmful ways.
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Although I'm a pretty leftward leaning person, I'm finding it harder and harder to justify the time and expense related to eating organic meats. In a foodie town of just over a million, I do have an awful lot of options but with a 40 hour work week, a 90 minute+ commute, a husband who often travels 4-5 days a week, and a two year old, it's just not feasible. I'm lucky in that we have a decent chicken that most regular stores here carry (Foster Farms) but am getting pretty frustrated with beef. The circle of stores I'm willing to purchase beef at is slowly dwindling and after a purchase yesterday of truly tasteless steak from Safeway, I'm down to one store that I can afford rarely and one butcher shop that is simply too far out of my way.
Maybe I was spoiled growing up in Iowa, maybe times are a changin’, maybe it’s the end of the world and you better eat well now because tomorrow you’re going to be eating soy rations.
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I have been slow to post because I so despise American grocery store chicken. I too have had a large family w/ 4 boys and an adopted Bolivian daughter who despite her diminutive size could polish off a whole pollo a la broasted w/ black beans, rice, platano and yucca in one sitting if allowed. I truly believe American supermarket meats are not heathy. Our meats are not allowed for import to European Common Market countries. And 2 months ago the S. Korean gov't nearly fell for allowing importation of American beef. The reaction was that strong to the idea of consuming our "all American" beef. I lived a long time in N. Europe and S. America and loved the chicken.
I'm lucky that I can walk out my door and hunt, fish (trout in the freezer), gather etc., but I see you live in LA and that is not an option.
So what to do? Go Mexican young women, go Mexican. I buy pinto beans, corn meal, wheat and rice in bulk (25 lb. bags) from the local health food stores. Luckily I have a wonderful brother that keep me supplied w/ New Mex Hatch chile. I use a lot of deer meat in mext food, but will also splurge for organic pork and chicken because if you make a big batch of red chile, it uses so little meat. The beans and corn create whole proteins and it tastes sooo good! I just used 2 pork steaks to make a big batch. We have 9 people in the house right now! One kid is a vegetarian and everyone loves bean tostados. During the winter I also make lots of peasant style soups & stews; so little meat, so much flavor and health. Do you have room for a garden? Ours really helps stretch our food dollar.
I hope this is healthful, I mean helpful.
Mark
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<Will I go to foodie hell?>
No, but you may compromise your health, or that of those you love.
I haven't bought supermarket meat in more than 20 years. I know the cost of the "good stuff" is high, but I would rather eat less of it, and/or less often. We also enjoy meatless meals, as well as many meals where the meat is just one of many ingredients, and not at the center of the plate.
I'm not preaching. Folks have to do what they feel is right for them and their families. That's just what I do for me and mine.
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I won't eat supermarket chicken or beef because of the taste. I think the taste is a pretty good indication of whether it's harmful to your system, if you feel it's fine, then don't worry about it. btw, if you never eat fast food and hardly any processed you are probably way ahead of the game.
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No. We don't eat supermarket meat. I don't buy the argument that organic/free range/halal/kosher/humane meat is "too expensive". Just eat better meat, less often. It really is that simple. I think it is a very American mentality to think that you have to eat meat ever day, even if that meat is tasteless frozen chicken breasts that cost $0.69/lb. I also think that it is important to remember that meat does come from-gasp-real chickens and cows! I realize there is a value judgment at play here, and if eating organic/free range/etc. isn't among your top priorities or concerns so be it. I won't judge you for it. But saying you value these attributes but you can't afford to buy such meat is rubbish, IMO.
Our family moved to London last year, and as a result our entire cost of living doubled. Obviously the cost of food went up drastically as well, but we manage by eating meat less often (2-3x a week) and eating vegetarian the rest of the week. My carnivore husband never thought he would see the day that he was happy to eat a meal of braised swiss chard tacos, but even he is a convert.
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Hey - I just want to toss this out there, because I notice that most posters seem to think that we free-range, grass-fed, organic beef eaters are fixated on eating this meat purely because we're worried for the future of Earth. My family does it because we are concerned with the health and safety of OTHER HUMANS. I never even considered where my meat came from until I conducted a study of a pork processing plant in Tar Heel, NC. I won't share any details here, but anyone interested can easily search Google for some news results on this particular plant. I know people like to denounce the horrific CAFO stories as some vegetarian/hippy agenda, but let me assure you, I am neither. But I will not buy meat from the supermarket unless I know it's not from a CAFO. We've had to reduce our meat intake and cut back on some expenses to afford this, so I know it's tough, but knowing my food doesn't come from these places is well worth the extra price.
Oh - and as a suggestion, CSAs and other farms are excellent sources of affordable, pasture-raised meats. We recently bought 1/8 of a beef for $2.60/lb. Sounds like a lot, but we got not only ground beef, but also steaks, ribs, etc. So it's quite a deal!
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I get my meat from a single farm too, and although some specialty items (like porterhouse steaks) are considerably more expensive than their supermarket equivalents, buying in season and stocking up when I can makes the cost feasible.
At the end of the day though food is just another line in the budget. How much priority each line gets is a very personal decision. For my boyfriend and I food is a very important line! Looking back at the OP, it looks like it is an important line too!
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I can buy free-range chicken and more politically correct meats at the supermarket, so I don't really have a problem with shopping there. However, budgetary concerns do have me shopping the cheaper brands at the supermarket as well.
Heck, sometimes it's a matter of availability. I really wanted cornish hens for a dinner party once. I tried Whole Foods and they didn't have any. I went down the street to Stew Leonards who has a huge meet department. They were in somewhat short supply of hens, and I ended up with Perdue - the last brand I wanted to buy.
There aren't a lot of CSAs availalbe in my area and I have to go a long way to find a farm that sells direct, so buying that way really isn't convenient for me. Whatever I might save in terms of the planet or money in buying farm-raised meat, is made up for in gas spent.
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I'm retired and my wife is due to retire. Our income is less than it was and will reduce further but we will still make the choice to buy free range or organic meat. It is important to us. Any economies will be elsewhere in the budget.
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I buy cheap meat lol. We have a small food budget. Other than that I have no real excuse for not going organic and such *shrug*
I try where I can, and slip in some areas, and organic meat is that one for me. I do try to go with local veggies, breads from the bakery and such.
I've never been to a butcher, the nearest one is about 20-30 min away, but I may go check them out soon. They send out flyers quarterly, and the prices look good, and I've heard good feedback.
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A small aside - I stopped by a mainstream grocery store that I rarely shop for meat at last week just to pick up a whole chicken. They didn't ask any. When I asked the butcher, her reply was: "Well, IF we had any, they'd be there" and pointed to a fully stocked boneless chicken display. "If?" I replied. "Well, we usually only get whole birds by accident", she responded.
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Are you serious? Where do you live? That is really sad!
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The suburbs.
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Yikes!
I live in the suburbs of Detroit and EVERY store has whole chickens. Even the relatively small market 3 blocks away--with a meat counter that's maybe 20 feet long--has both whole roasters AND fryers!
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Wow. Just wow.
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< Will I go to foodie hell?>
Chowpatty, by the powers vested in me by the State of California health code and her foodie holiness St. Julia Child, I hereby pronounce your perpetual State of Gastronomic Grace, thus delivering you from the fears and evil glamour of the hype machine that besets and afflicts so much of the world of consumer food. Go in peace and fredom, daughter, content in the realization of the innocence of your motives and the purity of your intent. Reject forever the devilish glamour of the hankie-twisters, fear mongers and the small-minded.
Go in peace, eat in freedom.
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I haven't bought meat at a grocery store for almost a decade now, which is about half of my adult life. We eat little meat, and the meat we do eat I try to source from places where the animals are treated humanely. Admittedly, this is more expensive, but I'd rather pay more and eat less, ending up with the same financial outlay as if I was purchasing the cheap stuff.
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