Price of Meat

[Mike7b]

A few years ago, visiting relatives in Reno, we went to this trendy hipster restaurant. The food was excellent, but the waiter was really pushing several dishes, all featuring obscure cuts of meat, that according to our hipster waiter in his rolled up levis and faux butcher apron, had been rediscovered, just for our dining pleasure. I enjoyed a chuckle at his spiel, coming from farm stock on both sides of my family tree.

 

[thorborg]

People eating ox tails and tongue.
<<shudder>>
I'm holding out for a good price on eyeballs.
Nothing tastier than a well made tail/tongue/eyeball soup.

My grandmother loved salmon Eyes, I used to watch them dance around in a hot skillet till the lenses popped off making them ready to eat. I never could. I did like the sweet cheek meat though.

 

[thorborg]

We used to buy pigs head for head cheese. it was inexpensive. Some where in the 90's you could never find them other than special order. We then tried to use pork shoulder but it is poor substitute, lacks flavor and low in gelatin, so quit making head cheese.

 

[CountryGent]

Organ meat can be delicious!

Indeed. Liver and onions makes a delicious dinner.

 

[JRuby]

My dad believed in making the most of what we had we ate what we ate as kids because its what we had for dinner not because it was cool. The menu was eat it or starve pretty simple concept.

 

[UserNameInUse]

I blame internet forums. Let everyone else chase fads and stick with the good stuff.

We even skipped turkey this Thanksgiving.

 

[JRuby]

I blame internet forums. Let everyone else chase fads and stick with the good stuff.

We even skipped turkey this Thanksgiving.

View attachment 636991

Yeah we had a big old ham the dogs will help me finish over the few days. The dogs dont seem to mind.

 

[thorborg]

We had four pheasants I got off Sauvie Island for Thanksgiving.
They were very polite and unusually quiet.

 

[gmerkt]

Except the Spencers that I used to have were breakfast steak, small and thin sliced. I can still buy these at the Dollar Store locally for $1. But I like my Ribeye 1" thick. And my Prime Rib even thicker!

The Spencer steak I remember in restaurants was a "normal" thickness cut. I've tried the thin, frozen "breakfast" steak for a dollar at the dollar store. Not sure it was worth a dollar. Hope springs eternal that I will find something good for a right price but usually I'm disappointed. When I was single digit kid in the 1950's, I spent many weekends with a grandmother. She sometimes bought little, frozen "minute steaks" at a local store. Those I remember as being quite good, but 60 plus years can chisel away at your memory.

" Oxtails used to be very cheap until stores caught on that people liked them. Then the price went up. They basically taste like beef. However, because of the extra fat, gelatin, and so on, they produce an incredibly rich stock or stew and the meat, when stewed, has a better texture than most beef. "

Okay, I will accept this, in part, as an explanation for my basic questions as to "why." Mainly because I don't know any better from a practical standpoint, meaning, I make no pretense as to being a cook or chef on any level. And, I qualify my acceptance of this remark with the observation that I firmly believe in the quote that follows.

I know why ox tails and tongue are pricey now: Cooking shows with chefs that fawn over 'mondo bizarro' cuts of meat and their addled followers.

These chefs wax poetic about the lusciousness of obscure (to the average person) and unknown (again, to the average person) cuts of this or that. Generally, this is hyperbolic b.s., but does drive up the price of oddball meat you might have fed to your dog in the past...

Foodies hang on to these chefs every word. Chefs are the new priests for foodies and will stampede to butchers and if necessary grocery stores (super markets are viewed as déclassé doncha know) for these blessed chunks of newly discovered heavenly, meaty yum...!

Why?

Because they've been lectured by ahem, world class chef/priests and they as foodies want to be viewed as unique food pioneers who know stuff, (think brain washed) so en masse, they flock to meat emporiums to buy what was once considered cat fish bait.

Oh yeah, lets not forget bones. That's right bones. Beef bones. They cook em up and then crack em open to get at the marrow. Marrow in their estimation is the equivalent of Russian caviar.

Gag me with a chainsaw. I ain't eatin no marrow. Bones are for dogs to crack open. Not me.

Jesus wept...

So, blame the increase for crap cuts of meat to chefs and their congregation of dim witted foodies.

This is the basis reason for the present cost of ox tails, in my own (always suspect) opinion. I think this because it truly has become fashionable for some people to be thought of as food "experts" of some kind. Which is okay, people have to be interested in something I suppose. The existence of myriad food shows on TV provides evidence of the proliferation of this trend. Men, in particular, seem to have made a conversion to this fad. Whereas food preparation was heretofore often thought of as the domain of the female gender. This statement being offered only as a reference point, not a judgement. There are those who truly have an abiding interest in such things, and there are posers. Like one of my numb-nuts sons-in-law. Who glories in flying ingredients, gales of steam, hot burners and so on, but completely overlooks the afterwork of food preparation. Meaning, he never cleans anything up.

Clean-up. My army training included KP duty. More than once as, "Pots and Pans Man." To this day, that is my chief contribution to large family dinners. There isn't a dirty, greasy vessel that can daunt me now.

My feeling is that for donkey's years, food preparation was kinda looked down upon. A menial, under-paid task. With the possible exception of very high end chefs. An opinion which I've never held as I consider it an important element of life.

One of my favorites is liver, especially chicken liver.

This. Beef or calve's liver with bacon and onions. Or chicken livers, breaded and pan fried. Or these days, Mrs. Merkt prepares them in a more healthy manner, breaded and oven fried. I take them as I can get them. Pork liver I don't like as much.

And though eating tongue sounds disgusting to the uninitiated, once cooked and peeled, is some of the best eating in the world. I'd rather eat tongue than sirloin. More flavor and much more tender. Makes great sandwich material too.

We used to get the corned beef tongue, tastes like corned beef. Uh, it is corned beef, just not brisket.

Heart is good if cooked right. Can be tougher than boot leather if cooked wrong.

I guess on those few occasions when I've had it, it wasn't done right. My recollection is that it was on the tough side. But if I were going to eat it today, I'd slow cook it for hours like the Tri-Tip.

Times past many a mountain man and Indian ate the marrow out of bones...
Its great flavoring for stew and soups...and it don't taste bad straight either...

My mother and I used to take turns sucking the marrow out of beef or lamb bones when they were present in a cut of meat. It's pretty tasty, kinda fatty flavored.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Down on 82nd it's a pack a Pall Malls and a quart a Mad Dog. Not bad really.

 

[gmerkt]

Lots of cultures use it. Hispanic cultures eat it a lot.

Okay, I'll buy this answer as well as a couple of others put forward. As immigrant populations have increased, I've noted that what I consider foods with an ethnic angle have appeared in some stores. The Halal store, for example, has goat meat (including testicles) that we never used to see.

Ox tails don't grow back is why. This is why I now have a pet iguana.

Reptile meat is sometimes available in the US commercially as food. One I can think of is alligator. Of course it's been discovered as a "healthy" food and trendiness has set in, so the price has shot up. Iguana meat. Eaten in many places in the Caribbean, central and South America. You may have something there with the tail regenerating. Reminds me of the joke, "You sell it but you still got it." Which I cannot repeat here due to reasons of sensitivity.

 

[gmerkt]

quart a Mad Dog.

Which brings up another questions. When I was in my teens, it was Ripple and Thunderbird. Are those still made in this world of fancy wines?

 

[CountryGent]

I'm a fairly adventurous food eater. I ordered an octopus dish at a Mexican hole in the wall type restaurant when I work in E. Los Angeles and it was wonderful!!! Not con patatas tho, it had a tomato based sauce and capers. Kinda like Cioppino.

Reminds of a trip the summer; the family went out to Sol De México in Reedsport. Excellent food and I enjoyed a big plate of octopus one of the nights. That is a one horse town, but there is the dunes, great places to hike, enjoy the seashore, and the aforementioned small, family restaurant.

 

[BillyJean]

Wow, I'm embarassed for many contributors in this thread — there are some very naive, wasteful attitudes bouncing around here.

Based on what I'm reading here, I'd hate to see what most of you leave in the field after a successful hunt.

 

[L84Cabo]

Beef across the board has gotten real expensive in the past few years. Is it possible that the Ox tails are "regularly priced" and the Brisket was on sale?

In other news...now I want Brisket. So thanks a lot for that!

 

[Mikej]

I get all the organ meat, more than I should have really, from bologna and hot dogs.

UUhhh, I don't think they put organ meat in regular old hot dogs anymore. I've come to think its what gets scraped up of the killing room floors these days. when i buy packaged hot dogs, or any processed meat for that matter, I steer clear if the first two words on the ingredient list are "Mechanically Separated"

Wow, I'm embarassed for many contributors in this thread — there are some very naive, wasteful attitudes bouncing around here.

Based on what I'm reading here, I'd hate to see what most of you leave in the field after a successful hunt.

Oh...

 

[pharmseller]

P

 

[bbbass]

I've tried the thin, frozen "breakfast" steak for a dollar at the dollar store. Not sure it was worth a dollar.

A few of those I bought were good, a few not so good. But smothered in runny egg yolk, it all works out just fine.

She sometimes bought little, frozen "minute steaks" at a local store.

Are those the ones that have the pounded waffle marks? The last time I had those I was a kid too.

Which brings up another questions. When I was in my teens, it was Ripple and Thunderbird. Are those still made in this world of fancy wines?

Home Page Tbird is going strong.

But:
To my dismay, I learned that the wine, which began production in 1960, ceased production in 1984. I guess I wasn't paying attention during the last 30 years. Why, Gallo, why did you cease production of Ripple? Perhaps they wanted to clean up their public image.

Reminds of a trip the summer; the family went out to Sol De México in Reedsport. Excellent food and I enjoyed a big plate of octopus one of the nights. That is a one horse town, but there is the dunes, great places to hike, enjoy the seashore, and the aforementioned small, family restaurant.

Yum!

In Lincoln City, everybody wants to go to Mo's for seafood... IMO it is overpriced mediocre fare. The wife and I prefer Pier 101 (don't tell anybody). Last time I was there I had a bushel of hot clams in garlic butter. Sooooo good!

 

[11Charlie]

Indeed. Liver and onions makes a delicious dinner.

Don't forget Rocky Mtn Oysters!!!

 

[bbbass]

Don't forget Rocky Mtn Oysters!!!

Pretty sure there were some of those in the turkey dressing on Thurs.