Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 59 total)
  • Why has it taken me so long? Buying whole chickens as opposed to fillets.
  • johndoh
    Free Member

    For some reason a couple of weeks ago I realised I could buy a whole chicken for the same price as a couple of fillets so I did just that – cut the fillets out for a meal I was making then roasted the remaining bird and picked off all the meat to make 4 x chicken and leek pies. And the dog got to have the skin / nasty bits too.

    I am converted!

    So – what other money-saving things can I do with my cooking?

    And yes, I am bored at work – VAT returns are painful. 🙂

    ton
    Full Member

    beer by the barrel is also cheaper…… 8)

    bearnecessities
    Full Member

    If you buy the chicken live you can have dinner and a date.

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    ransos
    Free Member

    So – what other money-saving things can I do with my cooking?

    Use the chicken carcass to make stock, that and some remaining bits of meat will make a nice risotto.

    Stoner
    Free Member

    Buy breast of lamb and roll and stuff it yourself. It costs less/Kg than Rolled breast that has been packed out with bread.

    Never skimp on egg quality.

    Replant “living herb” pots into large pots with good compost and you can keep them going much longer and harvest herbs as and when you need from the kitchen window-ledge.

    Freeze stock in sandwich bags in pyrex jugs. Once frozen remove from jug and stack in freezer.

    gobuchul
    Free Member

    So – what other money-saving things can I do with my cooking?

    Find a good local butcher and greengrocer. Normally a lot cheaper and better than the supermarket.

    johndoh
    Free Member

    Use the chicken carcass to make stock

    We regularly have roast chicken dinners and I usually make stock then – we always have a few frozen portions on the go 🙂

    qwerty
    Free Member

    Use road kill / poach / steal / go cannibal.

    P-Jay
    Free Member

    I used to buy those “3 for £10” boxes of Meat from the Supermarket, but frankly they’re not great value, even for £3.30 or whatever, it’s usually cheapear to buy the packs not on offer.

    Even that’s worse than finding a decent butcher though, even though mine seems to fancy themselves as a bit corn-fed artisan and all that, they sell a huge bag of good quality basic meat for £20 or something, it’s a months worth for us and takes up a shelf in the freezer.

    johndoh
    Free Member

    Find a good local butcher and greengrocer. Normally a lot cheaper and better than the supermarket.

    In my experience this hasn’t been the case – greengrocers often have older stock and meat from butchers is never any better than from supermarkets. All this is very unfortunate because I do try but am invariably disappointed.

    gobuchul
    Free Member

    meat from butchers is never any better than from supermarkets.

    You’re doing it wrong.

    jimdubleyou
    Full Member

    Buy your meat in bulk from Costco.

    Their whole angus rib-eyes can be cut into your favourite portion size and frozen for future use.

    Same for the mince – comes in a 2.5kg slab, portion up into 500s for cooking with later.

    Their pork is quite tasty too.

    howsyourdad1
    Free Member

    One of our favourite recipes is whole poached chicken with star anise, soy, ginger spring onions etc.

    you use a little of the cooking liquid as a sauce then save the rest and make the most amazing noodle soups etc,

    4 x chicken and leek pies.

    they better be proper pies not pastry on top fakes 🙂

    Jamie
    Free Member

    In my experience this hasn’t been the case

    This is one of those things like paying bike mechanics with hobnobs. It doesn’t actually exist/is the case.

    johndoh
    Free Member

    You’re doing it wrong.

    Believe me, I have tried many (including the renowned ‘Elite Meat’ in Starbeck) and am never that impressed.

    The best quality meat comes from the chef at the school my wife works at – he buys it wholesale then sells it on to staff. Around the same price as supermarkets but it is nicer. Unfortunately it is only an occasional service so we can’t rely on it.

    johndoh
    Free Member

    One of our favourite recipes is whole poached chicken with star anise, soy, ginger spring onions etc.

    Yeah I often do a chicken pho like that. This recipe.

    they better be proper pies not pastry on top fakes

    Hangs head in shame.

    hatter
    Full Member

    meat from butchers is never any better than from supermarkets.

    You’re doing it wrong.

    +1

    The meat from our local butcher’s is noticeably better than from Sainsburys, especially the beef mince and the bacon…. Ooo the bacon!

    Try a different butcher?

    molgrips
    Free Member

    We buy whole chickens often and eat them roasted which does for two meals then we make a deliberately half-arsed attempt at carving so there’s loads of meat left on the carcass which we then boil up for soup. Yellow lentils, carrots, salt and pepper is enough – cheap meal.

    P-Jay
    Free Member

    meat from butchers is never any better than from supermarkets.

    Have to agree, I’ve bought very fancy stuff from Farm Shops that cost 5x what it would in Sains and I buy more normal stuff from the Butchers and it’s all much of a muchness – for me, any extra quality, especially in Chicken is stops at the perception level.

    Stoner
    Free Member

    I think it should be noted that not all butchers are equal much as not all LBS are too.

    molgrips
    Free Member

    Oh and buying thighs or quarters is a good money saver too. Roast them in a dish with something spicy poured all over – lovely. Remove skin though if adding sauce, imo.

    gobuchul
    Free Member

    including the renowned ‘Elite Meat’ in Starbeck

    very fancy stuff from Farm Shops that cost 5x what it would in Sains

    This is where you are going wrong.

    just a proper, local butcher, not some “Artisan” nonsense.

    ess – for me, any extra quality, especially in Chicken is stops at the perception level.

    With chicken I would probably agree. However, with beef, pork and lamb totally disagree.

    johndoh
    Free Member

    just a proper, local butcher, not some “Artisan” nonsense.

    That is precisely what Elite Meat is – a simple butchers’ shop. It just has a good reputation.

    thisisnotaspoon
    Free Member

    Our greengrocers is much better quality than the supermarket, veg prices are too variable depending on season to bother checking prices though, works out cheaper overall because you don’t buy crap at the same time.

    Butcher is usually the opposite, at least 20% more than supermarket prices, quality is better though.

    Costco I avoid, it’s either variable quality, or not UK sourced.

    gobuchul
    Free Member

    That is precisely what Elite Meat is – a simple butchers’ shop.

    From their website:

    from native breed, free range Cattle, dry-aged in our himalayan salt block chamber for a minimum of 14 days

    himalayan salt block chamber 😀

    johndoh
    Free Member

    LOL – they must have moved on from when I last used them about 5 years ago and had some painfully chewy legs of lamb.

    ransos
    Free Member

    Speaking of lamb, shoulder is way cheaper than leg. Stud it with garlic and rosemary, brown in a frying pan, then place on top of a tin of prepared potato and onion slices. Pour over chicken stock, cover with foil and roast for 5 hours on a very low heat. When the meat is resting, turn the oven right up to brown the potato mixture. If there’s any liquid left, I usually spoon it off to use for gravy.

    rene59
    Free Member

    I feel sorry for those who butchers can’t beat their supermarket in quality. Mines is noticeably better in both flavour and texture, more expensive but not by much. Same goes for greengrocers.

    jimdubleyou
    Full Member

    Costco I avoid, it’s either variable quality, or not UK sourced.

    The beef they butcher/portion themselves onsite is definitely UK sourced. Maybe the case for prepackaged stuff.

    sharkbait
    Free Member

    The beef they butcher/portion themselves onsite is definitely UK sourced. Maybe the case for prepackaged stuff.

    Yep anything not from the UK is labeled as such.

    tomhoward
    Full Member

    Their whole angus rib-eyes can be cut into your favourite portion size and frozen for future use.

    Same for the mince – comes in a 2.5kg slab, portion up into 500s for cooking with later.

    Their pork is quite tasty too.

    I found the steaks/beef cuts aren’t that much better value than from the supermarket, the advantage of the supermarket being you don’t have to have a freezer the size of the QE II.

    The mince is decent though, we also buy bulk chicken thighs for not much, and the salt and pepper belly pork is lush!

    thenorthwind
    Full Member

    And the dog got to have the skin

    WHAT?!

    suburbanreuben
    Free Member

    And the dog got to have the skin
    WHAT?!

    He’s definitely doing it wrong!
    Who has the oysters? the parsons nose?

    Nobeerinthefridge
    Free Member

    Who has the oysters?

    Cooks treat!

    Sandwich
    Full Member

    minimum of 14 days

    There’s the Elite mistake, the supermarket better stuff is 28 day matured. You need to find a better butcher.

    Done properly, aged beef will be more expensive from the butcher than supermarket. Elite are just cashing in on this with an inferior product.

    jekkyl
    Full Member

    bearnecessities – Member
    If you buy the chicken live you can have dinner and a date

    how much does a live chicken cost?

    gobuchul
    Free Member

    Who has the oysters? the parsons nose?

    Me, me, me!

    I eat the legs and wings. The wife and the dogs get the breast meat.

    theotherjonv
    Full Member

    it’s not that hard to portion up a chicken and get breast, thighs, legs and wings leaving a carcass for scraps and stock

    plumber
    Free Member

    I used to do the whole chicken thing, noe mostly a pack of thighs and pop in the oven

    cleaner, and tasty too

    glasgowdan
    Free Member

    All the butchers near me are significantly more expensive than supermarkets. Usually better meat though.

    The most well known butcher has expanded and is going corporate. The queue goes out the door and staff still try and sell loyalty cards to customers and spend minutes putting every product you buy through a ridiculous individual packaging process. It winds me up so I refuse to use them now.

Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 59 total)

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