I was perusing the meat counter at Publix yesterday when I spotted a
couple of packages of cube (or is it cubed?) steaks. $6.79/lb! Good
lord! and no thank you!

I know the price of beef has gone up but damn... when did such a tough
cut of meat become worth it's weight in gold? They had sirloin tip
steaks at the same price, which are also tough as nails but at least
they printed the word "marinate" on the label.

Jill

On Thu, 05 Mar 2015 09:06:57 -0500, jmcquown >
wrote:

>I was perusing the meat counter at Publix yesterday when I spotted a
>couple of packages of cube (or is it cubed?) steaks. $6.79/lb! Good
>lord! and no thank you!
>
>I know the price of beef has gone up but damn... when did such a tough
>cut of meat become worth it's weight in gold? They had sirloin tip
>steaks at the same price, which are also tough as nails but at least
>they printed the word "marinate" on the label.
>
>Jill
I hear you. If I absolutely have a craving for something beef, I get
to Winco early on Monday or Tuesday and shop the yellow-stickered
beef. My feeling is that on Monday morning the packages are the same
as if I had shopped Sunday evening.
The effect of the high prices on beef is that other proteins have
soaring prices as well.
Janet US

On 2015-03-05, jmcquown > wrote:

> couple of packages of cube (or is it cubed?) steaks. $6.79/lb!

Yikes! And here I thought $3.95 lb was absurd. That was a cpl yrs
ago and I haven't bought a cube stk since. I can't even wrap my brain
around $7 lb for this cut. 8|

nb

On 3/5/2015 11:36 AM, notbob wrote:
> On 2015-03-05, jmcquown > wrote:
>
>> couple of packages of cube (or is it cubed?) steaks. $6.79/lb!
>
> Yikes! And here I thought $3.95 lb was absurd. That was a cpl yrs
> ago and I haven't bought a cube stk since. I can't even wrap my brain
> around $7 lb for this cut. 8|
>
> nb
>
It struck me as pretty crazy. I looked at it because of the recent
thread about country fried steak and the discussion about what meats are
used. It used to be inexpensive. Now the price is outrageous. Nope,
I'm not buying it.

Jill

On Thursday, March 5, 2015 at 8:07:04 AM UTC-6, jmcquown wrote:
> I was perusing the meat counter at Publix yesterday when I spotted a
> couple of packages of cube (or is it cubed?) steaks. $6.79/lb! Good
> lord! and no thank you!
>
> I know the price of beef has gone up but damn... when did such a tough
> cut of meat become worth it's weight in gold? They had sirloin tip
> steaks at the same price, which are also tough as nails but at least
> they printed the word "marinate" on the label.
>
> Jill

In the 80s, Fajitas were just becomming popular. You could buy skirt steaks very cheaply. No thast veryone loves them the are a ot mre expensive !

On 05/03/2015 7:06 AM, jmcquown wrote:
> I was perusing the meat counter at Publix yesterday when I spotted a
> couple of packages of cube (or is it cubed?) steaks. $6.79/lb! Good
> lord! and no thank you!
>
> I know the price of beef has gone up but damn... when did such a tough
> cut of meat become worth it's weight in gold? They had sirloin tip
> steaks at the same price, which are also tough as nails but at least
> they printed the word "marinate" on the label.
>
> Jill
I've always been astounded at the cost of cubed beef for stewing in
Calgary SMs. It is clearly shin beef that should be the cheapest cut
available. Mum always bought it for stews and added some to the pork
cuts when making brawn. In Australia it used to be called "gravy beef"
(probably still is).
Graham

--
With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come.
And let my liver rather heat with wine,
than my heart cool with mortifying groans.
MofV: I/1

On Thursday, March 5, 2015 at 8:54:31 AM UTC-10, graham wrote:
> On 05/03/2015 7:06 AM, jmcquown wrote:
> > I was perusing the meat counter at Publix yesterday when I spotted a
> > couple of packages of cube (or is it cubed?) steaks. $6.79/lb! Good
> > lord! and no thank you!
> >
> > I know the price of beef has gone up but damn... when did such a tough
> > cut of meat become worth it's weight in gold? They had sirloin tip
> > steaks at the same price, which are also tough as nails but at least
> > they printed the word "marinate" on the label.
> >
> > Jill
> I've always been astounded at the cost of cubed beef for stewing in
> Calgary SMs. It is clearly shin beef that should be the cheapest cut
> available. Mum always bought it for stews and added some to the pork
> cuts when making brawn. In Australia it used to be called "gravy beef"
> (probably still is).
> Graham

My guess is that people found out that they could make more money by charging more money on meats. The days of cheap meats will vanish. Get used to eating more Spam! :-)

>
> --
> With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come.
> And let my liver rather heat with wine,
> than my heart cool with mortifying groans.
> MofV: I/1

notbob wrote:
>jmcquown wrote:
>
>> couple of packages of cube (or is it cubed?) steaks. $6.79/lb!
>
>Yikes! And here I thought $3.95 lb was absurd. That was a cpl yrs
>ago and I haven't bought a cube stk since. I can't even wrap my brain
>around $7 lb for this cut.

You're paying for labor, often more than for the meat. If you like
cube steak one can buy their own cubing attachement for their
household meat grinder or KA stand mixer, or simply buy a low cost
hand crank model for occasional use:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...s=meat%20cuber
Best to cube meat yourself for the same reasons it's best to grind
meat yourself, besides the major cost savings.

Meat doesn't need to be expensive if you peruse the choices before
deciding on dinner, then plan dinner around the bargains you find.
This morning I happened to be in town to pick up an Rx so I stopped at
the little Tops Market for milk, etc. and looking in the meat case
spotted a bone-in pork loin roast, 4.73 pounds, manager's special
marked down from $3.99/lb to $2.09/lb... cost me $9.88, I saved $8.99.
it's a very nice roast, it's in the oven now... should be enough for
three meals for two plus some for cats. The bones and bits will make
a nice stock for cooking rice n' black beans. I find special
discounted meat at the Tops Market all the time, and it's not past
it's sell-by date either. Got six large red skinned spuds baking with
the roast, just need to decide on a veggie, probably those French cut
green beans again. Had to retrieve the label from my trash:
http://i57.tinypic.com/2crvnue.jpg

On 3/5/2015 12:53 PM, rosie wrote:
> On Thursday, March 5, 2015 at 8:07:04 AM UTC-6, jmcquown wrote:
>> I was perusing the meat counter at Publix yesterday when I spotted a
>> couple of packages of cube (or is it cubed?) steaks. $6.79/lb! Good
>> lord! and no thank you!
>>
>> I know the price of beef has gone up but damn... when did such a tough
>> cut of meat become worth it's weight in gold? They had sirloin tip
>> steaks at the same price, which are also tough as nails but at least
>> they printed the word "marinate" on the label.
>>
>> Jill
>
> In the 80s, Fajitas were just becomming popular. You could buy skirt steaks very cheaply. No thast veryone loves them the are a ot mre expensive !
>
I've never been a fan of fajitas. Nor have I ever seen anything called
"skirt steak" around here (South Carolina) but then I don't look for it.
Flank steak used to be dirt cheap. I do like flank steak but I rarely
see them anymore. And yes, they need to be marinated, cooked only to
medium-rare and sliced thinly against the grain. I don't bother looking
for them anymore. I won't pay premium for overpriced tough beef just
because restaurants discovered them.

I bought cod fillets instead of beef.

Jill

On 3/5/2015 4:29 PM, Brooklyn1 wrote:
> notbob wrote:
>> jmcquown wrote:
>>
>>> couple of packages of cube (or is it cubed?) steaks. $6.79/lb!
>>
>> Yikes! And here I thought $3.95 lb was absurd. That was a cpl yrs
>> ago and I haven't bought a cube stk since. I can't even wrap my brain
>> around $7 lb for this cut.
>
> You're paying for labor, often more than for the meat. If you like
> cube steak one can buy their own cubing attachement for their
> household meat grinder or KA stand mixer, or simply buy a low cost
> hand crank model for occasional use:
> http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...s=meat%20cuber
> Best to cube meat yourself for the same reasons it's best to grind
> meat yourself, besides the major cost savings.
>
Uh... don't have a KA mixer and I use my grinder to grind, not to
tenderize. I could pound the steak with a meat mallet but I'd still
have to pay $6.79/lb and do the work myself. Why bother?

> Meat doesn't need to be expensive if you peruse the choices before
> deciding on dinner, then plan dinner around the bargains you find.
> This morning I happened to be in town to pick up an Rx so I stopped at
> the little Tops Market for milk, etc. and looking in the meat case
> spotted a bone-in pork loin roast, 4.73 pounds, manager's special
> marked down from $3.99/lb to $2.09/lb... cost me $9.88, I saved $8.99.
> it's a very nice roast, it's in the oven now... should be enough for
> three meals for two plus some for cats. The bones and bits will make
> a nice stock for cooking rice n' black beans. I find special
> discounted meat at the Tops Market all the time, and it's not past
> it's sell-by date either. Got six large red skinned spuds baking with
> the roast, just need to decide on a veggie, probably those French cut
> green beans again. Had to retrieve the label from my trash:
> http://i57.tinypic.com/2crvnue.jpg
>
>
Yeah, I also spotted some bottom round steaks, also $6.79/lb. Yet
another tough cut of meat. You got a deal on pork, nice. Pork isn't
that cheap around here.

This was a stock up trip for the freezer. I wasn't shopping for
something to cook for dinner.

Jill