Eating Meat While Sticking to Your Budget

With prices in the grocery stores as outrageous as they are today, we can barely afford to feed our families. Some of us have to resort to beans and potatoes, foregoing the expensive meats advertised in the local grocery store circulars. But as this smart shopper has learned over the years, you can afford to buy meats for your family if you choose the less expensive cuts. Ribs are a cut of meat that is oftentimes less expensive, especially if you choose the bone in variety, which are often over 40% fat but can be cut and marinated so that they are tender and delicious after cooking. Bone in ribs can most times be purchased for under $2.00 a pound. Chuck steak is a less expensive cut of meat that can be turned into a real treat for your family with proper marinating and seasoning. Grilled chicken is the meat of choice for a lot of families. Just because the price is very inexpensive and chicken can be prepared in a variety of ways using marinades, spices and cooking methods. When cooking chicken, chuck steak or any cheaper cut of meat, make sure and marinade it over night in the refrigerator for optimum flavor and tenderness. Flank steak is a cut of meat that is often found for under $1.00 per pound. And flank steak can be prepared in a variety of ways.

It really doesn't matter how inexpensive the meat is, you can still serve your family a delicious dinner using some of these marinades and spices. Rubs are a great way to add flavor to a less expensive cut of meat. rubs are a combination of strong and mild spices and herbs that infuse your meat with flavor. Earthier spices go much better with beef, while lighter herbs are better to season fish and chicken. Most rubs can be stored for up to 6 months and can be bought in grocery stores or you can create your own using some of your favorite spices. Some marinades contain acids, such as buttermilk, yogurt, citrus juice or wine are perfect to use on less expensive cuts of meats. These marinades soak into the meat and penetrate it with flavor, you should always soak meat overnight when using a marinade. Fish is also an excellent choice when trying to stay within a shopping budget. Tilapia, flounder, and other varieties can often be bought in a bag for less than $6.00 and will food a family of 5 easily. If you would like more information on choosing and preparing less expensive cuts of meat visit www.bhg.com