Choice beef for $20/lb

[Shaun @ Tru6]

How did choice beef get to be the price of prime?

[stevej37]

It's hard to read the sticker....Is that for Ribeye?

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Yes, ribeye at $19.99/lb

Should be $14.99 or so, give or take.

[aschen]

Cambridge pricing! Beef is up around here as well but less than that.

Local grocery had "american wagu" ribeyes for 19.99 yesterday. Not the crazy A5 but definitely above most usda prime. Super delicious.

Regular ribeye is around 12-15$ here, prime 18-22

[aschen]

double post

[Shaun @ Tru6]

I moved my shop last fall, this is in Randolph, MA, lower to middle class area. Your regular ribeye is what I've been paying all summer long for decent steaks too. These all looked good in the case but not $20 good.

[stevej37]

There is a small grocery/meat cutting store near me that grows and packages all their beef.
The ribeyes are good and always around $15/lb. as you said. The whole store is about the same size as my house.

The problem with their store is that you have to expect a half hour wait for any cut beef. The line is long every day. Two or three workers at the most.

[Dixie]

I honestly no longer eat beef. Pork and chicken might have to go too. What's left to eat after that you ask?

[stevej37]

^^^ excellent if stir fried in a wok.

[herr_oberst]

Wok the dog (food).

[Baz]

Since when does anyone buy ANYTHING these days.......unless it's BOGO?

[Baz]

[Evans, Marv]

$15/lb. is what we pay for choice at Costco, with prime going for $20/lb. We've cut down on steak and meat in general in the last several years. We now get the "thin cut" ribeye at Costco. They're about three eights of an inch or more thick. It takes about five minutes or less to pan fry one to medium rare, and we share one steak. It's odd that we used to eat almost a whole, inch+ thick steak each. We're cutting down on lots of things that have become overly expensive as a sort of form of protest. We've decided if they're going to concentrate on ripping us off, we'll just change our style of consumption. We've increased our vegetable intake and reduced meats and carbs. A good thing no doubt.

[jyl]

Beef is expensive now. US herds were cut hard and it takes years to build them up again. I’m not sure that the reasons for cutting the herds in the first place have gone away. Think of who works in slaughterhouses and how that might be a factor. There are only four large meatpackers in the country, they have increasing pricing power. The grocery store industry is consolidating rapidly to just a few huge players, ditto. Think about where we get imported beef from and what’s going on there. The reasons why we’re seeing these prices should be pretty obvious.

That said, at some point consumer demand for beef will roll over and prices may moderate, in the meantime look for sales. It is perishable My grocery store had prime rib regularly $18.99 but on sale for $6.99, I don’t buy much prime rib anymore but picked some up just because.

In fact, I pretty much don’t buy beef unless it is on sale. Heck I can buy fresh salmon for less most times.

Incidentally, I have been working on making stew without meat and have gotten to the point where it doesn’t need meat for flavor or visuals at all. Actually I have to dial back the intensity of flavor, the family is saying it is too strong/concentrated. Meat would still add a bit to texture, but I am working with freezing/thawing tofu to deal with that.

I like meat but increasingly don’t feel the need to eat as much of it.

[unclebilly]

Beef prices are at record highs.

Honestly, as a beef producer, I will take it.

I sold a November born heifer last week at the auction for $3500. When we got into cattle, we were subsidizing your ribeyes taking $800-$1200 for that same calf.

It’s a great time to be in the cattle business.

[A930Rocket]

What does the 100% guarantee mean? It came from a cow?

[Noah930]

OK, probably not choice (though I didn't look closely enough to check), but my daughter dragged me to some chi chi shopping spot in Brentwood a couple months ago. There was a little farm-to-table market/restaurant we walked through where the beef was tagged at $9.49. Hey, that's not so bad. Then I looked again at the label: per 1/4 lb. Holy smokes!

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Originally Posted by A930Rocket

What does the 100% guarantee mean? It came from a cow?

I'll have to ask.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

We had a dinner party a few weeks ago and the Costco wagyu ribeye was $100/lb. It was great but no where near $100/lb great. Better than the lollypops at $15/lb but not by that much. GF had Costco cut it too thin was a the main reason I think. Couldn't sear it without overcooking it. Better to have had 1+ inch steaks that I would sear (like the lamb) and then cube.

[jyl]

Originally Posted by unclebilly

Beef prices are at record highs.

Honestly, as a beef producer, I will take it.

I sold a November born heifer last week at the auction for $3500. When we got into cattle, we were subsidizing your ribeyes taking $800-$1200 for that same calf.

It’s a great time to be in the cattle business.

Are ranchers trying to build up herds? How long will it take?