Price of Beef

[Neal]

Well, looks like whoever is to blame is doing me a good thing to avoid red meat. I was going to buy steaks today until I saw the cost. That idea was quickly cancelled. Haven't seen it this bad to date.

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

Welcome to the supply chain disruption era! The price of just about everything has been going up…except gasoline here in the Pacific Northwest. The price of gas has been starting to drop out here. No wonder; we’re having a big Covid-19 spike again and no one is going anywhere. After Labor Day, gas prices have historically dropped as summer travel subsides; it is just starting a little early this year.

TJ

 

[Scooterfan]

Being from from the "Santa Maria Style" BBQ area we like our beef. Prices have been nuts for over a year. The hills are covered with cattle, and ranchers say their price is down, but magically we have to pay more at the store. Of course the excuse these days is COVID but the truth is far from that. Processing plants had a hiccup because of the virus, but that should have resolved itself. Other meats had the same issues (Chicken / Pork) and those prices have stabilized, but beef prices remain crazy high. All these cows are going somewhere...just not sure where. In the meantime the 2 inch Porterhouse is going to have to wait ?

 

[J&JD]

I believe the ongoing drought throughout the west is also a big contributor to high beef prices. Normal range grass is not available for the cattle to graze on. I’m looking out my front at hills that normally have dozens of cattle…..now none to be seen.

 

[Old Bubblehead]

might be a good time to go freezer diving. Every time i open my freezer to get ice, I notice how much stuff we have packed in. between the coach and the casita both freezers are full, yet each trip to grocery store yields more meat purchases. We have trip to factory coming up, with winter layup not far away. Might be a great time to inventory, utilize, or purge contents. Not sure if we have that 2" porterhouse vacuum sealed inside, but sure there will be something that would grill up just fine.

 

[Scooterfan]

?...I am quilty of "stocking up" (when prices are good) so you are correct. Maybe a good time clean out the freezer. Might find something interesting in there. Anyhoo, I am not sure meat prices will ever see "pre pandemic" prices as the end game of many of those involved is to eliminate cows altogether.

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

When freezing meat, prepared food, etc. we vacuum seal it and write the date on the package with a permanent marker. That way, we can be sure to use the oldest products first and keep a rotation going. Most of our meat comes from Costco, so it is in quantities that we need to split up any way, so freezing individual servings works well.

TJ

 

[murphysranch]

Off topic but: this jolted a very old brain cell from decades ago. Santa Maria Pinquito beans.

Being from from the "Santa Maria Style" BBQ area​

 

[Scooterfan]

Just talked to a cattle rancher that sold his cows last week. Prices are WAY down! His take is the feed lots / processors are inflating prices blaming C19. Whatever the reason the consumer is suffering. NOW, about those "pinquinto beans" . Ah, grown in this region primarily there are only a few growers that still grow them (for local stores and restaurants only [ Jockos, Far Western, Hitching Post] ). I enjoy making a big pot...ham hock and all ? On a side note, a historic house recently moved to a new location for restoration found that the entire sub-structure had pinquintos stored there. This house was from the late 1800's so these beans have been around for a while. Thanks for sounding out about the Santa Maria Style BBQ pinquinto beans (it's part of what makes it SM Style)

Blessings

 

[Neal]

Went to Costco today and hoarded some beef at good prices.