I find fascinating the wide range of meat prices you can find from store to store on any given Sunday. Of course, there are considerations like USDA grades, amounts of trimming, and prevailing price levels due to other factors, but, all too often, more attention is paid by the consumer to price rather than to value.
Here’s a little math I did based on the three racks of spares I did recently:
Rack #–Price/lb.–Wt.—–Net Wt. After Trimming
1——-$1.69——3.97—-2.06
2——-$1.69——4.21—-2.12
3——-$2.29——3.62—-1.81
Yes, literally half of each pack’s weight was trimmings and scraps packed underneath the racks, in addition to what I removed. So, for each of these trimmed-to-St. Louis-style racks, I ultimately paid $3.26, $3.35, and $4.58, respectively, per pound for the privilege of trimming them myself.
This week, I took a closer look at the spares at the high-end grocery I frequent for the extensive wine selection– they had already-trimmed spares on sale for $2.79/lb, and no scraps or breast bones buried under the racks in the packs. Here’s what I got— no more, no less. Think I’ll stock up.