I stuck them in the broiler (too lazy to start up a fire in the grill), filled our plates up with homemade sweet 'tater fries and homemade coleslaw and jammed those burgers in our maws before the buns touched the plate.
But my hamburger wasn't "Hamburger". It was a half and half mixture of ground venison and ground pork. Because there is NO way I'm spending over four freaking bucks for a pound of ground beef, from the grocery store or from the farmer. Sorry Mr. Local Cattle Dude. I'm glad you're getting a premium price for your beeves, but you just won't be getting it from me.
Why is beef so freaking expensive? Texas drought? Ice & snow? I suppose the cattle numbers still haven't been able to recover from those events and it's just a classic case of supply and demand. Or could it be insider cow trader manipulation? Government conspiracy to increase demand for bison? Apparently now only the "elites" will get to dine on the carcasses of cattle.
Even though we won't be grilling up many beef-based meals for a while, we won't be missing out on cheeseburgers. And technically, our hamburgers actually have "ham" in them as we ground up some of the back legs (the "hams") from our hog.
Are you having to make do without beef? Have you come up with other beef alternatives to use in your cooking? If you're a cattle grower, how are you doing?
If people wouldn't buy beef at high prices the price would come down. The problem that I have observed while shopping is that so many people get public food assistance and I see them putting meat in the basket without even looking at the prices. Of course there are people with their own money who buy it as well. Combine these two groups and they keep the prices up. I have actually watched people fill up carts with nothing but beef and pay for it with food stamp cards and when I asked my buddy about it, he has seen the same thing only they actually sold it in the parking lot at a reduced price. So on some level the government is funding the high prices. I would guess that most people use the assistance properly but their is a black market for beef of sorts.
ReplyDeleteAgree with this across the board. It amazes me every time we go into Lowes and see the crap they're selling for building supplies. If folks would just stop buying, things would change!
DeleteWe are one of those local cattle dudes! So, unless DH turns my steer loose before I can get him fattened, I should not be out of beef. Here is another thing to wonder about:
ReplyDeleteMilk prices are way down for the Dairy Farmer.....this is a product that can't be stored so what you are drinking (not you goat farmers), should be at much lower prices now! Yet it isn't! This used to make us crazy when we dairied.
Food for thought: Buy a dairy cow; she calves each year; butcher the calf.....I haven't figured out how you get her bred yet.................
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DeletePrices for EVERYTHING are being controlled and finagled by the very rich who have the power and the desire to make more money regardless of how it hurts our country or people. Crop/feed prices are jacked up so the farmer gets caught in the trickle-down effect and has to charge more for his beef, for instance. Even seed prices are highly inflated so no matter that the farmer grows as much of his own feed as he can, that feed still costs him more. Whatever the scenario, it's not the farmer who is getting rich. If that were so, we wouldn't be losing them each and every day. Who controls the mega-big crop producers who are taking over all the small farms? Why, those same billionaires who have the power to ruthlessly line their own pockets while others suffer.
ReplyDeleteOrganic beef here is $6.99, unless you wait for it to get marked down than, it's under $4. It's crazy how pricy the organic stuff can get. Butter here is almost $6 for a pound now.
ReplyDeleteCarolyn,
ReplyDeleteThe last time I was a the grocery store, a pound of ground beef was going to cost me $9.87. I refuse to pay this kind of money for ground beef. We will use venison or buffalo (we have this in the freezer). Or better yet, we will make turkey or bean burgers.
I grow my own or should I say my kids do as 4-H projects. We do run out of burger 1st so I use venison a lot along with lamb burger. I mix sausage, beef and lamb for my meatballs. So good. Raise it yourself or find 4-H kid to support is my advice. I love beef not sure I could give it up.
ReplyDeleteI hear that goat burgers are awesome as well.
ReplyDeleteFor the last two years we have grown our own beef. We sell half cause there are just the 2 of us. After reading about all the antibiotics, GMO grain and filthy conditions at the feedlot, I would not eat supermarket beef if they paid me. Our health has improved drastically. Grass fed is the only way to go. If you can't raise one, buy half on the hoof or go in with a neighbor or friend.
ReplyDeleteAs you know, we raise our own. So much cheaper than buying. But, if we have to buy any replacer cows or bull, they are expensive!!!
ReplyDeleteFor us, it's chevonburger. I rarely buy beef anymore because of that, and because of the price. Can't wait to have some pork to add to that!
ReplyDelete