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Opinions on Cheap Supermarket Meat

[Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 653
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in Food and Drink #1
Does anyone buy meat from the Value/Basic ranges in supermarkets, and what are your opinions on it? Does it still taste as good?

I'm looking at ways of cutting my food budget and meat is the only thing that really tops up the food bill. There isn't any butchers near me and I do my food shop online because I don't drive.

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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 9,916
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    #2
    I would not personally use basics Mince, Chicken or Fish as it doesn't taste as good as the standard own brand.
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    c4rvc4rv Posts: 29,624
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    #3
    First I suspect the animal welfare will have been of the lowest standard.

    Aside from that, if I am cooking curries, anything with slow cooking or strong flavours then I don't notice much difference in quality. Anything with more subtle flavours then yes pay the extra. If you want to save money then eat less meat.

    Aside from mince which I find very fatty.
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 10,488
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    #4
    I hardly ever buy meat in a supermarket. My local butcher has made it to the final 18 top butchers in the UK (top 3 in the E Midlands I think). They're not expensive and sometimes actually cheaper than supermarket meat and the quality is so much better. Good luck Simpsons!.
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 405
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    #5
    Couple of suggestions

    - cheaper cuts of meat are often quite palatable when cooked in a pressure cooker.

    - Why not see if any butchers in your general area offer a service where they will deliver bulk 'freezer packs' at a discount?
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    GaditanoGaditano Posts: 2,224
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    #6
    Better to eat higher quality meat less often. Two or three veggie dinners a week would free up some cash to get less cheapie meat. And slow-cooked cuts are often good value (lamb shanks, shin of beef, etc).
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    BrunoStreeteBrunoStreete Posts: 7,180
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    #7
    I buy the cheaper meat. Obviously depends what you're doing with it, I wouldn't buy cheap steak but i'd buy cheap chicken breasts.
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    whoever,heywhoever,hey Posts: 30,992
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    #8
    It's injected with water so no.
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    kizziekizzie Posts: 5,756
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    #9
    A lot of people buy the leanest meat as they are scared of fat, so meat that has fat through it will more often than not be cheaper but meat with fat is tastier than meat without. So I will grab a bargain when its there.
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    alanwarwicalanwarwic Posts: 28,396
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    #10
    I guess then, you have not yet tried Asda's frozen basic mince then Kizzie.

    It melted into one big blob for me well before fat extraction.
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    ecco66ecco66 Posts: 16,117
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    #11
    I would never buy it, in fact I can't remember the last time I bought supermarket meat. I get all of mine either from the local farm shop butcher or from Costco.
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    kizziekizzie Posts: 5,756
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    #12
    alanwarwic wrote: »
    I guess then, you have not yet tried Asda's frozen basic mince then Kizzie.

    It melted into one big blob for me well before fat extraction.


    hahahahaha :D

    I never buy frozen mince anyway as it always goes funny IMO when cooked. doesn't have that meaty texture, do you know what I mean?

    I was talking more about steak and joints rather than mince but for myself I would not buy very lean mince anyway, I find value mince fine as long as its not frozen.

    I love things like pork belly strips and other fatty meats.

    Since I started to feed my dog raw food only, ive been put off by value chicken as when she eats that she itches like mad, reading up on it, its seems that it has sodium injected into it.. So will be looking more at labels when buying cheap chicken. She is fine on other cheap meats though..
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    molliepopsmolliepops Posts: 26,828
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    #13
    I say thank you to the supermarkets for cheap meat, my husband is the only meat eater but we couldn't afford for him to eat it if there was no such thing as cheap supermarket meats.

    It's fine saying it isn't as good as butchers etc but some of us could never afford butchers meat or the more expensive cuts from supermarkets even.
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    swingalegswingaleg Posts: 103,120
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    #14
    I buy the tesco value chicken breasts for slicing up and having in stir fries

    and the sainsbury basics bacon is very good...........
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    kizziekizzie Posts: 5,756
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    #15
    swingaleg wrote: »
    I buy the tesco value chicken breasts for slicing up and having in stir fries

    and the sainsbury basics bacon is very good...........

    I love the cooking bacon and use that for everything that calls for bacon.
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 48
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    #16
    kizzie wrote: »
    I love the cooking bacon and use that for everything that calls for bacon.

    Same here. Tesco cooking bacon. I use it in carbonara, soups, pies etc. It's pot luck what you get though. Sometimes you open it and it's like gammon steaks inside.
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    pugamopugamo Posts: 18,039
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    #17
    Sainsburys do a little basics ham joint in the region of £1.70 and its lovely and filling enough for two people. I got a piece of shin the other day for about £2 and cooked it for 5 hours in a pot of vegetables, guinness and stock and that was a lovely cheap dinner. You can get boxes of chicken drumsticks and thighs for about £2 and do southern fried chicken, just roll them in flour with whatever spices you have in the cupboard chucked in. Instead of buying the basics range I stick to whats on offer though because of concerns about animal welfare.
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    degsyhufcdegsyhufc Posts: 59,251
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    #18
    petit-pois wrote: »
    Does anyone buy meat from the Value/Basic ranges in supermarkets, and what are your opinions on it? Does it still taste as good?

    I'm looking at ways of cutting my food budget and meat is the only thing that really tops up the food bill. There isn't any butchers near me and I do my food shop online because I don't drive.
    I regularly buy cheap frozen chicken breasts. Never have them plain. Usually in a strong curry or asian/stirfry sauce so basically it's just filler.

    Bought the value pork chops from Morrisons before. They're fine. You get 4 for a couple of quid.

    Bought smartprice beef & pork mince mix the other day and made chilli con carne with it. Tastes great. Again, loads of spice and two stock cubes so the meat is just filler.
    Rossall wrote: »
    I would not personally use basics Mince, Chicken or Fish as it doesn't taste as good as the standard own brand.
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 9,916
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    #19
    I can get a pound of frozen lean beef steak mince from Asda for £2 which makes at least 6 good portions of Chilli and is very low fat so I don't really see the point of going for the ultra cheap stuff. I worry about what's in it and I have found it full of gristle in the past.

    Also the Asda frozen breaded/battered Haddock portions are 4 for £2 which is cheap enough for me and they are delicious !
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