cheap cuts of meat that can be slow cooked

Crisp_£_note · 29 January 2010 at 8:49PM

Hi

I am almost ready to spend a whole week using Slow Cooker!

I have compiled a list of about 6 meals which I will do one each day and freeze any leftovers for another week as they are to feed 2 adults (1 doesnt eat much veg).

Can anyone suggest where I can get quality meat at cheap prices or suggest alternatives for the following which the recipies require please? ~

Beef Stew - 500g (2 lb) stewing beef, diced.

Coq Au Vin - 100g (4 oz) bacon, chopped.4 & Chicken or Turkey breasts.

Beef in Beer - 900g (2 lb) Stewing Steak, cubed.

Hawaiian Pork Casserole - 750g (1 1/2 lb) Pork fillet, Cubed.

Braised Brisket of Beef with Veg - 1.5kg (3 lb) Joint of Brisket.

Lamb & Veg Curry - 450g (1 lb) Lamb Cubed.

Chillie Con Carne - 450g (1 lb) Minced Beef.

I am hoping to start bulk buying and batch cooking as I have ordered one of those vacume seal n freeze machines from JML which arrives in a few weeks time.

Theres also a stack of veg I need to get plus some items I have never heared of let alone know where to get!

Thanks in advance

BitterAndTwisted · 29 January 2010 at 9:47PM

Beef Stew - 500g (2 lb) stewing beef, diced.

Coq Au Vin - 100g (4 oz) bacon, chopped.4 & Chicken or Turkey breasts. I really wouldn't advise this. Breasts are very expensive and there's not much fat on them either and you need that for flavour. I expect it would be cheaper to get an old boiler or even a cheap-as-you-can-find whole chicken. Honestly, breasts would be wasted in this recipe

Beef in Beer - 900g (2 lb) Stewing Steak, cubed.

Hawaiian Pork Casserole - 750g (1 1/2 lb) Pork fillet, Cubed. I believe a fillet would be wasted in this recipe as it's a roasting joint.

Braised Brisket of Beef with Veg - 1.5kg (3 lb) Joint of Brisket.

Lamb & Veg Curry - 450g (1 lb) Lamb Cubed. Neck of lamb or scrag end. Trim most of the fat and connective tissue off when you're chopping it up

Chillie Con Carne - 450g (1 lb) Minced Beef.

I would pop round to a proper butcher not a supermarket even if you have to travel to one. Bags of advice can be had about the right cuts for your recipes just for the asking. They love giving advice!

It's not completely MSE to pop out and buy ingredients purely for one particular recipe. Which ones haven't you heard of? If you list them I'm sure folk can advise either alternatives or give you advice on how useful these might be for future recipes.

Mr_Lahey · 29 January 2010 at 10:04PM

Ive collated it, to make it easier for my advice:

Beef Stew - 500g (2 lb) stewing beef, diced.
Beef in Beer - 900g (2 lb) Stewing Steak, cubed.

Braising steak is best for this but not a cheap cut. Any butcher should have diced stewing steak.

Coq Au Vin - 100g (4 oz) bacon, chopped.4 & Chicken or Turkey breasts.

Frozen chicken breasts are much cheaper than fresh ones. Try and get Bacon bits, much cheaper than sliced bacon.

Hawaiian Pork Casserole - 750g (1 1/2 lb) Pork fillet, Cubed.

Fillet is one of the most expensive cuts, try a cheaper cut, maybe gammon?

Braised Brisket of Beef with Veg - 1.5kg (3 lb) Joint of Brisket.

Brisket is a cheap cut anyway.

Lamb & Veg Curry - 450g (1 lb) Lamb Cubed.

Lamb is expensive compared to stewing steak (beef) can you not substitute?

Chillie Con Carne - 450g (1 lb) Minced Beef

Minced beef is cheap anyway.

Crisp_£_note · 29 January 2010 at 10:43PM

One of the things I dont know of is a 'Boquet Garni'

The other things I am not sure about is what kind of Brown Ale is the best for the Beef In Beer, it asks for 1/2 pint and also 1/2 pint RED wine for the Coq Au Vin.again whats the best kind for cooking / Slow Cookers??

Thanks for the advice I will pop to a butcher over the weekend.

I will also have a search for cheaper recipies as I am now worried I might ruin these and cant really afford to! .... Any cheap alternative recipie suggestions welcome

Thanks!

MarsdenCuckoo · 29 January 2010 at 10:50PM

Depends on what's on offer near you really - any alcohol will just tenderize the meat so choose whatever is cheapest. Having said that I have been told that if a wine is not worth drinking then it's not worth cooking with either.....

In some countries rather than wine they use vinegar, which also tenderizes meat. Don't use too much though as it can make the end dish unsavoury.

Mr_Lahey · 29 January 2010 at 10:51PM

Crisp_£_note wrote: »

One of the things I dont know of is a 'Boquet Garni'

The other things I am not sure about is what kind of Brown Ale is the best for the Beef In Beer, it asks for 1/2 pint and also 1/2 pint RED wine for the Coq Au Vin.again whats the best kind for cooking / Slow Cookers??

Thanks for the advice I will pop to a butcher over the weekend.

I will also have a search for cheaper recipies as I am now worried I might ruin these and cant really afford to! .... Any cheap alternative recipie suggestions welcome

Thanks!

A bouquet garni is a bunch of herbs tied together, its usually Thyme, Parsley and Bay leaf but can be others. Just take a few sprigs/leaves of each herb, wrap around some cotton and throw in the dish. Then when cooked remove.

A brown ale - Go to supermarket and they are clearly marked.

For cooking with Red wine i use a Shiraz, usually Kumala, but it is all on personal preference. But believe me, a cheap red wine will give a cheap taste.

BitterAndTwisted · 29 January 2010 at 11:10PM

If you're trying to be really MSE I wouldn't advise spending good money on red wine purely for a cooking recipe as that will shove the price of the meal up by more than the meat could cost. If you've got a bit of red-wine vinegar use a little but I really don't think it's absolutely vital as long as it's seasoned well. In Normandy they use dry cider for this dish so you could have a go with that instead although it will then become Coq au Cidre.

The Brown Ale for your beef recipe can be the cheapest your local supermarket or off-license offers, it's not that important. Guinness would be good as well if it's cheaper

Crisp_£_note · 29 January 2010 at 11:15PM

I had an idea of using Guinnes as hubby is a fan, but he said it was a stout so no good. As for the wine we dont drink any but I have seen 'cooking wine' in cans if this would suffice as an alternative to a bottle that will end up down the drain (as would cider)??

Thanks for the tip on the Boquet Garni but where do I find such dried leaves?

I think I may start again and look for cheaper recipies

Thanks

Mr_Lahey · 29 January 2010 at 11:20PM

Crisp_£_note wrote: »

I had an idea of using Guinnes as hubby is a fan, but he said it was a stout so no good. As for the wine we dont drink any but I have seen 'cooking wine' in cans if this would suffice as an alternative to a bottle that will end up down the drain (as would cider)??

Thanks for the tip on the Boquet Garni but where do I find such dried leaves?

I think I may start again and look for cheaper recipies

Thanks

You can buy pots from a supermarket of fresh Parsley and Thyme, just stick them in the kitchen window and water every now and again and they will last ages - Cost about £1.00 each. Bay Leaf is best bought dried, a packet of dried Bay Leaf will last about 2 years, same sort of price.

Stout is gorgeous in savoury dishes such as cottage pie, add few tablespoons of Worcester sauce to really bring out the flavour.

As for canned wine i wouldn't bother, get a minuture bottle of Kumala for about £2.00.

Best of luck.

BadgerJen · 29 January 2010 at 11:27PM

In regards to the lamb:

Go to a butchers and get neck if they have it, but if they don't then I recommend getting a bag of frozen diced lamb. I went to my local butchers and they only had decent diced lamb and they wanted nearly £5 per lb, which I couldn't afford as I am a student. I only wanted it for hotpot, so I got 750g of New Zealand diced lamb from Sainsburys for about £4 and it was lovely. ASDA is even cheaper; I think they do about 450g for £2 on offer at the moment

elmccw · 29 January 2010 at 11:34PM

I would look at your meals and sort them into meat types.

For example you have 4 beef dishes there. Would it be better to buy a huge piece of brisket and cook it and use the left others for your stews/chilli.

Personnaly I would never buy lamb just for a curry. I would buy a leg or half leg as a roast and then use the left overs for curry.

PM if you want, i have been taught by experts- my mother and grandmother.

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cheap cuts of meat that can be slow cooked

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