A chef instructor with the Culinary Institute of Canada says consumers have become more aware of the cost of groceries than they have been in years.
An article circulated through canadianfgoodfocus.org looks at how consumers can trim their food costs by using the "humble cuts of meat" to prepare nutritious meals at home.
Chef Ilona Daniel, a chef instructor at the Culinary Institute of Canada, says people are paying closer attention to the cost of food than they have in years as they balance the cost of groceries, housing, fuel and general living costs.
Quote-Chef Ilona Daniel-Culinary Institute of Canada:
We're all kind of doing a little mental math, especially when we're looking at the meat counter. We all want quality but we need to be asking smarter questions such as how many meals will this make, can I stretch it and, if we're looking at something as bone in, then can I make soups or stews and make the most of our food budget?
We're seeing different waves of dollar value. I think pork overall is probably one of the best dollar values these days but certainly we think about the dark meat of chicken, chicken thighs especially or whole chickens are quite good, beef chuck, shank and the ground meats like ground pork, ground beef are really where we see the strong values. They're more forgiving, they're very versatile and we're often paying less because they need time, not because they lack quality.
I certainly love picking up pork shoulder when it's on sale and I'll use it in a myriad of ways, if I'm brazing it with spices from the Mexican pantry or Vietnamese or looking at some flavors from northern China which is quite spicy and fiery. I love doing that and I'll buy large amounts and prepare them in three different ways and have meal prep ready to go that I can make a noodle bowl or I can make burritos or tacos, nachos, what ever that might be.
Chef Daniel encourages anyone looking
Source : Farmscape.ca