To Save Money On Meat, Ask Your Butcher About This Type Of Cut

Buying in bulk is typically a good way to save a little bit of money. Most of the time, all it takes is some extra cupboard or cabinet space to accommodate those supersized boxes of snacks or what-have-yous. But, should you wish to shop for meat a little more affordably, be prepared to strike up a conversation with your butcher — and maybe even do a little amateur carving yourself. The first question to ask is about the availability of primal cuts.

The ready-to-cook cuts you're used to seeing packaged at the grocery store, or at least broken down at the butcher shop, were obviously divided up from a whole animal. That process consists of many steps. One such step is dividing the animal into what are called primal cuts, which include sections that might sound familiar, such as the chuck and rib primals. The rib primal, for example, is the greater whole that contains coveted selections such as a beautifully marbled prime rib and a particularly hearty cowboy steak. Because you're buying in bulk, primal cuts can be had more affordably.

How much work you need to put into your primal cut depends on where you source it. Some sellers divide a primal cut to your liking and still price it a little lower per pound than their smaller quantities. That is certainly the ideal. Other retailers trade in the cut-your-own primal variety, which has its merits but also requires more work on your part.

When asking your butcher what primal cuts are available for purchase, also ask just how big of a project you're getting yourself into. This goes for pork and lamb primals, too. Let's say you're starting out with that rib primal, for example. The bargain you thought you were getting loses value fast should you fail to properly identify all of the steaks and roasts within. That said, the rib primal can be a bit easier to work with than others because you can identify the bones and slice between them for some pretty substantially sized steaks. However, finding a meat dealer that can divide all that protein up to begin with is just more accessible, even to many of the most carnivorous households.