Tip #9: Pre-Packaged Stew Meat and Beef Strips
Grabbing a tray of pre-cut beef stew meat or thin stir-fry strips might seem like a quick convenience, but it costs you dearly at the register.
Meat counters typically fill these containers with residual trimmings from various primal cuts, resulting in wildly inconsistent fat levels, muscle grain alignment, and toughness across a single package. One piece might soften after simmering, while the piece next to it remains tough and rubbery.
You pay an elevated per-pound rate for scrap meat that butchers salvaged from higher-value cuts. Instead of buying these overpriced odds and ends, purchase a whole USDA Choice chuck roast or round roast at a much lower base price per pound.
Spending five minutes cutting the roast into uniform cubes gives you better texture, balanced fat distribution, and huge savings.
