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Low Carb/Carni Mucho Cheapo Mains

DCUKMod

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A few days ago on Twitter, there was a member posted she should write a book about carni eating on an extreme budget, and I though it could be a good thread, so here we go.

Whilst the Twitterererererer was talking about carni, I sort of thought we might be able to identify a threadful of cheap meat dishes, as heading for more meat and less filler, seems to be a general concern for new folks.

Interestingly, I'm on my lonesome for a few days, whilst MrB plays golf. I had reason to pop into Morrisons (not my usual haunt), and bought a pork hock, thinking I'd use it for soup, but it was super-meaty (and £1.67), so I lobbed it into the IP for 30 minutes, then took off plenty meat, plus rind.

Whilst not as fatty as belly pork, that made lots of fab Moo Grob and the bones and plenty meat went back into the pot to become stock, which will become soup, with the addition of a few fridge bottom veggies tomorrow. I'd guess I've got about 5 miles out of that £1.67, plus a few fridge veggies.

Anyone else got any ideas?
 
Funny you should mention Morrison’s, I was there last week and they were selling shoulder of pork for £2.50 a kilo. The butcher was chucking at me saying loudly “how much?!” I bought two big joints.
Their lamb ribs are usually cheap, I shallow fry them and as they take a while to chew every bit of meaty wonder off, very filling.

Fish is massively expensive these days and I don’t find it filling on it’s own
 
Ox liver at my local butcher is £1.60 per kilo and we also got some pork hocks and roasted them again dirt cheap about £2 per kilo.
Tesco has a 20% fat mince for sub £3 per kilo for burgers, meatloaf or crackslaw.
 
Lamb neck chops and lamb shanks are great for tagine and the bones for stock or broth.
 
Lamb is a more expensive meat than most, but lamb mince is significantly cheaper than other lamb cuts.
Tescos do 20% fat for £4/500g

Beef mince is even cheaper at £2.97/kg for 20% fat.

The 20% fat is good for a carnivore, since it gives keto macros of fat to protein.

I make burgers with the mince, a dash of garlic powder, a dash of onion powder, an egg per kilo of meat, salt and pepper.
Actually, I make 2kilos of burgers in a single batch and freeze them in pattys. Very convenient. Makes a heck of a lot of meals, each already shaped for cooking. Much nicer than even posh bought burgers.
 
Breast of lamb has been a revelation for me. Never touched it before lchf as I thought it was too fatty, but cooked slow and long it turns into something fabulous. It’s really cheap too, as most people are put off by the fattiness, but this just renders away during cooking leaving succulent tasty meat.
 
Chicken livers (£0.50 for £225g, frozen pack)
And cream cheese (£0.89 for 150g own brand)
Will make 375g of homemade pate. It freezes excellently.

Just panfry the chicken livers in butter, season to taste (onion, garlic, herbs or orange zest, wine or brandy, or just salt and pepper) allow to cool, then blend in the cream cheese.

If you don’t have a food processor, the a potato ricer or cheapo hand blender will work perfectly. Or just rub through a sieve.
 
Now that's something I fancy making! Good enough on it's own I'm sure but apart from celery or lettuce, is there a good low carb carrier for it?
 
wiflib said:
A spoon.
Click to expand...

That was exactly what I was going to say. Haha.

The pate can also be added to hot meals such as mince, diced chicken, low carb/carnivore noodle alternatives. It melts down into an instant meaty sauce. Delicious.
 
I love a crispy roasted whole chicken and buy one family sized even when they arent here. So many meals, salads and then the carcass for stock. I can get from Sunday to the middle of the weekon that.
 
PenguinMum said:
I love a crispy roasted whole chicken and buy one family sized even when they arent here. So many meals, salads and then the carcass for stock. I can get from Sunday to the middle of the weekon that.
Click to expand...

I hardly ever buy a whole chicken but I’ve looked today at the price per kilo and it’s way cheaper than I thought.
 
My butcher (old style, high street, non-chain) does carrier bags full of chicken carcasses on a Saturday morning after he has removed legs and breasts. There is usually plenty of meat left, including wings, oysters and back meat.

I have had as many as 9 carcasses in a single carrier bag for £2, which yielded a litre of chicken meat, and about 4 litres of chicken stock/bone broth.

What is that? Around 8 good portions of meaty chicken soup. Just add butter or cream to get to keto macros, and season and spice to taste.
 

Here we all are talking food knowledge and it strikes me that so many people just don't know food. I remember as young woman looking at a cooked chicken carcass and not having a clue about how to turn it into anything, let alone soup!

I've done a lot of work in food poverty and I was shocked at the stuff that doesn't get taken. I was asked to come and rescue around 25 whole cooked hams (the reformed stuff) a couple of christmases ago from a food bank. Nobody would take it because it wasn't already sliced. The same food bank used to have to ration the end of day Greggs offerings, it was hidden from view so as not to cause arguments. Produce that need any sort of prepping was the last to go.

I learned to cook in my mothers kitchen, at school and as a wife and mother, what happens these days?
 
wiflib said:
I hardly ever buy a whole chicken but I’ve looked today at the price per kilo and it’s way cheaper than I thought.
Click to expand...

I very rarely buy anything other than whole chickens. Even if I only want the breasts, I'll butcher the chicken and freeze the rest. Things like the winglets go straight into the freezer bone bag for broth, next time around.

A chicken takes up a lot less freezer space when butchered.
 
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