Is ground beef uber-expensive for anyone else?

[FoBoT]

they use diesel on farms
where cows live
like tractors to cut hay and combines to cut corn to feed cows
higher diesel price means it costs more to grow cows
and ship cows to cow hamburger factories

 

[Dr. Zaus]

I get 92/8 because i like meat not fat.

it went from 3.50 a lb to 6.50 a lb when I moved from south Texas to the middle of new-mexico.

Odd that.

 

[spidey07]

Then it's the pink slime. The consumer pays more assuming the price increase is for a better product.

Remember, if they pay more they automatically think its "better".

 

[sjwaste]

Funny thing is it's not attributed much to gas prices. That does have a big impact on supermarket prices as about 2/3 of every dollar you spend at the grocery store goes towards the transportation of product from field to packer to distributor to warehouse to store. There are a lot of truck rides from Elsie in the field to a burger on your plate. But in the case of ground beef the price hikes are WAY out of line with what's happening in the rest of the store and even with what's happening with other meat products. Chicken has gone up very little in the last few years, pork has gone up very little in the last few years, hell, even many cuts of beef have gone up very little in the last few years. Stuff like short ribs, roasts, london broils are very close to where they were before gas went bonkers. Ground beef has shot through the roof all by itself.

Beef has a lot tied up not only in transportation costs, but also the feed. Cows eat a lot of corn, and corn has steadily risen.

http://futures.tradingcharts.com/chart/CN/M

I'm not an expert, but my initial thought is that this is what happens when we give out massive subsidies to use a food crop as fuel. That 10% ethanol has to come from somewhere, and defying most logic, we use corn for it in the US instead of something that's actually good for ethanol production.

 

[Powermoloch]

inflation

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Transportation costs are actually a small part of the picture. Meat packers bid on grocery store contracts to provide us with meat. The reality is much like oil speculation and has little to do with the actual cost of fuel, transportation or, warehousing.

If you really like your burgers, grind your own. You can save fifty cents to a dollar a pound.

 

[sjwaste]

Transportation costs are actually a small part of the picture. Meat packers bid on grocery store contracts to provide us with meat. The reality is much like oil speculation and has little to do with the actual cost of fuel, transportation or, warehousing.

If you really like your burgers, grind your own. You can save fifty cents to a dollar a pound.

Grinding your own also means more interesting burgers. Ground short rib is awesome, especially if you grind in a little pork fat (or duck fat as I've seen suggested elsewhere). Ground brisket is great. And before people caught on and ran up the price, the top blade (flat iron) was as good grilled med-rare as it was ground into a burger.

Come to think of it, I've bought "premium" cuts of beef maybe once or twice in the past year. Ribeye and porterhouse, once or twice each I think. Otherwise, it's the tougher cuts that have been more interesting to me. There's a lot more flavor there, you just have to figure out the right technique depending on the cut.

 

[sjwaste]

I've been playing around with my burgers on the grill. I need 75/25 to get the crust/browning on the outside and still maintain medium without overcooking.

I want it to explode in my mouth, so the more fat the better for me. A skillet would be different.

I've only seen 70/30 and then 80/20. Never tried 75, but I'll pick it up if I see it. I could grind it myself, but we both know I'm not weighing anything so it won't be exact.

I like my burgers medium rare, so I can go a little leaner. Too much fat in the mix and some may not render.

 

[Wreckem]

Beef prices are expected to continue to rise over the next 2 to 3 years as the US has its smallest cattle herd since 1952. Yes inflation and cost of feed/fuel has some to do with the price increase, but the majority of the increase is because of supply/demand issues with having the smallest cattle herd since 1952.

 

[spidey07]

I've only seen 70/30 and then 80/20. Never tried 75, but I'll pick it up if I see it. I could grind it myself, but we both know I'm not weighing anything so it won't be exact.

I like my burgers medium rare, so I can go a little leaner. Too much fat in the mix and some may not render.

I love grinding my meat.

But honestly the higher fat content gives me a safety net to get the color/browning I want when grilling burgers.

 

[FoBoT]

i should go to the auction and get a calf, i've got plenty of room for it to cut the grass all summer

 

[sjwaste]

i should go to the auction and get a calf, i've got plenty of room for it to cut the grass all summer

In my family, that's how you end up with a new pet, not more food.

 

[rudder]

Hmm, so about 5 pounds? About alternator-sized?

Beef is not really considered bulk until you start talking about quantities of 10 pounds or more.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

Beef prices are expected to continue to rise over the next 2 to 3 years as the US has its smallest cattle herd since 1952. Yes inflation and cost of feed/fuel has some to do with the price increase, but the majority of the increase is because of supply/demand issues with having the smallest cattle herd since 1952.

All true. Beef is more expensive to raise than pork and chicken and it will see the greatest price hikes as it's more fuel-dependent than animals that can be raised in smaller areas and on less feed. And herds are down and demand is up. But that still doesn't tell the whole story. While the price of beef as a whole might be up 15% compared to 2 years ago many many cuts of beef are up 3% or 5% in that period while ground beef is up more like 25-30% over that same time frame. That's the puzzling part, ground beef is rising at a much higher rate than any other beef and that most definitely is not based on fuel or feed prices.

 

[spidey07]

i should go to the auction and get a calf, i've got plenty of room for it to cut the grass all summer

That's veal to me. My favorite meat, above all others.

 

[Svnla]

Beef is expensive.

Heck, all meat prices (chicken, pork) are going up and up.

 

[spidey07]

All true. Beef is more expensive to raise than pork and chicken and it will see the greatest price hikes as it's more fuel-dependent than animals that can be raised in smaller areas and on less feed. And herds are down and demand is up. But that still doesn't tell the whole story. While the price of beef as a whole might be up 15% compared to 2 years ago many many cuts of beef are up 3% or 5% in that period while ground beef is up more like 25-30% over that same time frame. That's the puzzling part, ground beef is rising at a much higher rate than any other beef and that most definitely is not based on fuel or feed prices.

I've explained how the consumer views higher price as higher quality.

Oh! This ground beef is much more expensive. It must be higher quality and superior quality product! Top notch superior product! I must buy superior product for happy family of ground sirloin. It has loin in name so must be good.

 

[Howard]

I've explained how the consumer views higher price as higher quality.

Oh! This ground beef is much more expensive. It must be higher quality and superior quality product! Top notch superior product! I must buy superior product for happy family of ground sirloin. It has loin in name so must be good.

They don't think that way when it's going up everywhere.

In Toronto it's still around $2/lb though.

 

[bononos]

All true. Beef is more expensive to raise than pork and chicken and it will see the greatest price hikes as it's more fuel-dependent than animals that can be raised in smaller areas and on less feed. And herds are down and demand is up. But that still doesn't tell the whole story. While the price of beef as a whole might be up 15% compared to 2 years ago many many cuts of beef are up 3% or 5% in that period while ground beef is up more like 25-30% over that same time frame. That's the puzzling part, ground beef is rising at a much higher rate than any other beef and that most definitely is not based on fuel or feed prices.

How are hamburger futures doing during the time?

 

[QueBert]

This is why I eat fast food, one of my favorite burgers from JiTB is $1.29, regardless of how much gas is. It has been this price for as long as I can remember. Funny how gas prices push up grocery store prices, but it rarely changes fast food prices.

 

[Dr. Zaus]

This is why I buy my beef in bulk.

Maybe we could save money if we purchased bulk beef online?

 

[ponyo]

All true. Beef is more expensive to raise than pork and chicken and it will see the greatest price hikes as it's more fuel-dependent than animals that can be raised in smaller areas and on less feed. And herds are down and demand is up. But that still doesn't tell the whole story. While the price of beef as a whole might be up 15% compared to 2 years ago many many cuts of beef are up 3% or 5% in that period while ground beef is up more like 25-30% over that same time frame. That's the puzzling part, ground beef is rising at a much higher rate than any other beef and that most definitely is not based on fuel or feed prices.

Ground beef price rise is nothing compared to the rise in price of beef short ribs. Short rib prices have risen over 100% since 2009 when South Korea lifted its ban on US beef. I don't see ground beef 100% higher since then. Back in 2008/2009 I was able to find bone short ribs at Sams Club little over $2/pound and boneless at Costco for $3. Now the same cut of meat at Sams Club is over $5/pound and close to $7 at Costco. Hell, it's almost as expensive as NY Strip steak now and often it is. Every year it's gone up 30% or more. At this rate it will be the most expensive cut of meat and it's all because of South Korea.

 

[brainhulk]

Ground beef price rise is nothing compared to the rise in price of beef short ribs. Short rib prices have risen over 100% since 2009 when South Korea lifted its ban on US beef. I don't see ground beef 100% higher since then. Back in 2008/2009 I was able to find bone short ribs at Sams Club little over $2/pound and boneless at Costco for $3. Now the same cut of meat at Sams Club is over $5/pound and close to $7 at Costco. Hell, it's almost as expensive as NY Strip steak now and often it is. Every year it's gone up 30% or more. At this rate it will be the most expensive cut of meat and it's all because of South Korea.

mmmm, i feel like having some korean bbq short ribs now.

 

[Dr. Zaus]

Ground beef price rise is nothing compared to the rise in price of beef short ribs. Short rib prices have risen over 100% since 2009 when South Korea lifted its ban on US beef. I don't see ground beef 100% higher since then. Back in 2008/2009 I was able to find bone short ribs at Sams Club little over $2/pound and boneless at Costco for $3. Now the same cut of meat at Sams Club is over $5/pound and close to $7 at Costco. Hell, it's almost as expensive as NY Strip steak now and often it is. Every year it's gone up 30% or more. At this rate it will be the most expensive cut of meat and it's all because of South Korea.

To be fair: they do a good job on those ribs.

Also, fajita was eaten by the Mexican poor because flank-steak was essentially a throw-away cut; now the stuff is insanely expensive. Supply and demand, supply and demand.

 

[waggy]

yeah nearly everthing in the store is going up. But i buy my burger from the butcher in bulk. its a LOT better and the same price as per pound at the store.