Frugal Meats: Be Adventurous
I have been urging people to move outside their comfort zone and try new things. As previously mentioned, this year, I am trying a lot of new foods. The primary incentive has been health, as a variety of fresh vegetables that I’m less familiar with are quite healthful. But I’ve also found that expanding my food horizons has helped to trim grocery bills. Take meat and poultry. Typically, the most expensive cuts of meat are things like ribeye steaks and boneless skinless chicken breasts. Previously, I have incorporated things like ground beef (grass-fed) and chicken drumsticks which are much lower cost than breasts.
Recently, I’ve been reading a lot about organ meats and how they are rich in vitamins and minerals such as vitamin B12, zinc, and other great things. And, as an extra bonus, organ meats are even lower cost than cheaper cuts of muscle meats. Although I usually have to go to the Latino or Asian store to get a variety, I’ve found that some tasty dishes can be prepared. Below is a recipe for chicken heart gumbo, where chopped chicken hearts are used instead of chopped chicken meat. I plan on experimenting further and will post any recipes that I find exciting.
Chicken Heart Gumbo
1 onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 pound andouille sausage
3 cups chicken stock
2 cups okra (I used frozen)
1 pound chicken hearts, coarsely chopped
spices: 1 bay leaf, 1 t thyme, 1/4 t cayenne pepper
In a deep pot, saute the onion, celery bell peppers and sausage in cooking oil over medium-high heat until onion is translucent. Add the garlic cloves and spice mixture and stir to combine. Add the can of tomatoes and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add sliced okra and chopped chicken hearts. Simmer until chicken hearts are cooked through and okra is tender, about another 10 minutes for frozen okra. Adjust seasonings to taste.
For those of you who prepare lots of organ meats, I’d be interested in your suggestions.
shared at Frugal Friday, $5 Dinners, and Food Renegade
Love to save money on meat, but I will have to be pretty hard up to consider eating organ meat. My mother loved liver when I was a kid…………..NASTY!!!!!!!!! There was no amount of ketchup that could kill the taste. Great tips on your blog.
Hi Theresa. Haha, I’m expecting most people to react the way you do. I will say that I had absolutely no interest in being very adventurous with organ meats, oxtail, etc… until a couple of years ago. I’ve found that properly prepared liver tastes nothing like the fried shoe leather that I recall as a kid. Thanks for visiting.
I’ve been eating a lot of organ meat lately, too. Mostly beef heart and liver and chicken liver. They’re not my favorite dishes, but they’ve all been ok. Last week I tried a lamb kidney and sausage dish that was my least favorite so far, but even it was ok. As you point out, organ meats are a lot less expensive per pound and have little waste, and they are very nutritious. And it’s kind of fun looking for recipes that use them!
maw, good to hear you’ve been trying these. I’ve found that I prefer heart when it is chopped up rather than in large chunks or whole; for liver, quick sauteed, so it is not overcooked. I have yet to try kidneys. I think I’ll try a marinated, then grilled version next, similar to some South American dishes. Thanks for commenting.