Buying Meat in Quantity

How much meat you should buy at any one time depends, of course, on your food budget, the amount of storage space in your refrigerator or freezer, and how much your household will consume.

There are two ways to buy meat in quantity. You can purchase multiple retail packages of meats, or you can purchase carcasses, sides, or wholesale cuts of meat.

In determining whether or not you can save money by buying carcasses or wholesale cuts of meat over what it would cost to buy retail cuts, you will have to take into account several factors: the yield of meat you will get from the carcass or wholesale cut; the quality of the meat; and the costs of cutting, wrapping, and quick-freezing. When buying bulk meat, you should find out whether these costs are included in the price per pound, or if you'll have to pay additional for these services.

If you're thinking of buying a pork carcass or side, you'll want to get it from an establishment that is equipped to cure the bacon, hams, and other cuts that you may not want to use fresh. If you cannot obtain this service, you would probably find it better to buy retail cuts or the wholesale cuts such as shoulders, loins, and hams.

Using USDA Yield Grades: The yield of usable meat from a carcass or wholesale cut can vary greatly - regardless of the grade. This variation is caused, primarily, by differences in the amount of fat on the outside of the carcass. USDA has grades to measure this yield. Yield Grade 1 denotes the highest ratio of lean to fat, and Yield Grade 5 the lowest yield ratio.

Cutting, Wrapping, and Freezing: For large meat purchases, it is usually best to get the freezing done by an establishment properly equipped to do the job. Quick freezing causes less damage to the meat fibers. Slower freezing causes more of the cells to rupture, due to formation of large ice crystals, so that more meat juices are lost when the meat is thawed.

Proper wrapping of meat for the freezer is as important as proper storage. Use a moisture-vapor-proof wrap such as heavy aluminum foil, heavily waxed freezer paper, etc. Wrap the meat closely, eliminating all air if possible. Double thicknesses of waxed paper should be placed between chops and steaks to prevent their sticking together. Seal the packages well and mark them with the date. The rule in using frozen meat should be "first in, first out."

Improperly wrapped packages will allow air to enter and draw moisture from the meat, resulting in "freezer burn" or meat which is dry and less flavorful.

adapted from http://www.ams.usda.gov