Trader Joe's grass fed beef page 6

[Artbuc]

I wasnt aware TJ had grassfed, they only have 'vegetarian fed'. Did they get new meat in?

My local Giant grocery store is now carrying grass fed beef from Australia. 85% ground is $6.99/ lb.

[magnolia1973]

I think Whole Foods just overcharges. I get local grass fed at 5.99 a lb from a farmer.

[ryanmercer]

My TJ's doesn't even have a meat counter or anything like it. They've got some pre packaged crap in small quantity with the milk/cheese/eggs and that's it.

[magnolia1973]

My local guy sells ground angus which contains everything except the tenderloin at $6.50 per pound and he is just 10 miles away.

I don't know why anyone would take that approach. The lady I buy from sells her meat ranging from $5.99 (ground) on up to $22 a lb (filet mignon). Her intermediate cuts (usually $12-$14 a lb) are always sold out. I don't see why she (or anyone for that matter) would gring up a cut that can get twice as much money into ground beef. I would not expect that his ground angus is made solely from premium cuts of meat unless he likes throwing money out.

That said, what is wrong with grinding scraps anyway? It's all from a good quality cow.

[Artbuc]

I don't know why anyone would take that approach. The lady I buy from sells her meat ranging from $5.99 (ground) on up to $22 a lb (filet mignon). Her intermediate cuts (usually $12-$14 a lb) are always sold out. I don't see why she (or anyone for that matter) would gring up a cut that can get twice as much money into ground beef. I would not expect that his ground angus is made solely from premium cuts of meat unless he likes throwing money out.

So who is lying, me or my supplier? Just because you don't understand it doesn't mean it isn't true.

[magnolia1973]

I think you perhaps misinterpret your supplier (or I am misinterpreting you). The ground beef I buy includes bits and pieces of all the cuts. There is no ammonia or sawdust or soy. She isn't throwing in the london broil and 2 sirloin steaks into the mix. I can't imagine that your guy sends his cow to slaughter and tells the butcher "keep the tenderloin and grind everything else up into ground meat". If he does that, I can't imagine he would be profitable for long, unless he was a hobby farmer, not in it to make money.

If he is indeed grinding rib eye steaks into hamburger, then you are lucky to get such a premium product (or perhaps unlucky to be missing out on other great cuts of meat). I can't imagine there are many ranchers that would be willing to offer such a product unless they raised the price of the ground meat to cover the loss from the ability to profit from the premium cuts.

[Artbuc]

"If he does that, I can't imagine he would be profitable for long, unless he was a hobby farmer, not in it to make money."

This is the case. Plus, he sells to a number of local, very upscale watering holes who sell gourmet burgers like hot cakes and charge a fortune for them.

[JWBooth]

This is the only comment that keeps me from completely pulling my hair out (if I had any). I don't understand y'all. Why do you care what TJ carries? Buy meat from someone local.

Not everyone live in the middle of cow country. Asking me why I don't buy local grass fed beef is like me asking someone from the Rust Belt why they don't buy local wild caught shrimp.

If you don't know of a local producer then order it from one of the many that ship.

We are. A local producer from Australia is shipping to Trader Joe's and we are "ordering" it from them. I'm sure TJ would rather buy from an American producer. It would save on shipping costs. That they don't indicates the market for grass fed beef in America simply isn't mature enough. Nothing I can do to change that, but perhaps you can go around to your friends in Texas and preach change.

[jmoore374]

I've never agreed with the "only buy local" theory. The beauty of a free market is you buy which is the best price, or best quality, depending on the person's preference. Obviously that includes someone's preference to only buy local products, but that shouldn't apply to everyone. It'd be nice to buy from someone I know on a personal level, but I don't know anyone that does, so I buy according to my preference: a combination of best price and best quality. That's not always local either.

[johnmjoy]

Just got back from TJ with a nice bone-in grass fed rib roast. I was also pleasantly surprised that they had Kerrygold butter for $2.99/half pound package - they even had the silver (unsalted) Kerrygold! (Our local ShopRite is selling it @ $4.99.) And this was the Darien TJ (right in the epicenter of Connecticut's Gold Coast)!