Tenderizing Cheap Beefby Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger 13 Feb 2008 12:01 PM Beef may be what's for dinner, but it is also what takes a big bite out of your grocery budget. With the price of gas going up, and the recent beef contamination scares, buying beef today is almost like buying caviar. Okay, it is not that bad, but it isn't that good, either. Eating more meatless meals can help with the cost of your grocery budget, but let's face it, sometimes you just want to cook a meat and potatoes kind of meal. You can go the route of using less beef in your meals, but that just might not satisfy you or your family either. Here are some ideas that will allow you to purchase the less expensive "cheaper" cuts of beef, while still serving a meal that is tender and succulent. When making a beef stew, add a little bit of sweet pickle juice to the stew mix. The vinegar in the sweet pickle juice will tenderize the meat very nicely. And the sweet pickle juice will also add a very nice but not overpowering flavor to your dish. You can also use vinegar, if you like, but then you will miss out on the extra flavor. And, the pickle juice is something that you might normally discard, so it is a "free" resource. The crockpot is the absolute best friend for cheaper cuts of beef. The slow cooking process naturally tenderizes the meat, rendering it supple and juicy. Get yourself a good slow cooker book, or browse on over to the Food Blog or forums to find some great crock pot recipes. Allrecipes.com is another great recipe source to peruse. Just make sure you leave plenty of time to assemble your dish in the crockpot and keep it on the low setting. You can even cook this overnight and then warm it up later in the day in time for dinner. Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, technology in the Computing Blog, and creating a home in the Home Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here. Related Articles: What You Should Have in a Frugal Pantry Learn more about Mary Ann Romans  Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat. Relevantfrugal tags User Comments No comments on this article yet. Be the first to comment! Community Tags beef, Food, frugal, meals, thrifty Discuss this article
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