Thank-you for your warnings on blade tenderizing. As a retired FDA Investigator, who spent a career following up on ford borne illnesses, I appreciate anyone who warns people in easy-to-understand language about the dangers of this type of tenderizing. Needle tenderizing is just as dangerous.
But they are still in Business flourishing, and where is the class action suit?. Maybe they just just promote that so they can say they have the most tender steaks?
@@abelardopascual6564 Honestly, who give a #(*? Have you ever had food poisoning from beef, in your life? Me neither. Under-cooked PORK is your problem... or food that has been left in the danger zone for too long. Stop obsessing about Anthony Fauci's internet Costco conspiracies. JFC!
So I’ve worked at Costco for 30+ years. When I seen your channel and the caption, I immediately got defensive. 😂 I said to myself, self~ let’s see what this man has to say so I can put him in his place. I was pleasantly surprised Sir. Very much on it! Although the bit about us tenderizing the steaks…..if you only knew the amount of testing Costco does on top of the USDA’s guidelines. And….the cleaning the fresh foods dept”s have to do…..it’s insane!! I work up front and very happy 😊 thank you for all the lov you show our company! I’m hitting that subscribe button! All my best to you.
Re: meat department cleanliness and testing. No matter how well the meat department appears clean there is still bacteria on all surfaces. The longer a product is around especially in the temperature danger zone the more bacteria will grow, and at exponential rates. This means that Costco can test every piece of meat after it us tenderized and have it come back safe, but in as little as 4 hours it could be unsafe (not usually in the store). Imagine that the meat is at room temp at Costco for 2 hours. When sold it is safe. The customer drives home and places the steak in the fridge in an hour. The next day the steak is taken out of the fridge and put on the counter for an hour to bring it to room temp. 90+% of the time the steak is still safe, but these tenderized steaks allow extra bacteria to grow. Now it's not safe. Remember my example doesn't include the time the beef is held at room temp during prior processing. I'd say that most of Costco's meat is still safe when eaten, but ask yourself why exactly is Costco tenderizing all of their steaks? I understand tenderizing the "fake" steaks like petite sirloin and cube steak. But if the sirloin steak, Flat Iron, Skirt, NY Strip, Rib Eye, and Filet Mignon need tenderizing it brings questions about quality of these best cuts if steaks.
Sorry a ton, but I used to work for Costco. I can tell you exactly why people buy the things you're warning against buying ... Because they are EASY. They are DONE. There's no work involved. You just get the thing, and dinner's ready. Yes, the shrimp tip is good (and yes, I buy it that way, myself, when I buy shrimp), and yes, your recipe for pulled pork looks tasty, but in general, Costco members want the thing, and they want it fast, and they want it NOW. They're not going to take the time to slice a turkey for themselves just because it's cheaper.
Well yeah but imagine his audience. He makes tutorials for how to butcher meat. His audience is most likely people who want to learn and are interested in buying primal cuts of meat or people who just find him interesting. This video makes sense if you think about who his content is catered towards.
I'm on the carnivore diet so I won't buy prepackaged meat with Maltodextrin and preservatives! Also, the bun and coke are a no-no! So for some of us, this is informative!
Some people need to be really careful of sodium. So let's talk about the pre-cut turkey that has over 400 mg of sodium, salmon that is farm-raised and what do they feed arm raised fish poop. Their feed is crap... I'd rather go to a fish market get what I need that is fresh cook it that day since it's only myself I don't need a lot. I go there for water and that's about it. If I can find some free-range eggs I'll get that but they got to be free ranged. And if they're not then I go to the health food store. I ate 96% mean beef or 98% lean beef
I've been cooking for VBS at my church for almost a decade. I run the kitchen and do all the meal planning. I'm always looking for the best deal on meat, so I've gone thru a lot of generic hot dogs thru the years mostly free from our local food bank. I couldn't get hot dogs this year from the food bank, so I bought the Kirkland beef hot dog. Absolutely raving reviews from both the kids and volunteers. I'm never going back to any other hot dog other than Kirkland's beef hot dog.
I am a devote of Costco so you are speaking my language. I love cutting my own cuts from large cuts of meat, thanks to people like you on the internet.
I have the executive membership and my daughter as my significant other. I get 2% cash back on what we both spend a year, or about $150. I also have the Costco citi card and use it as my main charge card getting an additional $400-$500 back a year. I use that rebate check at Costco Business Center and buy bulk meat. My husband is a butcher by trade and we go home cut up and package the meat
@@patriciawhite7489 4% on all stand alone gas stations. 3% back on restaurants and travel. 2% back at Costco and 1 % everywhere else. The cash back is not capped so like Suzy said~ she makes both her executive membership coupled w her Citi Visa = lots of cash back annually depending on your shopping & how you use it.
I get the executive membership as well. Even if you don't spend enough to cover the $120 membership cost, you'll still benefit as long as you get at least $60 in the rebate check because that's the same cost as the regular membership that doesn't earn you any cash back. Most of the time, I get around a $80 rebate check. So my membership comes out to $40 a year. It's worth it. Also, if I by a big ticket item, I get my membership completely covered.
@@mitchyoung93 Yup - that card netted me $1,200 this past year. Absolutely love it. It's like a month-long free food run at CostCo. Both my kids are bulking for sports, so we go through a TON of meat. The Business CostCo by our house has been a Godsend.
if you like costco that much and blow $400 a month there then I guess saving $20 bucks over a $60 one is worth it. But you are locked into that $120 one each year to justify your savings. In the end the only people that laugh are the shareholders , like me.
I am a fisherman living in the Pacific Northwest. I only eat salmon and steelhead (Sea-run rainbow trout) that I personally catch. You are correct, the farmed-raised Atlantic salmon are poor quality and not a healthy food to eat--look that part up! The steelhead sold at Costco comes from rainbow trout raised in the Columbia River below Grand Coulee Dam. They live in free flowing pens and are fed a very natural diet. They have plenty of body fat--hence the much better flavor and no need to artificially color the meat. I have caught these trout right next to the pens (escapees). Absolutely delicious! Good job on your reviews with valuable information! Thank you.
Our Costco here in the pacific northwest will carry Wild Alaska Salmon for $9.99/lbs several times a year. We get that, portion it out for two, vacuum seal it and eat it during the year.
If you love shrimp try the frozen Argentinian Red shrimp at Costco, they taste like a cross between shrimp and lobster, I call them the poor man's lobster, I make steak and shrimp with these.
Yesterday I spent $200 on grass fed beef and lamb at Aldis for the first time. This morning we had skirt steak and tonight we had ribeyes. Both cooked in iron skillet. Absolutely delicious and satisfying. Thanks for teaching people key ideas for self-sufficiency! Keep it up and stay healthy.
I had 5 grills and 2 smokers. Ultimately became a wood fire guy for ribeyes weekly. Then Covid hit and I cut down dramatically, saved thousands by not eating steaks and ribs anymore. Now I only buy 2x a year for a special occasion. Healthier and
The most important point made in this video is how blade tenderizing can drive bacteria that were on the outside of the steak, into the steak. Just about all bacteria on beef is on the surface, where it's easily dealt with. The more I learn about antibiotic-resistant bacteria -- and yes, your steer may have been given veterinary antibiotics, sorry -- the more I become concerned. EXCELLENT POINT. Thank you. On food safety: I will not buy, cook or serve farmed salmon. Ever. Be very careful where it's from, and avoid shallow-water farms. Many fish are raised in their own waste. And just don't ask what chemicals were used to control lice which infest a lot of salmon farms. You may not like the answer.
On the other hand, I've never had food poisoning from eating beef in my entire life. You'd really have to try, to get food poising from beef. It's basically impossible, nowadays. The most common causes of food poisoning are things like under-cooked pork, refried beans that have been in the 'danger zone' too long (or even worse... reheated after sitting around for the previous day), old pork fried rice (same reason), 7-11 cheesy dogs, etc.
@@hxhdfjifzirstc894 true. I've never actually heard of *anyone* getting sick from blade tenderizing. I think that it just offends people that the meat is 'penetrated' beforehand, 'damaged goods', 'not a virgin'.
I use my jaccard to blade tenderize steaks at home, and most steak houses do as well. I think the dangers of blade tenderizing are way overblown. Ground beef would ostensibly have the same issue, and how many millions of med-rare burgers are served daily in this country?
I don't even remember when it was the last time I bought cut meat. I have a grinder, a slicer and I do the larger cuts myself. Through the years, those machines paid for themselves ten times over and I saved thousand of dollars on food. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I'm sure many people learned a lot from your video.
@@CheapsKate77 Mater of fact, I have a small kitchen but I keep the important tools that I use all the time and saves me money. Things I don't use or don't need, I consider them ornaments an a waste of space. 😊
I have an executive membership with Costco. The only Costco in our state is an hour and a half away. I go to Costco about once a month. Many of the people I work with would ask me to pick something up for them at Costco as they don’t get there very often due to the distance. I now send an email to all my coworkers a week in advance to advise them that I’m making a Costco run. I get lists from coworkers of what they want and do their Costco shopping. Everyone offers me gas money for making the Costco runs but I tell them not to bother because I’m getting 2% back on everything they purchase. 😆 They all think it’s a good deal and heck, I was going to Costco anyway, so why not?
I do love my smoker but... It's super easy to do pulled-pork in a slow cooker. Just season the meat, put it in the cooker on a bed of sliced onions along with some broth then let her run on low over night. Easy-peasy lemon squeezy.
@@wheatthins57 newsflash... gas is priced differently throughout the country. my last costco fill up was 24 cents cheaper than the cheapest local station.
You need to add about 40% to the price of the raw pork shoulder to make a true price comparison with the carnitas and pulled pork due to cooked weight vs raw meat and remember to consider bone weight for bone-in. I'm almost always a from scratch person but, for certain occasions, saving the time and adding that 40% tips the scale toward precooked.
@@SteveSherman-ij5gm A. don't yuck other people's yum and B. not everyone has the ability to scratch cook everything they want to eat and C. (I don't have anything *nice* to say so I'll let that speak for me)
For the carnitas, fry the meat on a griddle a little bit after pulling from the slow cooker. You don't need to add any extra oil. Also, buy the polish dogs from the Business Center.
Not sure if anyone else mentioned this but 2% on Costco purchases is just the start of the cash back. If you use a Costco Citi Visa, you get 1% back on EVERYTHING else you purchase ANYWHERE. Plus, all gas purchases give 4% cash back, and all restaurants give 3% cash back. I bank $500-$1000 every year just by using that card for everything.
I also use the Costco Citi Visa, but limit it to Costco purchases, I always get gas at Costco, since other cards give me better cashback (2%-5%) on some other categories and I have a card that does 1.5% on everything already. Even with only Costco Purchases and without counting the Executive membership, I get about $200 each year from the Costco Citi visa. I really like the deal on Gas, Costco is normally the lowest price in my area and just the price difference saves me 2-3 dollars each tank, add to that the 4% cash back and it's a no brainer for me.
You might save a bit of money making your own shrimp cocktail sauce. All it takes is some ketchup, horseradish, worcestershire sauce, lemon and tabasco. My father only used ketchup and horseradish, and it was fine. I usually add only worcestershire sauce and leave out the lemon and tabasco. One advantage of making one's own sauce is that it can easily be customized.
The farmed atlantic salmon is one of the last foods I would ever eat.I used to work in that industry and so many questionable things happen between when they are hatched until they are put on a stores shelf.On more then one occasion I have seen salmon that was covered in diesel fuel be processed and shipped out and seen some that was so stressed out they were slowly dying and smelled like roadkill.
Any seafood ‘farmed’, eat their own, you-know-what. Over crowded pools. No no no! Chickens are raised the same way. Over crowded … that’s the cheap chicken you find in the ‘broasted’ heated, plastic containers. That plastic is toxic too. Just saying.
I worked for a company called Price Club that was eventually merged with Costco. The food court is directed to do its best to break even. As a manager of the food court I got their early in the morning and actually had to shop for all my groceries for the day. All the "departments" were normally the same way. They were there to help bring customers in. Not sure what happened with the meat department. At Price Club, I would have sworn they were suppose to be the same way. The pricing was supposed to be a "just get buy" on cost to help bring people in. Love your video by the way! We buy the pork loin and now I'm encouraged to slice it up rather than buy the precut. I will say this... I know that some of the package deals aren't too great of a deal but we have a few just to use as simple time savers when are week gets a bit out of hand and they make an easy fix for dinner. Your ship cocktail save $3, and there are some nights that $3 is worth it.
I miss price club lol. Costco is way too big rn and I'm worried about their waste. And the fact they still make employees pay for food instead of taking from the excess isnt ok for me. But all that's a much bigger issue across the entire retail sector.
First of all , I love your channel! I’ve done a lot of Costco butts and what I’ve found is that the yield is about 50%, so $5 per pound. The executive membership rocks, it has always paid for us.
@@brianwidner9832 in Minnesota, boneless plenty of fat, typically two butts at 14lb package weight and I pull it so it’s pretty lean and take the drippings out of the foil less the fat and put it back in the pork
3 bucks for the convenience of a premade shrimp cocktail is pretty good, actually. I like the other tips, but it made me want to go with the more expensive option on this one. I make it with frozen, raw shrimp and mix my own cocktail sauce. I bet that costs even less (but takes more time).
@@HappyNanny10 There is wild shrimp in the frozen section, and there is also often wild shrimp in the refrigerated seafood area next to the wild salmon, wild other types of fish, and wild crab.
Don’t forget the cost of the pellets, the weight loss during cooking and not everyone has the luxury of a backyard to house the smoker. But most of your points are spot on!
Brad, these are SUPER helpful tips. Thank you! I too am a Costco fan, but even moreso, I love saving money! THanks for all these tips! I love that you are a "crazy person". :) Thank you for all you do on your channel! PS - a worker told me that if you buy the executive membership and don't get your rebate check to pay for your membership, they'll refund you the extra $60.
Your information is so spot on. I learned from my parents when l was younger to NEVER buy deli meat such as turkey, chicken, beef, etc. I was taught to buy turkey and chicken breasts to make your own deli meat at home; same with beef. When you do this, you control how much and types of seasonings go into what you prepare without the harmful artificial ingredients that most cannot pronounce let alone know what their chemical makeup is if you read the label on them in the store. My parents had a vacuum sealer they used after preparation and cooking these deli meats, they would portion in 1/2 or 1 lb packages and freeze. I have always preferred to make my own deli style meat because of the above mentioned reasons. It gives a much welcomed sense of security knowing that you are responsible regarding what you and your family and friends eat when you dine together.
Agreed, well... except for his "carnitas tip". Carnitas are supposed to be slowly braised in LARD until dark brown on the outside and still tender inside.
I know those carnitas just had salt and garlic powder but most authentic recipes would include citrus (oranges usually) and a pepper (guajillo is popular around me) as well. Accent or MSG can be added too. And while I don't do this at home, the restuarants around me always confit the pork butt in lard rather than slow cook with stock/water. More browning, more flavor.
The frozen shrimp, from anyone, might want to be avoided. Most of it nowadays comes from India, China, etc. Their standards can be suspect. Gulf or US wild caught only, for me.
@@CleeinMontana Despite the propaganda, farm raised Atlantic Salmon is safe, nutritious and no less healthy than wild caught. In fact, there is a reason that the Japanese never had anything like salmon sushi that wasn't cooked until Atlantic farmed salmon was introduced. Wild salmon must be fully cooked as it may contain parasites, which farmed salmon doesn't.
Love your videos. Saw you on Dr Baker’s channel. As a grocery store prep employee, all the store bag/box/bin items are used for the container items. So whatever is already in the store. These items are known as grab n gos. 30/40 percent higher for convenience unless they are created to “move” the offered item from overstock or near date. I will never buy convent items for family especially meat. Thanks for your videos. 🥩❤️
I have that meat slicer you showed and I use it all the time. I bought it for making Philly cheese steaks but then I started slicing lunch meat and even bacon. I would stick with soft stuff though because the blade is still made of Chinese steel.
Great video, I'll be checking out more of them. Things I don't buy at Costco, cooked chickens since getting some that are way undercooked and not edible, also any farm raised fish or shrimp. You can get wild caught salmon and in my opinion so much better. keep the videos coming. Thanks!
I don't buy precut steaks anymore. As you say, there are substantial savings per pound. However, there is also a big savings because I can control the portion of everything. No more extra steak going to waste (they put 3-4 per package, and I only need 2 per meal), no more extra shrimp going bad if it doesn't all get eaten quickly enough. In fact, I discovered the US Chefs Store, and they have primals for a lot less than costco. I particularly like to buy ribeye primal select grade because ribeye is fatty and IMHO doesn't need to be choice or prime, and in select grade it is less than $10/lb.
Some of your Costco prices were higher than my Market Basket prices for apparently identical foods. I appreciate your warning about the blade tenderizing!
you make some pretty good valid points, when i go to Costco i usually know the pricing of products that i can get at other stores and i find that Costco is not really cheaper on the same items i can buy elsewhere, sometimes its even more expensive on items like milk, cream and eggs. And on the issue of the precooked meats like the smoked pulled pork, your argument would be somewhat valid if everybody had easy access to a smoker, for example, out of the 8 million + people in New York City how many do you think would have the space to put such a unit, and second a lot of these types of items are designed for people who dont really enjoy or know how to cook or don't have the time to make it. I have friends who hate cooking and basically live off of these so called "Ready Meals". i once read an article that 50 percent of the populace hates to cook while 15 percent love to cook and the remaining 35 percent are in between about it and it this 85 percentile of the populace that Costco is counting on to buy these meal items. All in All there some good tips here that is for sure. Thanks.
Costco is where I go to buy things when there are no good sales for certain items elsewhere. Even the local grocery store is cheaper when there is a sale on something. But, when I’m out of something that I need right away and there are no sales, Costco here I come. One exception is liquor and meat. Liquor is almost always cheaper at Costco and for beef, a lot of other places raised prices during the pandemic and still to this day have elevated prices. Costco has brought their price back down. Also, during the period when egg prices went through the roof, Costco still kept their egg prices consistent.
For me it's condiments. It takes me like 3 years to use enough of, for example, sweet chili sauce from Costco and it takes up too much fridge space. Usually, most of it gets thrown out. I prefer fresher sauce that takes up less room. So while I pay "more" I'm actually paying less because it's actually getting used. I also don't buy steaks and stuff because of the tenderizer.
the $1.50 dog/ soda deal... yes the very best deal around. i remember paying that in the late '80's when their "food court" was a dog vendor outside the store. the only down side over the years is that they went from the kosher brand of all beef dogs to the kirkland brand (the blame was on nitrates, but that's what makes a great dog!!!), also, for the canadian fans, they went from a beef gravy for the poutine to a veg gravy for very dubious reasons. we tried it one time, and haven't had it since.
Steelhead is actually a sea-run trout. It's a lot fishier than salmon, so might not be for everybody. The wild-caught Pacific salmon is excellent. The difference is obvious just from the much darker color. It's also meatier, firmer and not terribly expensive in season. It has been previously frozen I believe (it mostly comes from Alaskan or Canadian waters), but it's as good as our fresh-caught local Coho and Silver salmon IMHO).
Most people aren't going to differentiate between Coho and Silver salmon... they're commonly treated as interchangeable names, especially in the context of a price sticker in the store, or telling your buddy how many fish you caught... in the same way some people call a Chinook a 'King' salmon. Steelhead taste like Rainbow trout, because a Rainbow trout that decides to swim to the ocean for a few years is called a Steelhead. Nobody knows why some are anadromous and some decide to just live in the river, since they genetically identical. Obviously, a trout in a lake cannot swim to the ocean. I personally prefer salmon, to trout, but trout can also be delicious, if cooked right.
@@hxhdfjifzirstc894 For me stealhead is just a bit fattier and tender which I really like. Is it fattier... or I don't know if that's the right term, it's just more succulent. Though I have always loved trout growing up, and living in Oregon, I have had a lot of different Salmon.
@@hxhdfjifzirstc894 - Not just the ocean. Also for Great Lakes rainbow trout, as well. They take on the same characteristics, are called Steelhead, and apparently are pretty much identical. Obviously there are probably some differences between ones that live in saltwater vs freshwater, but they're not readily apparent.
I tried the hot dogs at home and they just didnt taste the same. Part of the experience of shopping at Costco is getting that hot dog on the way out. It's like a reward for spending over 500 dollars.
Their hot dogs in Canada give me indigestion. Hit my stomach like a brick. We have a neat company here called Halendas. Their hot dogs beat Costco hands down. All beef … really good. Won awards here.
Case in point on the hot dogs, if you were a fan of the Polish Sausage. They do still carry it in the cooler section for the same price as the hotdogs.
I used to buy the Polish sausages from the fridge section in my Costco all the time... The problem is they stopped carrying them in my Costco for some reason. 😭
@@cloverlief I believe you that they are still carried at _your_ Costco, but _my_ Costco hasn't carried them for years. I don't know why, and I check every time I go in, but the fact remains that my Costco no longer carries Polish sausages. I know my sister's Costco carries them, but that's like an hour away at best.
Great info. I disagree on the savings on the pulled pork though, NOT $2.49 per pound when you figure Fourteen Hours worth of Pellets in the Traeger (and electric usage). Those pellets are expensive, even when you buy the 40-pound bag, as I do.
As a former costco deli employee i just wanted to make a correction at 5:50, Costco does not weigh the lemons or the sauce in the total weight of the shrimps, they only charge you for the shrimp and it can vary on price just dependent on how many shrimps fit. One thing I will say though is that the food prepared in the delis typically has poor sanitation quality. We mix everything by hand, so trust me if you've eaten the pasta,mashed potatoes, quinoa you've probably eaten a good bit of arm hairs/skin etc pretty gross. Ted talk over
Regarding your "correction" at 5:50: Please note that the shrimp platter was purchased for $14.02, weighing 1.54 lb. When the components were weighed separately, the shrimp weighed 20 ounces (1.25 lb). The sum of individual weights obtained for the contents of the platter approximated the weight on the package charged at $8.99 per pound. Costco definitely charged $8.99 per pound for both the sauce and the lemon 🍋, and provided 20 oz. shrimp, effectively costing $11.20/lb. instead of perceived $8.99/lb. Marketing!
The smoked pulled pork example is both true and not true - sure, you can save money by doing it yourself, but for most people who might only get it once or twice a year, or even once a month? You'd lose money. How so? Well you'd have to buy a smoker first. Cheapest one I saw in a 20 second google search was $92 at Home Depot. Then the cost goes up from there to $400-500 then a $1000. All to save a couple dollars a pound on something you might eat a few pounds a year. The other humorous example was the turkey. "You can just get your own slicer..." Lol. I mean they are cheaper than a smoker but I have enough stuff in my kitchen - where do I even put it? Clearly, some things are longer term investments that will pay big dividends in the long run.
I cheat with the pulled pork - I just make it in the slow cooker and add smoked flavor out of a bottle (or do pulled pork with other flavor profiles, like BBQ). Carnitas are super easy in a slow cooker too. I'll pay extra to buy pre-cut pork chops because it's a tradeoff for my time (I don't want to deal with cutting them up myself). Obviously any pre-cooked/prepared/meal in a tray is more expensive than the ingregients, and you are paying for convenience. Funny thing about the pre-sliced turkey: this past weekend it was on sale, and the price was too good to pass up. Normally we skip turkey altogether and go for the half ham, that we then slice ourselves. And yes, we get enough money back just from the Costco membership that it almost covers the entire cost of executive membership (and that's not even counting the cash back from the credit card).
@@elinat8665 Totally agree on the value of the executive membership. It really pays for itself. Even during the years I don't buy as much from Costco, the rewards bring the annual cost down below the regular membership price.
We have a huge family. Mom, dad, grandparents and two kids. We easily buy enough at Costco to make the executive membership and enjoy the big check! Honestly we’d shop at Costco without the check!
We don't have a Costco near us, but I can offer a tip that probably applies to them from Sam's Club. Those big beef 1/4 pound beef hotdogs come in the smaller packages, but if you ask at the food court counter where you buy the $1.50 hot dog, if they have the case quantity, you cut the price per 1/4 pound dog even lower. Sam's also sells the same potato bun up front at the food court counter, but it's not listed, you have to ask. Great if you are having a party and you just vac pack and freeze remainder for later (yes the buns also freeze, but no vac pack for them). At Sams the dogs come more to the big box than the buns do for some reason, so it's not a one to one ratio. Worth asking about at the front food counter.
go ahead and vac seal your bread! just freeze it 1st _then_ vac seal. every time i go into the city or the best local bakeries i always load up. i keep a little more than a dozen baguettes & italian loaves in the chest freezer at all times. thaw em (break the vacuum 1st or they 'implode'!) & give em 5 mins in a hot oven. like ya just got it fresh at the bakery! even better cuz its warm!
Info on the salmon debate.. I was worried about 'farmed salmon' as well, then did some research and came across the following.. The Atlantic Salmon that is farm raised in Norway is good to go. Norway has the strictest farming laws when it comes to salmon (they're kept in the ocean fjords rather than in pens at a 97.5% ocean to 2.5% salmon ratio). The Steelhead is farmed in Chile, which has some of the worst farming practices around (antibiotics and hormones because they have crowded pens).. Costco in my area (PNW) doesn't even sell the Chilean stuff anymore (that I've seen). Edit: if you pause the video on each of the salmon packages, you can see at the top of the description where it's farmed.
@@hxhdfjifzirstc894 100% true. All you can do is collate the data in your head and do what you feel makes the most sense for you. At $11.99/lb, it's pretty much a staple for me. It's farmed, but it's consistent in it's fat content which can't always be said for wild caught.
Most of the farm raised salmon are fed chemicals to turn the meat that color. I shop at the Costco in Hillsboro and you are right, I haven't seen the Chilean stuff there in a while.
@@MC.4 Haha nice. Im just across the river. You guys get American Waygu yet? They had it this past weekend in Vanc.. $9.99/lb for chuck roast is a steal imo.. especially if you have a sous vide
Dude, if you make your own cocktail sauce, incredibly easy, the cost of your shrimp cocktail goes down even more, and tastes better! Same with tarter sauce. And, since you can make the batch as large or small as you need. Better and fresher sauce (IMHO) with less waste.
Cocktail sauce is so easy to make and it is super good. Enough for a party try will.cost about 6.00 the horseradish is most pricey but I grow my own and grind it soooooooo folks if u like to eat start fixing ur own stuff that is just the extra little things that can save u alot Happy eating😊
You saved $3 on the shrimp cokctail, buying the cocktail sauce and lemen separately likely means you would have to go to a different store. Spending an $3 is definitely worth it to me in time and gas to avoid a trip to another store.
Frozen seafood had a “stinky” taste and is terrible..! Raw shrimp; fish; crab ...etc cooked tastes so much better than its frozen counterpart... Don’t know why people can’t taste the difference...
@@oskarngo9138 Unless you're buying from a fisherman directly on the coast, I can almost guarantee you that any "raw" seafood you have purchased was once frozen. They freeze them on the boat, ship them to the store, and the store thaws them and sells them. And regarding crab, the only way you can buy crab is either alive or precooked, "raw" isn't an option.
@@tanman999 Wrong! In Asian grocery stores; they do sell “Raw” crab... or crab pieces (legs) that is Not pre-frozen ... Packed Frozen-Cooked Shrimp does Not taste anywhere near as good as “Raw” shrimp that is freshly cooked... ...nor does any frozen food taste as good as its “Raw” food counterpart that is freshly cooked... In NorCal you can buy “live” fish; crabs, shrimp, clams (geoducks); seafood in many Asian grocery stores (such as 99Ranch/MarinaFoods/etc...)....and from many restaurant tanks... If you can’t taste the difference...You obviously have damaged taste-buds...
The guy "From Alaska" obviously wasn't. Salmon farming is outlawed in Alaska, has been for years. The Pink salmon he was referring to is wild caught but can be hatchery raised and released into the wild to feed in the open ocean then be harvested when they return to spawn. Pinks have a less pronounced salmon flavor and are more delicate but still firmer than the couch potato Atlantic's that swim only in a net pen about 75 feet by 75 feet square with several thousand other fish in protected waters, not the open North Pacific where wild fish roam. The farmed fish Costco has can be sourced from Canada, Lower 48, Norway, South America but never from Alaska. And one thing to consider about farmed salmon is that it has a really light grey color to it until they either add food coloring to the feed or use expensive brine shrimp for that color. In many places it will read color added on the label. Try the wild salmon and farmed side by side if you want to know the true flavor and texture of salmon.
OMG! You food tease! LOL! My mouth was watering throughout this whole video! MMMM! Shrimp cocktail! So many great tips! Thank you! I'm saving this for reference! 😀
@@hxhdfjifzirstc894 yeah Costco uses a local supplier, and they add TopTier additives to their gas. It's what my car's manufacturer and my mechanic suggests I use.
@@1monagale You can't be serious, with the 'lines' thing... how many hours does it take to charge? A lot &($%#(&*#( longer than waiting 5 minutes IN LINE at a gas station. PLEASE, LOLOLOL.
Having the Costco credit card (citi bank) really helps accumulate points. I buy that frozen salmon at $38 a bag here in Hawaii. I buy 3 to 4 bags a month. Geez….ugh. I never added it up before. But now that I’m armed with info that’ll save me $$ in that area, I can buy more wine 😁
Thanks so much for the informative video! Have not been to Costco for many. many years, ever since our two children were still at home. They now are responsible adults, with their own families. So, now it is just my wife and I at home and as a rule I always prepare dinner. We live in the extreme southeastern corner of Pa., and we can be in Delaware and New Jersey in about ten minutes. Also, we are only about an hour away from Lancaster County, Pa., which might have the largest population of Amish in the country. There is a large farm market, about twenty minutes away from us that is opened on Fridays and Saturdays. The majority of the merchants there are Amish. They sell food products, baked goods, and furniture. We buy our meats, fresh produce, baked goods, and other items there. Luckily, there is a great meat store there that sells fresh meats. Basically, anything that you would want, beef (all cuts), pork, bacon, sausages, kielbasa, marrow bones, etc. We usually buy enough meat products for the month, come home, package and freeze it. Then, get what fresh produce, we might need. Now, the big downfall is their baked goods, which are to die for. You can walk through the tons of selections, and put 10 lbs. on, just looking at them...rotflmao! Then, they have a section of cooked foods, already prepared. Things like racks of ribs, chicken wings, mashed or roasted potatoes, whole roasted chickens, etc. We sometimes buy their pot roast along with extra gravy for hot beef sandwiches at home, on top of their homemade white bread. Probably, one of my favorites. I imagined we are blessed in a way to have access to their products at such a close distance. At this point in our lives, it works out great for two old timers. Thanks again for the video and info. of Costco, a place we have not been to in ages. Keep up the great work !!
That Columbus turkey is literally the worst sliced meat I have ever eaten, and that's saying something. It's actually impressive how despite looking and 'feeling' like it'd be some normal roasted turkey it tastes like flavorless plastic except slightly more chewable. Seriously, if you ever try it, try it next to literally any other sliced meat, doesn't matter if it's ham, roast beef, or just some OTHER brand of turkey. That stuff is a big BIG no from me too.
Sorry, buy they don't dye the fish to look pink. 'they'... (who is they anyway?) do select feed rich in beta-carotene that will enhance the natural red pigments.@@vickigonya9432
I LOVE steelhead trout at Costco! The fact that they keep the skin on (when air-fried is a guilty pleasure of mine) is a huge plus. And it costs less than the salmon!
Crock pot is a cheap convenience item, can get one for the cost of a big pot or just use use a big pot on a low heat instead. The rest absolutely agree, smoker and slicers are speciality items that not everyone can afford let alone fit. This guys kitchen/set is bigger than my entire home.
Hi! My husband and I love your channel and are learning a LOT! Would you mind comparing the meat quality between Costco and the Chef Store? Which has better prices? I do know the big uncut pieces at Costco are limited, and from what I've seen from your video on the Chef Store, they don't have that issue, lol. Is it worth a 2-hour drive to the Chef Store? Thanks for all you do!
I really like your channel. These days we really need to find ways to save and eat well. This is especially since the cough years people started to learn to be more self reliant.
Great tips. I would add one more thing not to buy. Don't buy cut ribeye steaks. My Costco trims the caps off and sells them separately. The caps are the best part!
I have recently changed my shrimp cocktail to imitation crab cocktail! It’s cheaper and game changer if you love shrimp cocktail. I absolutely love shrimp cocktail and this is my new go to.
*#1!!* Been telling everyone everywhere for years (including people _in the store)_ to avoid pre-cut steaks until the company wises up! its _shameful_ costco demands you either eat an expensive, prime grade steak well done _OR_ you die.* _*drama added for effect_ *DO BETTER COSTCO! HARD PASS!*
Just want to point something out about the membership fee: I also have the Exec card ($120/yr), and so I thought, "OK, it takes $6K/yr for this to be worth it vs the regular card". Wrong. It actually only takes spending about $3K/yr, or about $250/mo. Then you will get a check back for $60, which will pay for half your $120 membership fee. You should get the Exec card if you spend at least $3K/yr at Costco, it's cheaper that way.
@@Pandizil if your executive check is anything over $60 you are saving. I usually Make money with my membership. Pay the $120 fee~ and I get nearly $150 Back after fee is paid. Same with Citi card~ best card for sure!
I was not aware of the blade tenderizing. Never noticed it. I see ribeye, my mind goes blank. I just watched your "cut your own ribeyes", so I will try that for sure. Some of the other items I don't purchase but I can see why people might choose to pay more for convenience. Cooking pork for 6-10 hours??? Nah, I can stay at work and make more money than what you "saved". It's just personal preference. You enjoy cooking, some people don't or are intimidated. That said, I'm really liking your vids. I learn something every time.
Costco is my happy place. I bought one of those turkey breasts based on your last video, as the flavor was better than any lunch meat I've ever purchased, so thanks for that. I also bought one of the hams, but I haven't crunched the numbers yet on that.
I wish I could feel happy about Costco. I love it, but lately it's so crowded it's not a pleasant experience. I guess I'm going at the wrong time of day.
After watching earlier videos about saving money buying primal cuts and butchering them, learning that Costco blade tenderizes all their cut meats really drove home the need to start doing it myself! That's just crazy and senseless... I like my ribeye medium rare, maybe medium, but never medium well or further. Not to pick a nit, but Steelhead is NOT salmon, it's trout. They have similar looks and even flavors and nutritional value (both heavy in Omega 3), but the trout has a far milder taste than the salmon. For me, that's great, because i find the strong flavor of salmon a bit off-putting anyway. My problem with the Costco hotdogs is that the food court is by the exit, and by the time I get there, I usually have a huge basket filled with cold and frozen stuff, so I rarely stop.
Thanks for the pork loin tip. I love boneless chops cooked on the stove and in the pressure cooker. I like different thicknesses and I love to put seasoning on the chops and vacuum seal them. And I spent enough in one year to get almost my whole membership paid for. Executive is the way to go. I’m freaking single. Me alone. And still spent a ton. Every time. Too much great stuff. Like their shrimp. And quinoa salad aka tabouleh. Looking at getting solar which will instantly be my membership.
One point about raw pork butt. You need to calculate the per pound cost after cooking it. It isn’t uncommon to lose 50% of the weight once its done. But even so the freshly smoked pork will blow away the prepackaged
Local grocery stores routinely have pork butt.99/lb. Farm raised salmon and shrimp are the same as eating an ear of corn. I bought a side of beef cut the way I wanted grass fed no less, 5.49/lb. I don't remember the last time I bought meat, a lot less than your $6k purchases to save $160.
You want to save money? Don’t let retailers of any form manipulated your buying behavior - just buy what you actually need when you need it, and very selectively buy gifts and treats. It is amazing how much you save!
About a year ago I started smoking pork shoulder roasts. Agree it is super forgiving and the results are always amazing. Mostly we use it like carnitas in tacos- 5 mins on the griddle to warm it up and give it some texture. I will have to try your other suggestions.
I remember buying Steelhead one time, which is what I normally buy, and having some other shopper go on and on about how the steelhead was junk and the farmed Atlantic was so much better. I've tried both many times and I really can't tell the difference. Maybe I have an unrefined palate, but I enjoy both about the same.
Eat whatever you like. Steelhead is trout. Ever had Rainbow trout? Same fish (they literally have the exact same DNA, but get renamed as 'Steelhead' once they go to the ocean). Atlantic salmon is salmon. But they're all part of the same family, taxonomically. You have to treat the names as if they're arbitrary, and go with what you enjoy. I'll be damned if some other customer tells me what to eat. Personally, I like Chinook salmon the best, but it's usually too expensive to buy.
Thank you for breaking down the costs. Just suggest you show the percentages in addition dollar amounts. The percentage is far more important. I’m not with you on the salmon. I will not eat farm raised fish of any kind, not even in restaurants. Thank you for the information on the blade tenderizing. I never knew about that. Also great advice on purchasing the tenderloin and cutting our own steaks. Great video.
I think you are overplaying the issue with blade tenderized meat, and the dangers have been really over exaggerated. If you have been to any decent steakhouse you have likely had blade tenderized meat cause they are Jaccarding the meat in the back, and I've been using a Jaccard in my own kitchen for 20 years to blade tenderize at home and never had an issue with cooking to med-rare.. Ground beef has the same issue, and millions of med-rare burgers go out of kitchens in the US every day.
Poking holes in one or two steaks at home is vastly different than a meat processing plant where thousands of cows are processed daily. The chances of contamination of 1 steak vs a few thousand...
I assure you no decent restaurant, let alone a steak house will ever poke holes in it because it significantly reduces the shelf life of the steak. Don't guess if you aren't a chef...
@@afraidcomet I’m not guessing. Worked in high end steakhouses where they do this. Thats where I first learned about Jaccards. And I have friends who have worked as chefs in famous steak houses in downtown Chicago. I can assure you they do this.
Just discovered your channel! Having a video production company for Mona’s Granola and Regis University, I notice the details. I love your style and information! Hello from your new fan 🎉
I smoke a lot of meat, but that smoked pulled pork is really good and convenient. My favorite thing is that is not sold soaked in BBQ sauce, so you can hse it for all sorts of dishes. 100x better than the precooked pulled pork you usally find at grocery stores (and at least half the price too).
We don't have a Costco near us (yet), but we do have Sam's Club and many prices and products are similar. Two things we always get are, yes, the hot dog combo for $1.38 and a 4lb rotisserie chicken for $4.98. You can't buy a raw chicken for that price. I asked them how many they sell each day. 600! And this is in Ocala Florida.
Don't buy farmed salmon period, regardless of species. Costco usually has wild caught salmon filets which are cheaper than the frozen ones if you are going to eat it quickly.
Totally make my own cocktail sauce. Super easy! Ketchup and horseradish, you control the spice. Mix it up and done. Refrigerate it for a little bit to marry the flavors.
Thank-you for your warnings on blade tenderizing. As a retired FDA Investigator, who spent a career following up on ford borne illnesses, I appreciate anyone who warns people in easy-to-understand language about the dangers of this type of tenderizing. Needle tenderizing is just as dangerous.
spelling error in autocorrect: ford borne -> food borne
But they are still in Business flourishing, and where is the class action suit?. Maybe they just just promote that so they can say they have the most tender steaks?
Can someone from Costco confirm this blade tenderize technique ir will you tell me that this is happening at the meat processing plant? 😅😅😅
@@abelardopascual6564 Honestly, who give a #(*? Have you ever had food poisoning from beef, in your life? Me neither. Under-cooked PORK is your problem... or food that has been left in the danger zone for too long. Stop obsessing about Anthony Fauci's internet Costco conspiracies. JFC!
Does inserting a temperature probe before cooking carry a similar risk?
So I’ve worked at Costco for 30+ years. When I seen your channel and the caption, I immediately got defensive. 😂
I said to myself, self~ let’s see what this man has to say so I can put him in his place. I was pleasantly surprised Sir. Very much on it! Although the bit about us tenderizing the steaks…..if you only knew the amount of testing Costco does on top of the USDA’s guidelines. And….the cleaning the fresh foods dept”s have to do…..it’s insane!! I work up front and very happy 😊 thank you for all the lov you show our company! I’m hitting that subscribe button! All my best to you.
Are you the poster child of crappy products equals happy consumers?
@@taylorthetunafish5737Gee if only your comment made any kind of sense.
@@taylorthetunafish5737 you need therapy ~ try a self improvement channel. 😘
Re: meat department cleanliness and testing.
No matter how well the meat department appears clean there is still bacteria on all surfaces.
The longer a product is around especially in the temperature danger zone the more bacteria will grow, and at exponential rates.
This means that Costco can test every piece of meat after it us tenderized and have it come back safe, but in as little as 4 hours it could be unsafe (not usually in the store).
Imagine that the meat is at room temp at Costco for 2 hours. When sold it is safe. The customer drives home and places the steak in the fridge in an hour. The next day the steak is taken out of the fridge and put on the counter for an hour to bring it to room temp.
90+% of the time the steak is still safe, but these tenderized steaks allow extra bacteria to grow. Now it's not safe. Remember my example doesn't include the time the beef is held at room temp during prior processing.
I'd say that most of Costco's meat is still safe when eaten, but ask yourself why exactly is Costco tenderizing all of their steaks?
I understand tenderizing the "fake" steaks like petite sirloin and cube steak. But if the sirloin steak, Flat Iron, Skirt, NY Strip, Rib Eye, and Filet Mignon need tenderizing it brings questions about quality of these best cuts if steaks.
Trader Joe's has great wild caught salmon.
Sorry a ton, but I used to work for Costco. I can tell you exactly why people buy the things you're warning against buying ... Because they are EASY. They are DONE. There's no work involved. You just get the thing, and dinner's ready. Yes, the shrimp tip is good (and yes, I buy it that way, myself, when I buy shrimp), and yes, your recipe for pulled pork looks tasty, but in general, Costco members want the thing, and they want it fast, and they want it NOW. They're not going to take the time to slice a turkey for themselves just because it's cheaper.
You have described me exactly!😂
What losers, can’t move off heir butt or their moms never taught how to light a stove😂
Well yeah but imagine his audience. He makes tutorials for how to butcher meat. His audience is most likely people who want to learn and are interested in buying primal cuts of meat or people who just find him interesting. This video makes sense if you think about who his content is catered towards.
I'm on the carnivore diet so I won't buy prepackaged meat with Maltodextrin and preservatives! Also, the bun and coke are a no-no! So for some of us, this is informative!
Some people need to be really careful of sodium. So let's talk about the pre-cut turkey that has over 400 mg of sodium, salmon that is farm-raised and what do they feed arm raised fish poop. Their feed is crap... I'd rather go to a fish market get what I need that is fresh cook it that day since it's only myself I don't need a lot. I go there for water and that's about it. If I can find some free-range eggs I'll get that but they got to be free ranged. And if they're not then I go to the health food store. I ate 96% mean beef or 98% lean beef
Thank you for talking about blade tenderizing. It is such a shame that Costco does this, especially to prime cuts of meat that are tender already.
I've been cooking for VBS at my church for almost a decade. I run the kitchen and do all the meal planning. I'm always looking for the best deal on meat, so I've gone thru a lot of generic hot dogs thru the years mostly free from our local food bank. I couldn't get hot dogs this year from the food bank, so I bought the Kirkland beef hot dog. Absolutely raving reviews from both the kids and volunteers. I'm never going back to any other hot dog other than Kirkland's beef hot dog.
I get the dogs are cheap.... however.... they are one of the MOST UNHEALTHY THINGS AMERICANS EAT.....at a church.... this ahould matter more!
lol@@BahbahKaduche
I absolutely agree. “ hot dogs” bought anywhere else are mediocre to gag-worthy but Costco’s brand is actually pretty good. Even the dogs approve.
Im a Costco fan. I like the dogs. I hate to say that my family did a side by side and the sams version is superior if you can get them.
I am a devote of Costco so you are speaking my language. I love cutting my own cuts from large cuts of meat, thanks to people like you on the internet.
I have the executive membership and my daughter as my significant other. I get 2% cash back on what we both spend a year, or about $150. I also have the Costco citi card and use it as my main charge card getting an additional $400-$500 back a year. I use that rebate check at Costco Business Center and buy bulk meat. My husband is a butcher by trade and we go home cut up and package the meat
When you use the Costco City card at Costco do you get 4% back?
@@patriciawhite7489 4% on all stand alone gas stations. 3% back on restaurants and travel. 2% back at Costco and 1 % everywhere else. The cash back is not capped so like Suzy said~ she makes both her executive membership coupled w her Citi Visa = lots of cash back annually depending on your shopping & how you use it.
Yes. You can also go to member services and they will just cut you a check for your rebate. You don't have to spend the money at Costco
@@sociopathmercenary Or they will give you cash...I don't even ask, they just hand me cash.
I get the executive membership as well. Even if you don't spend enough to cover the $120 membership cost, you'll still benefit as long as you get at least $60 in the rebate check because that's the same cost as the regular membership that doesn't earn you any cash back.
Most of the time, I get around a $80 rebate check. So my membership comes out to $40 a year. It's worth it. Also, if I by a big ticket item, I get my membership completely covered.
I find the executive member coupons are also very good and and up saving me even more money
If you have the Costco visa you get 2% back on Costco purchases even at the regular membership level, 4% back on gas.
@@mitchyoung93 Yup - that card netted me $1,200 this past year. Absolutely love it. It's like a month-long free food run at CostCo. Both my kids are bulking for sports, so we go through a TON of meat. The Business CostCo by our house has been a Godsend.
if you like costco that much and blow $400 a month there then I guess saving $20 bucks over a $60 one is worth it. But you are locked into that $120 one each year to justify your savings. In the end the only people that laugh are the shareholders , like me.
@@mikegray5719 holy shit guys, we did it. We found the smartest man on the Internet.
I am a fisherman living in the Pacific Northwest. I only eat salmon and steelhead (Sea-run rainbow trout) that I personally catch. You are correct, the farmed-raised Atlantic salmon are poor quality and not a healthy food to eat--look that part up! The steelhead sold at Costco comes from rainbow trout raised in the Columbia River below Grand Coulee Dam. They live in free flowing pens and are fed a very natural diet. They have plenty of body fat--hence the much better flavor and no need to artificially color the meat. I have caught these trout right next to the pens (escapees). Absolutely delicious! Good job on your reviews with valuable information! Thank you.
Farm raised salmon(fish) have metals.
Try finding shrimp that isn’t farm raised or from Indonesia! So damned frustrating!!
Our Costco here in the pacific northwest will carry Wild Alaska Salmon for $9.99/lbs several times a year. We get that, portion it out for two, vacuum seal it and eat it during the year.
@@mariagriffin3231 Smart!
@@mariagriffin3231 Mine in the Bay Area, CA has it year-round. I buy about 10 large filets per month.
If you love shrimp try the frozen Argentinian Red shrimp at Costco, they taste like a cross between shrimp and lobster, I call them the poor man's lobster, I make steak and shrimp with these.
Yup! If it isn't Argentinian then its Chinese, Vietnamese or Thai!
Yes, they have a sweetness to them almost like lobster.
@@Barneyrubble241 Chilean Dungeness crab is the same!
Much more tender than the precooked shrimp too
And they are wild shrimp and not farmed from Indonesia etc.
Yesterday I spent $200 on grass fed beef and lamb at Aldis for the first time. This morning we had skirt steak and tonight we had ribeyes. Both cooked in iron skillet. Absolutely delicious and satisfying. Thanks for teaching people key ideas for self-sufficiency! Keep it up and stay healthy.
@@bkb04gif it’s grass fed what’s the difference?
I had 5 grills and 2 smokers. Ultimately became a wood fire guy for ribeyes weekly. Then Covid hit and I cut down dramatically, saved thousands by not eating steaks and ribs anymore. Now I only buy 2x a year for a special occasion. Healthier and
No hormones, no antibiotics and much healthier for consumption.
@@patron40silverthat’s a myth bud.
@@patron40silvermeat is the best food. Don't fall for propaganda bs
Your videos are informative and humorous. I like how you break everything down to the penny. I am a numbers person too. Thank you for the video!
The most important point made in this video is how blade tenderizing can drive bacteria that were on the outside of the steak, into the steak. Just about all bacteria on beef is on the surface, where it's easily dealt with. The more I learn about antibiotic-resistant bacteria -- and yes, your steer may have been given veterinary antibiotics, sorry -- the more I become concerned. EXCELLENT POINT. Thank you. On food safety: I will not buy, cook or serve farmed salmon. Ever. Be very careful where it's from, and avoid shallow-water farms. Many fish are raised in their own waste. And just don't ask what chemicals were used to control lice which infest a lot of salmon farms. You may not like the answer.
On the other hand, I've never had food poisoning from eating beef in my entire life. You'd really have to try, to get food poising from beef. It's basically impossible, nowadays.
The most common causes of food poisoning are things like under-cooked pork, refried beans that have been in the 'danger zone' too long (or even worse... reheated after sitting around for the previous day), old pork fried rice (same reason), 7-11 cheesy dogs, etc.
@@hxhdfjifzirstc894 true. I've never actually heard of *anyone* getting sick from blade tenderizing. I think that it just offends people that the meat is 'penetrated' beforehand, 'damaged goods', 'not a virgin'.
I wouldn’t worry about Costco blade tenderized steak. I’ve been cooked their steak to medium rare for 30+ years and never had a problem
I think all farmed fish is just nasty. I'll pass as well.
I use my jaccard to blade tenderize steaks at home, and most steak houses do as well. I think the dangers of blade tenderizing are way overblown. Ground beef would ostensibly have the same issue, and how many millions of med-rare burgers are served daily in this country?
I don't even remember when it was the last time I bought cut meat. I have a grinder, a slicer and I do the larger cuts myself. Through the years, those machines paid for themselves ten times over and I saved thousand of dollars on food. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
I'm sure many people learned a lot from your video.
You must have a huge kitchen to be able to have that equipment! 😮
@@CheapsKate77 Mater of fact, I have a small kitchen but I keep the important tools that I use all the time and saves me money. Things I don't use or don't need, I consider them ornaments an a waste of space. 😊
I have an executive membership with Costco. The only Costco in our state is an hour and a half away.
I go to Costco about once a month. Many of the people I work with would ask me to pick something up for them at Costco as they don’t get there very often due to the distance.
I now send an email to all my coworkers a week in advance to advise them that I’m making a Costco run. I get lists from coworkers of what they want and do their Costco shopping. Everyone offers me gas money for making the Costco runs but I tell them not to bother because I’m getting 2% back on everything they purchase. 😆 They all think it’s a good deal and heck, I was going to Costco anyway, so why not?
You are a very good person hopefully your friends will appreciate your kindness
Do you use an SUV with coolers or insulated grocery bags - at LEAST!
You remind me of an I Love Lucy episode 😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂
I do love my smoker but... It's super easy to do pulled-pork in a slow cooker. Just season the meat, put it in the cooker on a bed of sliced onions along with some broth then let her run on low over night. Easy-peasy lemon squeezy.
I got the basic membership and the gas alone pays for it every year. Average 20 cents cheaper than any other gas station
No it's not. Currently where I'm at, it's 14c cheaper, and that's a good discount.
@@wheatthins57 newsflash... gas is priced differently throughout the country. my last costco fill up was 24 cents cheaper than the cheapest local station.
You need to add about 40% to the price of the raw pork shoulder to make a true price comparison with the carnitas and pulled pork due to cooked weight vs raw meat and remember to consider bone weight for bone-in. I'm almost always a from scratch person but, for certain occasions, saving the time and adding that 40% tips the scale toward precooked.
@@SteveSherman-ij5gm A. don't yuck other people's yum and B. not everyone has the ability to scratch cook everything they want to eat and C. (I don't have anything *nice* to say so I'll let that speak for me)
For the carnitas, fry the meat on a griddle a little bit after pulling from the slow cooker. You don't need to add any extra oil. Also, buy the polish dogs from the Business Center.
or a few minutes under the broiler! best parts!
Amen
Supposed to slow cook in lard for the whole process.
@@CrimsonFlameRTR no need to. Everytime I cook a full pork shoulder in the slow cooker the meat renders out at least 1 cup of pork lard by itself
No that's like the whole thing on carnitas. They're cooked in lard not water or stock.
Not sure if anyone else mentioned this but 2% on Costco purchases is just the start of the cash back. If you use a Costco Citi Visa, you get 1% back on EVERYTHING else you purchase ANYWHERE. Plus, all gas purchases give 4% cash back, and all restaurants give 3% cash back. I bank $500-$1000 every year just by using that card for everything.
I also use the Costco Citi Visa, but limit it to Costco purchases, I always get gas at Costco, since other cards give me better cashback (2%-5%) on some other categories and I have a card that does 1.5% on everything already. Even with only Costco Purchases and without counting the Executive membership, I get about $200 each year from the Costco Citi visa.
I really like the deal on Gas, Costco is normally the lowest price in my area and just the price difference saves me 2-3 dollars each tank, add to that the 4% cash back and it's a no brainer for me.
Excellent video. Information is so important, especially on bladed steaks. Nicely done once again.
You might save a bit of money making your own shrimp cocktail sauce. All it takes is some ketchup, horseradish, worcestershire sauce, lemon and tabasco. My father only used ketchup and horseradish, and it was fine. I usually add only worcestershire sauce and leave out the lemon and tabasco. One advantage of making one's own sauce is that it can easily be customized.
The farmed atlantic salmon is one of the last foods I would ever eat.I used to work in that industry and so many questionable things happen between when they are hatched until they are put on a stores shelf.On more then one occasion I have seen salmon that was covered in diesel fuel be processed and shipped out and seen some that was so stressed out they were slowly dying and smelled like roadkill.
🤢
Agreed. I will spend a couple extra bucks for wild caught.
Sometimes wild caught is less expensive!
I love wild salmon. Spring salmon is sooo good. Natures steriod.
Any seafood ‘farmed’, eat their own, you-know-what. Over crowded pools. No no no! Chickens are raised the same way. Over crowded … that’s the cheap chicken you find in the ‘broasted’ heated, plastic containers. That plastic is toxic too. Just saying.
I worked for a company called Price Club that was eventually merged with Costco. The food court is directed to do its best to break even. As a manager of the food court I got their early in the morning and actually had to shop for all my groceries for the day. All the "departments" were normally the same way. They were there to help bring customers in. Not sure what happened with the meat department. At Price Club, I would have sworn they were suppose to be the same way. The pricing was supposed to be a "just get buy" on cost to help bring people in.
Love your video by the way! We buy the pork loin and now I'm encouraged to slice it up rather than buy the precut.
I will say this... I know that some of the package deals aren't too great of a deal but we have a few just to use as simple time savers when are week gets a bit out of hand and they make an easy fix for dinner. Your ship cocktail save $3, and there are some nights that $3 is worth it.
I miss price club lol. Costco is way too big rn and I'm worried about their waste. And the fact they still make employees pay for food instead of taking from the excess isnt ok for me.
But all that's a much bigger issue across the entire retail sector.
First of all , I love your channel! I’ve done a lot of Costco butts and what I’ve found is that the yield is about 50%, so $5 per pound. The executive membership rocks, it has always paid for us.
thaat seems crazy, at least at the ones in my area they are boneless and extremely well trimmed, are yours different?
@@brianwidner9832 in Minnesota, boneless plenty of fat, typically two butts at 14lb package weight and I pull it so it’s pretty lean and take the drippings out of the foil less the fat and put it back in the pork
3 bucks for the convenience of a premade shrimp cocktail is pretty good, actually. I like the other tips, but it made me want to go with the more expensive option on this one. I make it with frozen, raw shrimp and mix my own cocktail sauce. I bet that costs even less (but takes more time).
When the shrimp is cooked, deveined and frozen, it's not much work to thaw it
I asked the butcher there and all the shrimp is farm raised….nasty, no thanks, not even if it was free!!!
@@HappyNanny10 There is wild shrimp in the frozen section, and there is also often wild shrimp in the refrigerated seafood area next to the wild salmon, wild other types of fish, and wild crab.
Don’t forget the cost of the pellets, the weight loss during cooking and not everyone has the luxury of a backyard to house the smoker. But most of your points are spot on!
Sounds like you need the belly rub@@jonboll-LGM
Brad, these are SUPER helpful tips. Thank you! I too am a Costco fan, but even moreso, I love saving money! THanks for all these tips! I love that you are a "crazy person". :) Thank you for all you do on your channel! PS - a worker told me that if you buy the executive membership and don't get your rebate check to pay for your membership, they'll refund you the extra $60.
This guy is an ignorant. Why you say thank you for you tips?
Thank you for these great tips! We all need help with todays tighter budgets. 🙂👏
Your information is so spot on. I learned from my parents when l was younger to NEVER buy deli meat such as turkey, chicken, beef, etc. I was taught to buy turkey and chicken breasts to make your own deli meat at home; same with beef. When you do this, you control how much and types of seasonings go into what you prepare without the harmful artificial ingredients that most cannot pronounce let alone know what their chemical makeup is if you read the label on them in the store. My parents had a vacuum sealer they used after preparation and cooking these deli meats, they would portion in 1/2 or 1 lb packages and freeze. I have always preferred to make my own deli style meat because of the above mentioned reasons. It gives a much welcomed sense of security knowing that you are responsible regarding what you and your family and friends eat when you dine together.
Agreed, well... except for his "carnitas tip". Carnitas are supposed to be slowly braised in LARD until dark brown on the outside and still tender inside.
Wow, I always buy the cut beef and had never heard of blade tenderized. Thanks for the information.
I know those carnitas just had salt and garlic powder but most authentic recipes would include citrus (oranges usually) and a pepper (guajillo is popular around me) as well. Accent or MSG can be added too.
And while I don't do this at home, the restuarants around me always confit the pork butt in lard rather than slow cook with stock/water. More browning, more flavor.
Lard is great and for carnivores it's good to ensure that for every ounce of protein, you get an ounce of fat.
The frozen shrimp, from anyone, might want to be avoided. Most of it nowadays comes from India, China, etc. Their standards can be suspect. Gulf or US wild caught only, for me.
Only purchase Wild Caught from Costco. It’s so much more healthier.
@@CleeinMontana Despite the propaganda, farm raised Atlantic Salmon is safe, nutritious and no less healthy than wild caught. In fact, there is a reason that the Japanese never had anything like salmon sushi that wasn't cooked until Atlantic farmed salmon was introduced. Wild salmon must be fully cooked as it may contain parasites, which farmed salmon doesn't.
Costco, Walmart, Kroger, target are buy meat from other countries and repack buy from local farmers market and ranchers, let's bring America back.
My Kroger sells local meat
Love your videos. Saw you on Dr Baker’s channel. As a grocery store prep employee, all the store bag/box/bin items are used for the container items. So whatever is already in the store. These items are known as grab n gos. 30/40 percent higher for convenience unless they are created to “move” the offered item from overstock or near date. I will never buy convent items for family especially meat. Thanks for your videos. 🥩❤️
I have that meat slicer you showed and I use it all the time. I bought it for making Philly cheese steaks but then I started slicing lunch meat and even bacon. I would stick with soft stuff though because the blade is still made of Chinese steel.
I had this weird mental picture of someone slicing two by fours on their China blade, and complaining that it wasn't working. MY SANDWICH IS RUINED!
China has best steel in the world now.
China has also already superceded the US Regime in case you didn't know.
BRIC'S BABY ~ 😊
Great video, I'll be checking out more of them. Things I don't buy at Costco, cooked chickens since getting some that are way undercooked and not edible, also any farm raised fish or shrimp. You can get wild caught salmon and in my opinion so much better. keep the videos coming. Thanks!
I don't buy precut steaks anymore. As you say, there are substantial savings per pound. However, there is also a big savings because I can control the portion of everything. No more extra steak going to waste (they put 3-4 per package, and I only need 2 per meal), no more extra shrimp going bad if it doesn't all get eaten quickly enough. In fact, I discovered the US Chefs Store, and they have primals for a lot less than costco. I particularly like to buy ribeye primal select grade because ribeye is fatty and IMHO doesn't need to be choice or prime, and in select grade it is less than $10/lb.
You are a smart man!
Some of your Costco prices were higher than my Market Basket prices for apparently identical foods. I appreciate your warning about the blade tenderizing!
Never knew about blade tenderizing, though the only meat I buy from there is filet mignon.
you make some pretty good valid points, when i go to Costco i usually know the pricing of products that i can get at other stores and i find that Costco is not really cheaper on the same items i can buy elsewhere, sometimes its even more expensive on items like milk, cream and eggs. And on the issue of the precooked meats like the smoked pulled pork, your argument would be somewhat valid if everybody had easy access to a smoker, for example, out of the 8 million + people in New York City how many do you think would have the space to put such a unit, and second a lot of these types of items are designed for people who dont really enjoy or know how to cook or don't have the time to make it. I have friends who hate cooking and basically live off of these so called "Ready Meals". i once read an article that 50 percent of the populace hates to cook while 15 percent love to cook and the remaining 35 percent are in between about it and it this 85 percentile of the populace that Costco is counting on to buy these meal items. All in All there some good tips here that is for sure. Thanks.
Costco is where I go to buy things when there are no good sales for certain items elsewhere. Even the local grocery store is cheaper when there is a sale on something. But, when I’m out of something that I need right away and there are no sales, Costco here I come.
One exception is liquor and meat. Liquor is almost always cheaper at Costco and for beef, a lot of other places raised prices during the pandemic and still to this day have elevated prices. Costco has brought their price back down. Also, during the period when egg prices went through the roof, Costco still kept their egg prices consistent.
For me it's condiments. It takes me like 3 years to use enough of, for example, sweet chili sauce from Costco and it takes up too much fridge space. Usually, most of it gets thrown out.
I prefer fresher sauce that takes up less room. So while I pay "more" I'm actually paying less because it's actually getting used.
I also don't buy steaks and stuff because of the tenderizer.
Ketchup, horseradish, worschiscre lemon is cocktail sauce takes 1 minute to make
the $1.50 dog/ soda deal... yes the very best deal around. i remember paying that in the late '80's when their "food court" was a dog vendor outside the store. the only down side over the years is that they went from the kosher brand of all beef dogs to the kirkland brand (the blame was on nitrates, but that's what makes a great dog!!!), also, for the canadian fans, they went from a beef gravy for the poutine to a veg gravy for very dubious reasons. we tried it one time, and haven't had it since.
The onions are no charge
Never buy farm raised fish
I am learning a lot from you thank you so much and by the way, I love your clean bright, uncluttered kitchen so nice to see.
Steelhead is actually a sea-run trout. It's a lot fishier than salmon, so might not be for everybody. The wild-caught Pacific salmon is excellent. The difference is obvious just from the much darker color. It's also meatier, firmer and not terribly expensive in season. It has been previously frozen I believe (it mostly comes from Alaskan or Canadian waters), but it's as good as our fresh-caught local Coho and Silver salmon IMHO).
Most people aren't going to differentiate between Coho and Silver salmon... they're commonly treated as interchangeable names, especially in the context of a price sticker in the store, or telling your buddy how many fish you caught... in the same way some people call a Chinook a 'King' salmon.
Steelhead taste like Rainbow trout, because a Rainbow trout that decides to swim to the ocean for a few years is called a Steelhead. Nobody knows why some are anadromous and some decide to just live in the river, since they genetically identical. Obviously, a trout in a lake cannot swim to the ocean. I personally prefer salmon, to trout, but trout can also be delicious, if cooked right.
@@hxhdfjifzirstc894 For me stealhead is just a bit fattier and tender which I really like. Is it fattier... or I don't know if that's the right term, it's just more succulent. Though I have always loved trout growing up, and living in Oregon, I have had a lot of different Salmon.
@@hxhdfjifzirstc894 - Not just the ocean. Also for Great Lakes rainbow trout, as well. They take on the same characteristics, are called Steelhead, and apparently are pretty much identical. Obviously there are probably some differences between ones that live in saltwater vs freshwater, but they're not readily apparent.
Do yourselves a favor and steer clear of any farm raised fish especially Salmon. Buy 'wild caught' and eat healthier.
Costco has farmed Steelhead. Not seeing any wild here in San Diego. It has more of a trout flavor than Salmon, but good if you can find wild.
I tried the hot dogs at home and they just didnt taste the same. Part of the experience of shopping at Costco is getting that hot dog on the way out. It's like a reward for spending over 500 dollars.
I find their wieners extremely salty. They're not the same spec as the food court dogs...not in Canada, anyway
Their hot dogs in Canada give me indigestion. Hit my stomach like a brick. We have a neat company here called Halendas. Their hot dogs beat Costco hands down. All beef … really good. Won awards here.
@@ladyluck5248So sad that you can’t get them in the US :-(
@@heythave don’t be sad. You can get so many cool products we can’t get here in stupid Canada.
@@ladyluck5248 Yeah, I have heard of Canadian Trader Joe’s product runners.
Case in point on the hot dogs, if you were a fan of the Polish Sausage.
They do still carry it in the cooler section for the same price as the hotdogs.
I used to buy the Polish sausages from the fridge section in my Costco all the time... The problem is they stopped carrying them in my Costco for some reason. 😭
@@NotAFanOfHandles They do carry them in the big packs at Costco. They are the same price as the hot dogs in the big packs
@@cloverlief I believe you that they are still carried at _your_ Costco, but _my_ Costco hasn't carried them for years. I don't know why, and I check every time I go in, but the fact remains that my Costco no longer carries Polish sausages. I know my sister's Costco carries them, but that's like an hour away at best.
Great info. I disagree on the savings on the pulled pork though, NOT $2.49 per pound when you figure Fourteen Hours worth of Pellets in the Traeger (and electric usage). Those pellets are expensive, even when you buy the 40-pound bag, as I do.
As a former costco deli employee i just wanted to make a correction at 5:50, Costco does not weigh the lemons or the sauce in the total weight of the shrimps, they only charge you for the shrimp and it can vary on price just dependent on how many shrimps fit. One thing I will say though is that the food prepared in the delis typically has poor sanitation quality. We mix everything by hand, so trust me if you've eaten the pasta,mashed potatoes, quinoa you've probably eaten a good bit of arm hairs/skin etc pretty gross. Ted talk over
Regarding your "correction" at 5:50: Please note that the shrimp platter was purchased for $14.02, weighing 1.54 lb. When the components were weighed separately, the shrimp weighed 20 ounces (1.25 lb). The sum of individual weights obtained for the contents of the platter approximated the weight on the package charged at $8.99 per pound. Costco definitely charged $8.99 per pound for both the sauce and the lemon 🍋, and provided 20 oz. shrimp, effectively costing $11.20/lb. instead of perceived $8.99/lb. Marketing!
Excellent video!! I'm not sure which I enjoyed most; your delightful sense of humor or the savings in cash. Thank you!! Ax
This was just a great video overall. Funny parts, informative, and very entertaining!
Farm raised steel head from Costco is the way to go. It's got a ton of oil and works great for slow cooking on a cedar plank with brown sugar.
The smoked pulled pork example is both true and not true - sure, you can save money by doing it yourself, but for most people who might only get it once or twice a year, or even once a month? You'd lose money. How so? Well you'd have to buy a smoker first. Cheapest one I saw in a 20 second google search was $92 at Home Depot. Then the cost goes up from there to $400-500 then a $1000. All to save a couple dollars a pound on something you might eat a few pounds a year.
The other humorous example was the turkey. "You can just get your own slicer..." Lol. I mean they are cheaper than a smoker but I have enough stuff in my kitchen - where do I even put it?
Clearly, some things are longer term investments that will pay big dividends in the long run.
I cheat with the pulled pork - I just make it in the slow cooker and add smoked flavor out of a bottle (or do pulled pork with other flavor profiles, like BBQ). Carnitas are super easy in a slow cooker too. I'll pay extra to buy pre-cut pork chops because it's a tradeoff for my time (I don't want to deal with cutting them up myself).
Obviously any pre-cooked/prepared/meal in a tray is more expensive than the ingregients, and you are paying for convenience.
Funny thing about the pre-sliced turkey: this past weekend it was on sale, and the price was too good to pass up. Normally we skip turkey altogether and go for the half ham, that we then slice ourselves.
And yes, we get enough money back just from the Costco membership that it almost covers the entire cost of executive membership (and that's not even counting the cash back from the credit card).
@@elinat8665 Totally agree on the value of the executive membership. It really pays for itself. Even during the years I don't buy as much from Costco, the rewards bring the annual cost down below the regular membership price.
4:46 😂😭’till it falls apart like your dreams😭😭😂😂
lol a lot of humor thrown into this video. Loved it!
We have a huge family. Mom, dad, grandparents and two kids. We easily buy enough at Costco to make the executive membership and enjoy the big check! Honestly we’d shop at Costco without the check!
We don't have a Costco near us, but I can offer a tip that probably applies to them from Sam's Club. Those big beef 1/4 pound beef hotdogs come in the smaller packages, but if you ask at the food court counter where you buy the $1.50 hot dog, if they have the case quantity, you cut the price per 1/4 pound dog even lower. Sam's also sells the same potato bun up front at the food court counter, but it's not listed, you have to ask. Great if you are having a party and you just vac pack and freeze remainder for later (yes the buns also freeze, but no vac pack for them). At Sams the dogs come more to the big box than the buns do for some reason, so it's not a one to one ratio. Worth asking about at the front food counter.
most breads do well in the freese. no need for it to go moldy on the counter unless you make it fresh then eat it then and there
go ahead and vac seal your bread! just freeze it 1st _then_ vac seal.
every time i go into the city or the best local bakeries i always load up. i keep a little more than a dozen baguettes & italian loaves in the chest freezer at all times.
thaw em (break the vacuum 1st or they 'implode'!) & give em 5 mins in a hot oven. like ya just got it fresh at the bakery! even better cuz its warm!
Info on the salmon debate.. I was worried about 'farmed salmon' as well, then did some research and came across the following.. The Atlantic Salmon that is farm raised in Norway is good to go. Norway has the strictest farming laws when it comes to salmon (they're kept in the ocean fjords rather than in pens at a 97.5% ocean to 2.5% salmon ratio).
The Steelhead is farmed in Chile, which has some of the worst farming practices around (antibiotics and hormones because they have crowded pens).. Costco in my area (PNW) doesn't even sell the Chilean stuff anymore (that I've seen).
Edit: if you pause the video on each of the salmon packages, you can see at the top of the description where it's farmed.
Eh, the entire internet is filled with propaganda at this point.
@@hxhdfjifzirstc894 100% true. All you can do is collate the data in your head and do what you feel makes the most sense for you.
At $11.99/lb, it's pretty much a staple for me. It's farmed, but it's consistent in it's fat content which can't always be said for wild caught.
Most of the farm raised salmon are fed chemicals to turn the meat that color. I shop at the Costco in Hillsboro and you are right, I haven't seen the Chilean stuff there in a while.
@@MC.4 Haha nice. Im just across the river. You guys get American Waygu yet? They had it this past weekend in Vanc.. $9.99/lb for chuck roast is a steal imo.. especially if you have a sous vide
Dude, if you make your own cocktail sauce, incredibly easy, the cost of your shrimp cocktail goes down even more, and tastes better! Same with tarter sauce. And, since you can make the batch as large or small as you need. Better and fresher sauce (IMHO) with less waste.
Cocktail sauce is so easy to make and it is super good. Enough for a party try will.cost about 6.00 the horseradish is most pricey but I grow my own and grind it soooooooo folks if u like to eat start fixing ur own stuff that is just the extra little things that can save u alot
Happy eating😊
You saved $3 on the shrimp cokctail, buying the cocktail sauce and lemen separately likely means you would have to go to a different store. Spending an $3 is definitely worth it to me in time and gas to avoid a trip to another store.
Most people aren't making Costco their only grocery stop.
Frozen seafood had a “stinky” taste and is terrible..!
Raw shrimp; fish; crab ...etc cooked tastes so much better than its frozen counterpart...
Don’t know why people can’t taste the difference...
@@oskarngo9138 Unless you're buying from a fisherman directly on the coast, I can almost guarantee you that any "raw" seafood you have purchased was once frozen. They freeze them on the boat, ship them to the store, and the store thaws them and sells them. And regarding crab, the only way you can buy crab is either alive or precooked, "raw" isn't an option.
@@tanman999
Wrong!
In Asian grocery stores; they do sell “Raw” crab... or crab pieces (legs) that is Not pre-frozen ...
Packed Frozen-Cooked Shrimp does Not taste anywhere near as good as “Raw” shrimp that is freshly cooked...
...nor does any frozen food taste as good as its “Raw” food counterpart that is freshly cooked...
In NorCal you can buy “live” fish; crabs, shrimp, clams (geoducks); seafood in many Asian grocery stores (such as 99Ranch/MarinaFoods/etc...)....and from many restaurant tanks...
If you can’t taste the difference...You obviously have damaged taste-buds...
@@oskarngo9138He might have to rinse the frozen shrimp in hot water with some lemon slices.
Buying gas at Costco makes it easier to get to that total.
I was told that it doesn't work towards your membership, they could be wrong.
@@javiercampos5845 Maybe they changed it and I'm wrong. :)
Gas doesn’t count. Read the instructions.
@@Airpaycheck We haven't had that membership in years. I think back in the day it did count, which is why I said that.
Great video and I really appreciate your perspective regarding the ROI of pre-cut steaks and spending 7 bucks a pound on cocktail sauce
The guy "From Alaska" obviously wasn't. Salmon farming is outlawed in Alaska, has been for years. The Pink salmon he was referring to is wild caught but can be hatchery raised and released into the wild to feed in the open ocean then be harvested when they return to spawn. Pinks have a less pronounced salmon flavor and are more delicate but still firmer than the couch potato Atlantic's that swim only in a net pen about 75 feet by 75 feet square with several thousand other fish in protected waters, not the open North Pacific where wild fish roam. The farmed fish Costco has can be sourced from Canada, Lower 48, Norway, South America but never from Alaska. And one thing to consider about farmed salmon is that it has a really light grey color to it until they either add food coloring to the feed or use expensive brine shrimp for that color. In many places it will read color added on the label. Try the wild salmon and farmed side by side if you want to know the true flavor and texture of salmon.
OMG!
You food tease! LOL!
My mouth was watering throughout this whole video!
MMMM! Shrimp cocktail!
So many great tips!
Thank you!
I'm saving this for reference! 😀
In paying for your Costco membership you forgot the most important thing. The Gas!
The money you save on gasoline easily pays for the membership. It's not low quality gas, either.
@@hxhdfjifzirstc894 yeah Costco uses a local supplier, and they add TopTier additives to their gas. It's what my car's manufacturer and my mechanic suggests I use.
No more gas lines for me, I’ve gone electric ⚡️ 🚗
@@1monagale You can't be serious, with the 'lines' thing... how many hours does it take to charge? A lot &($%#(&*#( longer than waiting 5 minutes IN LINE at a gas station. PLEASE, LOLOLOL.
Only thing I’d say about the pork carnitas. Cubed the meat and sear them and then slow cook. Don’t be afraid to add cumin and a bay leaf.
Having the Costco credit card (citi bank) really helps accumulate points.
I buy that frozen salmon at $38 a bag here in Hawaii. I buy 3 to 4 bags a month. Geez….ugh. I never added it up before.
But now that I’m armed with info that’ll save me $$ in that area, I can buy more wine 😁
Costco has the Best wine selection with great prices!! I would absolutely love that wine buyers job 🫶
Thanks so much for the informative video!
Have not been to Costco for many. many years, ever since our two children were still at home. They now are responsible adults, with their own families.
So, now it is just my wife and I at home and as a rule I always prepare dinner. We live in the extreme southeastern corner of Pa., and we can be in Delaware and New Jersey in about ten minutes. Also, we are only about an hour away from Lancaster County, Pa., which might have the largest population of Amish in the country.
There is a large farm market, about twenty minutes away from us that is opened on Fridays and Saturdays. The majority of the merchants there are Amish. They sell food products, baked goods, and furniture. We buy our meats, fresh produce, baked goods, and other items there. Luckily, there is a great meat store there that sells fresh meats. Basically, anything that you would want, beef (all cuts), pork, bacon, sausages, kielbasa, marrow bones, etc. We usually buy enough meat products for the month, come home, package and freeze it. Then, get what fresh produce, we might need.
Now, the big downfall is their baked goods, which are to die for. You can walk through the tons of selections, and put 10 lbs. on, just looking at them...rotflmao!
Then, they have a section of cooked foods, already prepared. Things like racks of ribs, chicken wings, mashed or roasted potatoes, whole roasted chickens, etc. We sometimes buy their pot roast along with extra gravy for hot beef sandwiches at home, on top of their homemade white bread. Probably, one of my favorites.
I imagined we are blessed in a way to have access to their products at such a close distance.
At this point in our lives, it works out great for two old timers.
Thanks again for the video and info. of Costco, a place we have not been to in ages.
Keep up the great work !!
That Columbus turkey is literally the worst sliced meat I have ever eaten, and that's saying something. It's actually impressive how despite looking and 'feeling' like it'd be some normal roasted turkey it tastes like flavorless plastic except slightly more chewable. Seriously, if you ever try it, try it next to literally any other sliced meat, doesn't matter if it's ham, roast beef, or just some OTHER brand of turkey. That stuff is a big BIG no from me too.
That's unusual, because I've only ever bought one food item from Costco that I thought was disgusting (a fruitcake that was all fruit, no cake).
yup! same goes for kirklands 'premium' sliced ham. *horrible!*
I don't buy farmed fish. Period. They dye the fish meat to look pink.
Agreed. We had to throw it out.
Sorry, buy they don't dye the fish to look pink. 'they'... (who is they anyway?) do select feed rich in beta-carotene that will enhance the natural red pigments.@@vickigonya9432
We never knew about blade tenderizing. Thank you ❤
Thank you for taking the time to do weight price comparison while showing us simple great recipes 🫡
I LOVE steelhead trout at Costco! The fact that they keep the skin on (when air-fried is a guilty pleasure of mine) is a huge plus. And it costs less than the salmon!
BTW, farmed trout CANNOT be steelhead as that means they have run to the ocean & returned to spawn…🤣that CANNOT happen in a fish farm tank.
@@skcazadorwe have steelhead in the Great Lakes, no salt water.
Yes your points are absolutely correct. You can save a lot of money using your tips if you have a crock pot, BBQ, pellet smoker and meat slicer.
Crock pot is a cheap convenience item, can get one for the cost of a big pot or just use use a big pot on a low heat instead.
The rest absolutely agree, smoker and slicers are speciality items that not everyone can afford let alone fit. This guys kitchen/set is bigger than my entire home.
Hi! My husband and I love your channel and are learning a LOT! Would you mind comparing the meat quality between Costco and the Chef Store? Which has better prices? I do know the big uncut pieces at Costco are limited, and from what I've seen from your video on the Chef Store, they don't have that issue, lol. Is it worth a 2-hour drive to the Chef Store? Thanks for all you do!
I really like your channel. These days we really need to find ways to save and eat well. This is especially since the cough years people started to learn to be more self reliant.
Great tips. I would add one more thing not to buy. Don't buy cut ribeye steaks. My Costco trims the caps off and sells them separately. The caps are the best part!
I have recently changed my shrimp cocktail to imitation crab cocktail! It’s cheaper and game changer if you love shrimp cocktail. I absolutely love shrimp cocktail and this is my new go to.
Gross
*#1!!*
Been telling everyone everywhere for years (including people _in the store)_ to avoid pre-cut steaks until the company wises up!
its _shameful_ costco demands you either eat an expensive, prime grade steak well done _OR_ you die.*
_*drama added for effect_
*DO BETTER COSTCO! HARD PASS!*
😂 ok Frank
1st time viewer.
Great video and great pacing
Just want to point something out about the membership fee: I also have the Exec card ($120/yr), and so I thought, "OK, it takes $6K/yr for this to be worth it vs the regular card". Wrong. It actually only takes spending about $3K/yr, or about $250/mo. Then you will get a check back for $60, which will pay for half your $120 membership fee.
You should get the Exec card if you spend at least $3K/yr at Costco, it's cheaper that way.
never thought about it like that, even if you save enough to just pay for it like a normal membership then its still worth it!
@@Pandizil if your executive check is anything over $60 you are saving. I usually Make money with my membership. Pay the $120 fee~ and I get nearly $150 Back after fee is paid. Same with Citi card~ best card for sure!
I was not aware of the blade tenderizing. Never noticed it. I see ribeye, my mind goes blank. I just watched your "cut your own ribeyes", so I will try that for sure. Some of the other items I don't purchase but I can see why people might choose to pay more for convenience. Cooking pork for 6-10 hours??? Nah, I can stay at work and make more money than what you "saved". It's just personal preference. You enjoy cooking, some people don't or are intimidated. That said, I'm really liking your vids. I learn something every time.
Costco in Miami now have a Salmon from Norway.. Very good quality.
Costco is my happy place. I bought one of those turkey breasts based on your last video, as the flavor was better than any lunch meat I've ever purchased, so thanks for that. I also bought one of the hams, but I haven't crunched the numbers yet on that.
I wish I could feel happy about Costco. I love it, but lately it's so crowded it's not a pleasant experience. I guess I'm going at the wrong time of day.
After watching earlier videos about saving money buying primal cuts and butchering them, learning that Costco blade tenderizes all their cut meats really drove home the need to start doing it myself! That's just crazy and senseless... I like my ribeye medium rare, maybe medium, but never medium well or further. Not to pick a nit, but Steelhead is NOT salmon, it's trout. They have similar looks and even flavors and nutritional value (both heavy in Omega 3), but the trout has a far milder taste than the salmon. For me, that's great, because i find the strong flavor of salmon a bit off-putting anyway. My problem with the Costco hotdogs is that the food court is by the exit, and by the time I get there, I usually have a huge basket filled with cold and frozen stuff, so I rarely stop.
We hit the hot dogs before we go in to shop. Stops us from overbuying because we are no longer hungry.
Thanks for the pork loin tip. I love boneless chops cooked on the stove and in the pressure cooker. I like different thicknesses and I love to put seasoning on the chops and vacuum seal them. And I spent enough in one year to get almost my whole membership paid for. Executive is the way to go. I’m freaking single. Me alone. And still spent a ton. Every time. Too much great stuff. Like their shrimp. And quinoa salad aka tabouleh. Looking at getting solar which will instantly be my membership.
One point about raw pork butt. You need to calculate the per pound cost after cooking it. It isn’t uncommon to lose 50% of the weight once its done. But even so the freshly smoked pork will blow away the prepackaged
Seems that is only a consideration if you’re comparing both cooked meats.
@@1monagale he was comparing $2 pound raw vs $7 per pound cooked. That isn’t a fair comparison. The savings aren’t as large as presented
@@steveno7058 Good point, but that still makes it $4 per pound raw, to $7 cooked.
Local grocery stores routinely have pork butt.99/lb. Farm raised salmon and shrimp are the same as eating an ear of corn. I bought a side of beef cut the way I wanted grass fed no less, 5.49/lb. I don't remember the last time I bought meat, a lot less than your $6k purchases to save $160.
You want to save money? Don’t let retailers of any form manipulated your buying behavior - just buy what you actually need when you need it, and very selectively buy gifts and treats. It is amazing how much you save!
About a year ago I started smoking pork shoulder roasts. Agree it is super forgiving and the results are always amazing. Mostly we use it like carnitas in tacos- 5 mins on the griddle to warm it up and give it some texture. I will have to try your other suggestions.
I remember buying Steelhead one time, which is what I normally buy, and having some other shopper go on and on about how the steelhead was junk and the farmed Atlantic was so much better. I've tried both many times and I really can't tell the difference. Maybe I have an unrefined palate, but I enjoy both about the same.
Eat whatever you like. Steelhead is trout. Ever had Rainbow trout? Same fish (they literally have the exact same DNA, but get renamed as 'Steelhead' once they go to the ocean).
Atlantic salmon is salmon. But they're all part of the same family, taxonomically. You have to treat the names as if they're arbitrary, and go with what you enjoy. I'll be damned if some other customer tells me what to eat.
Personally, I like Chinook salmon the best, but it's usually too expensive to buy.
Thank you for breaking down the costs. Just suggest you show the percentages in addition dollar amounts. The percentage is far more important.
I’m not with you on the salmon. I will not eat farm raised fish of any kind, not even in restaurants. Thank you for the information on the blade tenderizing. I never knew about that. Also great advice on purchasing the tenderloin and cutting our own steaks. Great video.
I think you are overplaying the issue with blade tenderized meat, and the dangers have been really over exaggerated. If you have been to any decent steakhouse you have likely had blade tenderized meat cause they are Jaccarding the meat in the back, and I've been using a Jaccard in my own kitchen for 20 years to blade tenderize at home and never had an issue with cooking to med-rare.. Ground beef has the same issue, and millions of med-rare burgers go out of kitchens in the US every day.
Poking holes in one or two steaks at home is vastly different than a meat processing plant where thousands of cows are processed daily. The chances of contamination of 1 steak vs a few thousand...
I assure you no decent restaurant, let alone a steak house will ever poke holes in it because it significantly reduces the shelf life of the steak. Don't guess if you aren't a chef...
@@afraidcomet I’m not guessing. Worked in high end steakhouses where they do this. Thats where I first learned about Jaccards. And I have friends who have worked as chefs in famous steak houses in downtown Chicago. I can assure you they do this.
Love this channel. Super entertaining ❤ thanks for another great video
The #1 thing you don't buy from Costco is Membership. I will never pay a retailer money to shop at their store. It is a stupid thing to do.
Just discovered your channel! Having a video production company for Mona’s Granola and Regis University, I notice the details. I love your style and information! Hello from your new fan 🎉
Both of those farm raised salmon are crap. Spend $2 more a pound for real salmon!
"Just throw the meat in a smoker I have a trager' 😂 I found this line funny as not everyone owns a smoker for their food.
I smoke a lot of meat, but that smoked pulled pork is really good and convenient. My favorite thing is that is not sold soaked in BBQ sauce, so you can hse it for all sorts of dishes. 100x better than the precooked pulled pork you usally find at grocery stores (and at least half the price too).
We don't have a Costco near us (yet), but we do have Sam's Club and many prices and products are similar. Two things we always get are, yes, the hot dog combo for $1.38 and a 4lb rotisserie chicken for $4.98. You can't buy a raw chicken for that price. I asked them how many they sell each day. 600! And this is in Ocala Florida.
Don't buy farmed salmon period, regardless of species. Costco usually has wild caught salmon filets which are cheaper than the frozen ones if you are going to eat it quickly.
Totally make my own cocktail sauce.
Super easy!
Ketchup and horseradish, you control the spice.
Mix it up and done.
Refrigerate it for a little bit to marry the flavors.