Ground chuck was $3.49 lb. at Publix. (Passed on that.) Plain old hamburger (73% lean) was on sale at Winn-Dixie for $2.49 lb. I prefer my ground beef to have some fat in it. That 7% and 12% stuff is dry and tasteless if you're making hamburger patties. Used to be hamburger was a cheap meal because you could stretch it. Well, those days seem to be over.

Tubes of hamburger? Was it frozen?

Monica, WD sells 5 lb. packages of hamburger in tubes like sausage comes in. Or at least they used to. I think that's what Jasdip is talking about.

I've seen the "tubes" at Walmart next to the regularly packaged hamburger. Not frozen.

Hamburger prices seem to be all over the map here from week to week, from store to store; I can no longer keep up and, more often than not, just buy it when I need it regardless of price per pound. I tend to use it mostly for chili, spaghetti sauce, a couple of hot dishes - all of which do stretch for multiple meals.

I have not bought hamburger in a tube for many years, never really cared for it. The last ground chuck I bought was $2.99 a pound.

Sue

I only like the taste of ground chuck. I paid $2.89 lb. yesterday, which was good. A small local shop...had to buy 5 or more pounds, which I always do anyway. Love their meat...they have actual butchers who grind it there!

I've noticed hamburger in my grocery store is quite high, too. Probably the only difference between the tube and the wrapped stuff is that you cannot see through the tube.

The store that I go to in the next town had it for $2.79 a pound, in 4-pound packs, and it was what I prefer...the 85% lean. Don't care for the very lean, as it tends to be so dry.

You are paying for a lot of water in those tubes of Wally World meat. They have the worst meat out there. Yuck.

A pack of 8 frozen cheesburgers at Sam's Club has gone up a $1 the past month.

All burgers at McDonalds have increased in price over the last 2 months.

Meat prices are through the roof here in Boston.
I don't know how families are able to afford to feed their kids. Just awful.
As you get older your tastes change and meat is not a big part of my diet anymore.

I only buy hamburger from this tiny family run grocery a few miles from me. They not only grind their own but it's from beef they've butchered themselves, sometimes from beef they've raised. Their regular ground chuck is $3.49 lb. I get them to trim even more of the fat off before grinding, and it costs me $3.99 lb. I have to call ahead to order it; then go pick it up.

I often use 93/7 ground turkey. If the little store closes, as they've talked of doing, I'll just use more of the turkey.

Shirley

I noticed the higher ground-beef prices, too, last week when I ran into the store for some for spaghetti sauce. I stick to no higher than 85% -- never tasted the difference in the more-expensive types.

Here's what one site is blaming the higher prices on:
Severe drought in places where herds roam, and skyrocketing price of corn, which some ranchers feed the animals.

I tend to reach for more chicken nowadays (breasts or ground chicken) and fish, but I guess it's time to try the ground chicken or turkey in my spaghetti sauce -- or should I say, Barrilla's spaghetti sauce!

This week,
at Wegmans' supermarket
80% lean ground beef(chuck) - $3.49/lb -club pack $1.99/lb

This is the ground meat we can buy in 1 and 2-lb tubes. Not from WalMart at all. All our grocery stores stock beef in tubes as well as in the styrofoam packages and club pack styrofoam trays.

I wonder how old that tubed hamburger is?

Why would it be old Monica???
It's packaged by a beef company and has a best before date on it.

As with all meat products, when it gets close to the best before date they mark them down. I've bought several at half price a while back. I keep looking for more but haven't been lucky.

I buy a bag or two of the premade precooked meatballs. I separate them into zip baggies and freeze then use these Some I mash or smash and use for tacos or for taco salad.
In my case it is better than the fuss and muss of cooking from scratch.

I couldn't participate before... but I bought ground angus yesterday. It was quite a bit higher than I remember... but honestly I haven't bought any in quite a while. Mine was $4.59 per pound.

Moni

Do not believe for a minute you are getting anything special when you buy Angus beef. It is the same as anything else. We have sold beef to "Angus" buyers...and yes they are are Angus, but no where near 100% Angus.

It is a huge ripoff!!!

"Angus" has become the new sales cliche, much like "natural", "fat free" and the like. Doesn't mean a lot.

I know that Angus *is* different but I wouldn't be able to tell the difference. A friend and I were in a store recently, went through the meat department and when we were looking at some of the beef there she pointed at some of it and said "That's *not* Angus!". She could tell by looking at it. I wouldn't be able to but I don't doubt some can. Didn't surprise me at all since this store got caught several times selling intentionally misgraded meat.

I used to buy the "tube" stuff ("chubs" as they're called around here but I imagine some of the ladies will be offended by this term too!) but I usually avoid it now unless it's locally packed. Too many recalls of the mega-processors and I've started buying more from other places, like Aldi, when I need burger. I don't use anywhere near as much as I used to either.

Beef will be going up again, due to high grain prices and some of the ranchers selling their stock off due to drought.
And it looks like due to lack of rain etc so far, grains are going to be down, with prices up.
Look for more imports.

Yep! Beef's high here too. I'm still shopping sales and getting rib eye for $5 a lb.

Pork is still cheap, pork loin roast for $1.49lb. Jimmy Dean sausage for $2 lb.

I bought 85% last night for $3.49/lb. (I decided to make lasagna for supper and didnt have any meat thawed) I rarely buy beef as my SO is a hunter and I get a good amount of venison gound.
I have been considering asking a couple friends if they would like to buy a quarter steer. That way I know where the meat came from...how it was fed...the date it was processed and nothing was added to it.

Now to find some freezer space....

It is impossible to tell a beef breed by looking at a steak in the grocery store.

She may have noticed more or less marbling - and that can be influenced by breed but also by the methods used in feeding/raising the beef.

The last load of beef I sold was $2.05/# carcass weight.

I'm thinking of buying half a cow or a quarter of one this summer...along with a little deep freezer. I met a man who raises them and doesn't use hormones in the next town from me. Meat is so expensive here.

Don't forget to look for buffalo (bison) You can buy from some of the coup and it is so good, but does require some added fat. I get it back here (ND) from a friend who raises them Also I get the rib eye, expensive, but oh so good. He sells his to a coup.

I have had a couple of tubes in the freezer for some time, but think that I'm on the last one - got it on sale for $2.50/lb. last year.

I find that I eat less meat than formerly: don't do a lot (except yack at you folks).

ole joyful.