Prepping in today's economy isn't easy but here's something very helpful. It will not only save you money but will also give you extra meals you might not have had otherwise.
Most people think bones in meat are a waste of money so they either pay more for boneless cuts of meat or they cook the meat with the bone on and either throw the bones away or give them to the dogs.
When I buy meat I pick bone-in which is cheaper by the pound than boneless meat. I then cut the meat from the bones, package the meat into serving sizes and place in the freezer. I wrap and freeze the bones until I have enough for a big pot of soup or broth.
I do this with pork chops, beef steak, chicken breast, chicken thighs, pork steak and any other meat with bones.
When I have enough of one kind of meat I take the bones and roast them in the oven until they are nicely browned and smell awesome. Then I drain off the liquid, which is mostly fat, and place the bones in a big stock pot with water and boil to extract the flavor. Once the broth is done I pull out the bones and let them cool. I pick all the meat off the bones, place the meat back in the broth, add some fresh or frozen veggies and make a great pot of soup that I either freeze or can. Then, and only then, are the bones ready to give to the dog.
Once the fat is cooled from roasting the bones I put it in the refrigerator to use in cooking. Pork fat makes some really great tasting biscuits and pie crusts. I use the chicken fat and beef fat for frying other foods like potatoes.
Here is a picture of some pork chops I prepared today. I'll use the main part of the chops as boneless pork chops. The little medallions I cut from the other side of the bone I will sprinkle with some salt & pepper, roll in flour and fry up for pork tenderloins on biscuits. The bones will be roasted and made into a rich broth for a pot of soup.
In the above picture you can see the boneless chop, the medallion and the bone. Its easy to cut a chop like this as long as you have a sharp knife. And just think about all the wonderful flavor and extra meals you'll get when you use those bones to your full advantage. So the next time you buy meat get it with the bone on and cut them off instead of cooking the meat with them on. Get the most out of those bones and your food dollars and serve your family some darn good eating.
Prepping Granny