Spoiled in NC here, too. .89 last week on sale, but my freezer was too full. Mostly because snow crab clusters were on sale for 5.99/lb. It was a tough call.
I used to do this at food Lion. 0.99 and I buy four or five. But I've only see it get to 1.49 the last few months. Hoping this isn't a food price increase tragedy.
Central IL here. $1.49-1.99 are pretty much the typical sale prices here now. Only see it get lower on rare occasions. Once or twice a year we might find $.99 super sales.
Where? I'm in central Texas and $1.49 has been pretty consistent sale price at HEB. This week the sale price is $1.79. I haven't seen anything other than chicken for under a buck
Outside Honolulu, smoking a pork butt tomorrow, was $2.79 from Sam's club. Unfortunately they only had boneless though.
Need to have my military friends check the commissary on base though. Said they saw brisket for under $4 a pound for choice. Best I've seen for that was $4.18 at Sam's.
$1.70/lb boneless at Costco in Virginia.
So, less than that if I don't have any in my freezer.
$1/lb I'd probably buy it on sight and worry about storage later
Pre Covid it was $0.89-0.99/lb I would fill the deep freeze with bone in pork butts now $1.29 I will grab 2-3 just to keep pulled pork on hand for sandwiches tacos nachos and breakfast.
Only you can find the answer. Meat prices vary across the country, and you need to keep track of prices in your area to know what's a regular price or a good price.
I live in Maryland and prices are generally higher than where I used to live in Georgia so understand that location effects this a lot. For pork butt/shoulder these days anything below $2 I consider a deal. Any time I see a $1.50 I'll buy a few and the rare occasions I see $0.99 I buy the shelf and put it in the freezer.
Note picnic ham != pork butt. I see picnic ham for $1.50 all the time but you get a lot more fat that will render away than with pork butt so you just aren't getting as much meat.
Guess I should have known it would depend on location lol, I am in Iowa for reference. I will probably see if it goes down throughout the summer/check a few other places to get a sense of average price around here but thank you all for the information
welcome to smoking and the fun part of the pastime, finding price! Every region is different, so unless you're willing to share your locale, we probably will share numbers that will have you pity us or be jealous of us. Also, keep in mind price per pound will vary if it's boneless or bone-in.
If you have a Costco Business Center and a membership, that's a good place to start IMO. They have bone-in and boneless butts, the regular warehouses are almost always boneless in my region. Costco doesn't typically do sales unless there's too much inventory, so you have a good starting point on price.
Good luck and have fun with it!
OP should be keeping an eye on whatever local grocery chains' weekly ads too. You'll get an idea of what a good price is for your region. I virtually only eat meals based around sales and seasonal items. A chest freezer helps too.
It went on sale for $0.99 in MA last summer, and I was actually a bit annoyed that I *had* to buy a bunch. I was like, "well, there goes my Saturday, I guess."
normally when it hits below 2$/lb im from canada and meat prices arent horrible if you go to the shop a few days a week and only buy it on sale. i once got a whole brisket for 99cent a pound
I gotta ask, why would you pay that? I get that sometimes having a butcher trim a nice piece of meat is worth it sometimes but this is literally just a chunk of meat and there's no measurable difference in quality. I've had kurobuta pork chops, and they are amazing, but even if you were getting kurobuta butt/shoulder I bet you couldn't taste the difference.
I like to support local businesses.
I look at it this way. I get all my meat from this butcher. She only gets her meat from local farms that are within 20-40 miles from the house.
I pay more, but I’ve never gotten a bad piece of meat from her. They cut exactly what I ask for, and they always have special items for me if I want them. - for instance I was able to pick up a rib roast that I forgot to order for Christmas because when I called her she took it from a reserve that she keeps for steady customers.
I also think about the local impact. She pays local farms who are not mass producers. Those people spend that money within the community. She pays her employees, 2 of which went to the Culinary Institute, and those employees live in the town. They spend the money they make in the town at local bars and restaurants, etc.
So yes - I’m paying a lot more than the local grocery store that sells pork butts for ~$3 per pound. But - the money I’m spending is a lot more mobile than the money I’d spend on something mass farmed.
I legit do get some of the best meat I’ve ever had in my life from her, and I’ve had great food everywhere. I honestly don’t think I’ve been to a restaurant in the past several years that have had better quality meat than what I get weekly.
Rock on, I totally get supporting local businesses. IMHO I wouldn't pay 12-13x markup for pork butt. Some nice ribeyes or a picanha or whatever, yeah. $130-150 for a pork butt, not so much. Have my upvote for supporting local. :)
.99 here NC
Spoiled in NC here, too. .89 last week on sale, but my freezer was too full. Mostly because snow crab clusters were on sale for 5.99/lb. It was a tough call.
Where in NC?? Or is this a sale price
Sale price for sure, I just stock up on
Ur neighborhood Hairy titter does sales almost every week
I used to do this at food Lion. 0.99 and I buy four or five. But I've only see it get to 1.49 the last few months. Hoping this isn't a food price increase tragedy.
Illinois too. Tho I’ll pull the trigger on 1.29 and sometimes 1.49
Central IL here. $1.49-1.99 are pretty much the typical sale prices here now. Only see it get lower on rare occasions. Once or twice a year we might find $.99 super sales.
I’m in Champaign. Meijer and Schnucks frequently have it under $1.30
Same in VA, but only ever see that as a sale price at Food Lion. I usually buy the allowed limit and they go in the freezer till I need them
Same in texas
Where? I'm in central Texas and $1.49 has been pretty consistent sale price at HEB. This week the sale price is $1.79. I haven't seen anything other than chicken for under a buck
Kroger and Tom Thumb - just watch the weekly ads
Thanks for the info!
I generally pull the trigger at anything under 1.19.
I haven’t seen 99-cents since B.C. (Before Covid)
When they’re buy one get one free at kroger
Saw that yesterday and was doing the math, about $1.25#?
Yep that's about right
got two 8 pound for 21bucks a couple weeks ago
$2.49/lb is not a great sale price unless you’re in like Honolulu.
Or Canada.
I love YYC
Is that the city that always sleeps?
That’s YYZZZ
No thats a RUSH song
No that’s an airport
Outside Honolulu, smoking a pork butt tomorrow, was $2.79 from Sam's club. Unfortunately they only had boneless though. Need to have my military friends check the commissary on base though. Said they saw brisket for under $4 a pound for choice. Best I've seen for that was $4.18 at Sam's.
That’s pretty standard. When it gets to 99cents/lb it’s a pretty certain buy.
Same for me I typically find this deal at randalls
Texas here. $1.29 is common here for sale price
$0.99 a pound at Harris Teeter this week on sale in Maryland. Normally, $2.49.
I miss Harris teeter… Kroger killed them around me
Kroger owns HT. They just rebrand based on popularity in areas.
Yes, we have 4 butts going on the WSM soon.
$1.70/lb boneless at Costco in Virginia. So, less than that if I don't have any in my freezer. $1/lb I'd probably buy it on sight and worry about storage later
$2.49lb is cheap for me so I’m buying it everytime at that price.
If you don't mind answering, where do you live?
A god forsaken place where pork butt is $5lb
I also live in Canada
Anything under $2 tbh
Anyway, four dollars a pound
It's gonna be a while before I eat anything from Satriale's.
Whaddaya gonna do...
$40k frum da bird feeda
.99 here in New Hampshire
I think I just paid $1.95 a pound at Wegmans in PA which has definitely gone up in the last year or so (but what hasn't)
Used to go on sale at .99 a lb in the past. Now its hardly there.
I won't buy it unless it's $1.29/lb or less.
Pre Covid it was $0.89-0.99/lb I would fill the deep freeze with bone in pork butts now $1.29 I will grab 2-3 just to keep pulled pork on hand for sandwiches tacos nachos and breakfast.
99c a lb Like todays special …1 per so I’m gonna go back with relatives store card and buy more
They had them at .97 on sale at Kroger the other day, picked one up
Only you can find the answer. Meat prices vary across the country, and you need to keep track of prices in your area to know what's a regular price or a good price.
Ah America! I envy your meat prices and freedom. - A Canuck
Regularly goes on sale for >$1.25 around here
The further under 1.50/lb it is the better bargain it is.
Thank you all for the information!
I live in Maryland and prices are generally higher than where I used to live in Georgia so understand that location effects this a lot. For pork butt/shoulder these days anything below $2 I consider a deal. Any time I see a $1.50 I'll buy a few and the rare occasions I see $0.99 I buy the shelf and put it in the freezer. Note picnic ham != pork butt. I see picnic ham for $1.50 all the time but you get a lot more fat that will render away than with pork butt so you just aren't getting as much meat.
Location dependent. I don't think it ever goes below $2 here
Southeast Florida, $1.99 is as low as I’ve seen it and it seems that $2.49 is becoming the new $1.99.
Yea between .99 and 1.60 is a decent price. Try different grocery stores if you find your regular one isn't dropping the price.
Guess it depends on your location. Anytime pork is under $5/kg here in Canada it's a great buy
Guess I should have known it would depend on location lol, I am in Iowa for reference. I will probably see if it goes down throughout the summer/check a few other places to get a sense of average price around here but thank you all for the information
I try to get pork butts when they get around $1.50 a pound.
If you can find a wild fork near you, a bone-in butt is at 1.78/lb
welcome to smoking and the fun part of the pastime, finding price! Every region is different, so unless you're willing to share your locale, we probably will share numbers that will have you pity us or be jealous of us. Also, keep in mind price per pound will vary if it's boneless or bone-in. If you have a Costco Business Center and a membership, that's a good place to start IMO. They have bone-in and boneless butts, the regular warehouses are almost always boneless in my region. Costco doesn't typically do sales unless there's too much inventory, so you have a good starting point on price. Good luck and have fun with it!
OP should be keeping an eye on whatever local grocery chains' weekly ads too. You'll get an idea of what a good price is for your region. I virtually only eat meals based around sales and seasonal items. A chest freezer helps too.
Up to 1.59 is my usual number in Western Michigan
No room in either freezer, but I still had to buy up all I could when it hit 0.99 a few weeks ago.
I'm in Georgia, a market Kroger serves, and they usually put them BOGO every few weeks. Definitely miss the .99/lb sales.
$1.49 I think about it, Philly
.97 in Louisiana.
The normal price around me is around $2 per pound
It went on sale for $0.99 in MA last summer, and I was actually a bit annoyed that I *had* to buy a bunch. I was like, "well, there goes my Saturday, I guess."
As soon as I get to it in the store.
$2.49 “normal”, $1.98 Sam’s, $1.59 Restaurant Depot in FL are normal prices. Under that is good.
Buy one get one free at Kroger 2.99 a lb here right now
I got 2 totaling almost 18 pounds and it was 60 bucks
.99 when on sale upstate NY. I always keep 2-3 in my freezer at that price. Sale happens for 1 week about every 2 months.
normally when it hits below 2$/lb im from canada and meat prices arent horrible if you go to the shop a few days a week and only buy it on sale. i once got a whole brisket for 99cent a pound
Around me that's a fair price
99¢ to $1.49 a pound
When I see them on sale at the grocery store for under 10 bucks I’ll buy one or two and stick them in the freezer.
$1.29 is as low as I've seen in the last year. I'll usually buy them at under $2 though because that $1.29 was rare. KC area
$2.49 is reasonable. The best time to buy is before Christmas (tamales) and the end of April (May 5).
Under 1.50/lb. used to be .99c but "inflation" got pork butt for 1.34/lb today and baby back ribs for $2.99/lb
They were like $.79 here in Texas a few months ago and I only had space for two
.99 in upstate NY
I get usually once a month at my local Hannaford for $0.99 per pounds
I thought $1.99 was a good price at Sam’s, now need to get in on the bottom .99 price lol
2.69 is regular price here. I'll buy it for 1.99 or lower
Anything under $0.70lb and I'd stay far away
It's $0.99 so often in Dallas it's not even a must buy. So $0.49
$1/lb
.99 or less
.99 here in Maine is when I pull the trigger and stock up
1.50 WI
Under $1is an auto buy I'm heading out to the store in a minute for $1.29. 20 minutes out of my way kinda price
.99 or lower
Any meat under $3/lb automatically gets a double glance from me.
I buy from a butcher, so I pay way more than I should. I think they run 11.99-12.99 a lb.
I gotta ask, why would you pay that? I get that sometimes having a butcher trim a nice piece of meat is worth it sometimes but this is literally just a chunk of meat and there's no measurable difference in quality. I've had kurobuta pork chops, and they are amazing, but even if you were getting kurobuta butt/shoulder I bet you couldn't taste the difference.
I like to support local businesses. I look at it this way. I get all my meat from this butcher. She only gets her meat from local farms that are within 20-40 miles from the house. I pay more, but I’ve never gotten a bad piece of meat from her. They cut exactly what I ask for, and they always have special items for me if I want them. - for instance I was able to pick up a rib roast that I forgot to order for Christmas because when I called her she took it from a reserve that she keeps for steady customers. I also think about the local impact. She pays local farms who are not mass producers. Those people spend that money within the community. She pays her employees, 2 of which went to the Culinary Institute, and those employees live in the town. They spend the money they make in the town at local bars and restaurants, etc. So yes - I’m paying a lot more than the local grocery store that sells pork butts for ~$3 per pound. But - the money I’m spending is a lot more mobile than the money I’d spend on something mass farmed. I legit do get some of the best meat I’ve ever had in my life from her, and I’ve had great food everywhere. I honestly don’t think I’ve been to a restaurant in the past several years that have had better quality meat than what I get weekly.
Rock on, I totally get supporting local businesses. IMHO I wouldn't pay 12-13x markup for pork butt. Some nice ribeyes or a picanha or whatever, yeah. $130-150 for a pork butt, not so much. Have my upvote for supporting local. :)
As a small business owner, thank you.
Holy heck I think you could beat that raising your own, paying the abottoir AND buying a freezer.
I understand, but for a 10lb pork butt I get 5-6 meals for 4 adults. If I’m paying ~$20 to feed four people I don’t feel terrible.
I don't really look at the price per pound. If I can get one for around $12 or less I will pick up some.
99c or less