One of the best ways to reduce the cost of meat is to buy larger cuts and do some very basic butchering at home. You can then bag all but the section you plan to use that evening for freezer storage. Your best bets for this method are items like boneless pork shoulder (also called pork butt or Boston butt), center cut pork tenderloin, and beef tenderloins.

Why these cuts? First off, they’re the easiest to cut up if you have limited or no meat-cutting skills. You won’t have to work around bone and most of the time you can just carve the meat to the thickness and portion size you desire. (On top of that, these cuts tend to go on sale a fair amount of the time!)

The portions shown in the picture above are taken from a boneless pork shoulder. I cut it up in preparation for a variety of meals (approximately seven) depending on the cooking method and ratio of fat to meat.

Starting from the left and going clockwise: Strips of pork belly, a small pork roast, thick pork steaks, thinner pork steaks, and a number of smaller odds and ends that will end up in stir fry!

By learning to do a little finish home butchering, you’ll be able to buy meat for as low as $.99 cents to 1.89 a pound and turn it into something you would pay $20 per plate for in a restaurant!