Consumers Beef Over Meat Prices (Ranchers love Atkins)

cbs ^ | 11-7-03

[steppenwolffe]

At Gorat's Steakhouse in Omaha, Nebraska, they've had to do something they don't like to do -- raise the price of a steak dinner three times since spring.

"I hate it, because you know, I want the average family to be able to come in and enjoy a meal. But, the way it's going, it's tough on them," says Louis Gorat, the owner.

Beef prices already at record highs are still on the rise, selling for 30 to 40 percent more than this time last year due to increased consumer demand and supply shortages, reports CBS News Correspondent Cynthia Bowers.

After a number of lean years, the beef industry finally has what it wants. Thanks to popular diets like Atkins and South Beach, Americans finally feel like its OK to eat meat again. The only thing is, they may no longer be able to afford it.

For cattlemen like Bill Rhea, it's a time of contradictions. "People don’t know how to react, don’t know what to do," he says.

With a ban on imports from Canada due to the mad cow scare, he's finally making good money on his stock. But he worries about a possible backlash.

"It's like anything else, we're gonna price ourselves out of the market," Rhea says. "We're going to run up against a price wall where the consumer says 'Hey, I can't afford this.'"

Bill Barnhisel thinks he's already hitting that wall at his Chicago meat market, where prices are forcing customers to make a choice.

"I think people are buying, maybe shying away from some of the more expensive cuts, maybe buying a lesser cut," says Barnhisel. "So instead of having a steak, maybe they're making a taco one night, or making some hamburgers or something."

You may want to keep those meatloaf recipes handy, because prices are likely to be something to beef about for some time to come.

[Huck]

:-(

[farmfriend]

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[E.G.C.]

BTTT!!!!!!

[Beck_isright]

Three important questions:

1. If beef prices continue to go up, how do you properly prepare a PETA member for the grill?

2. Do PETA members taste good with A-1 or will ketchup do?

3. If beef prices continue to go up, does this mean I have to start eating sweet and sour spotted owl again?

[MinuteGal]

The cuts of beef in the average supermarket meat bins are so awful today that who wants to buy them anyhow? Low grade, tasteless and stringy. I haven't bought a pot roast in two years.

Private butcher shops are a cut above, but not that much. One reason may be that cattle is now bred for leaner meat. Less fat....less flavor. I only buy rib eyes now because of the flavor from the higher fat content. I switched to more pork, lamb and poultry a long time ago.

Someone is getting all the good beef in this country, but it ain't the common folk who shop at Publix. Must be going to the restaurants patronized by the UN diplomats in New York.

Some of us freepers went to a pricey DC steakhouse just prior to our Count the Silverware Inaugural Ball. Now, that was STEAK! The real McCoy. Of course, this is a favorite restaurant of senators and other Washington lords.

Leni

[kcvl]

http://www.kcsteak.com

[Grit]

Are RoTelTomatoes a brand, or is it a special treatment of the tomatoes?

Ro-Tel is a brand of canned Tomatoes with Jalopenos. It goes in nearly every one of our crock-pot recipes. :) I think it available almost everywhere now. HyVee definately carries it.

[Grit]

[Grit]

Correction:
Tomatoes and Green Chiles. Not Jalopenos.

[MinuteGal]

I order all my hamburger patties from Omaha Beef. Ground beef in Florida is nauseous.

However, a lot of the fine mail order beef cuts are rubbed and packaged with spices I don't care for.

I'm a darn good midwestern born-and bred cook...... salt and pepper are my weapons of choice so as not to alter or camoflage the taste of fine western beef.

I occasionally like to touch a bite of steak in Heinz 57 sauce, though, so flame away.

Leni

[Grit]

Of course, the big question of the day is "How many carbs?"

USDA Nutrient Database Search

A very handy resource.

[Free Vulcan]

If you have the money, go find a farmer and tell him you will pay him $2 per pound for a whole beef. Find a meat locker to cut it up for you. At most you will pay $.25-.50 per lb. to process, and get all the cuts of meat for far less than the store and likely far higher quality. The farmer makes out good, you make out good, and the only downside is having to pay for it all up front...and the tight freezer space.

That's what alot of people do here in Iowa and they save a bundle.

[denco]

We are 3rd generation ranchers here on the eastern plains of NM and one of the real reasons for the increase in prices is the drought. People have had to sell off cows for several years now due to no grass and for several years of no rain, the dirt tanks were dry. It is never covered on the news but the drought in the west and southwest has caused a real reduction in mother cows. We raise angus cross cows, and if you have a certified angus cattle section where you live, the meat (if treated right by the butcher) will give you a good taste. By the way I have to cook for Ranch Hands many times during the year, and I make the recipie in my electric oven with big roast and 4 cups of pinto beans. Just add more rotel and stewed tomatoes. It is a sure fire hit every time. God bless and all have a good day. Denco

[KneelBeforeZod]

prices are going up (among other reasons) because of the situation in canada...

AND since japan is willing to pay more for beef than we are...the price goes up here since there are limited supplies...

factoid: most Kobe beef is from the US

[CajunConservative]

Thanks for this recipe! This sounds awesome :) I will try it soon!

[gopheraj]

You are exactly right. The ones who raise the beef aren't the ones who are making the money. Sure the price has gone up but not much. We just sold a nice registered longhorn bull (needed tax money) and got a whole 52 cents per lb. Longhorn meat is a low cholesteral meat - lower than white meat chicken and very flavorful.

[P.O.E.]

Ping

[B4Ranch]

Western ranchers have a hard time getting that grin off their faces!

Shasta Livestock Market Report

RECEIPTS:	This Week: 2859				Last Week: 3064
COMPARED TO LAST WEEK: Slaughter cows and bulls $1-$2 higher. Feeder cows $2-$4 higher.
Feeder steers and heifers over 600# $1-$2 higher, under 600# steady. Small lots and singles
$7-$10 lower than top offerings.
SLAUGHTER COWS:					High Dress		Low Dress
Breakers:	36.00-41.00				42.00-48.00
Boneing:	33.00-43.00				44.00-55.00 (feeder cows)
Cutters:	25.00-32.00
BULLS 1 & 2:	40.00-49.00				50.00-57.00
FEEDER STEERS:	300-400				95.00	to	117.50
Top Offerings/Pen Lots	400-450				90.00	to	116.00
	450-500				86.00	to	108.85
	500-550				85.00	to	104.85
	550-600				85.00	to	100.25
	600-650				85.00	to	100.10
	650-700				85.00	to	99.00
	700-750				85.00	to	99.00
	750-800				85.00	to	98.50
	800-900				85.00	to	98.00
FEEDER HEIFERS:	300-400				87.00	to	106.50
Top Offerings/Pen Lots	400-450				85.00	to	101.00
	450-500				85.00	to	100.00
	500-550				85.00	to	98.00
	550-600				83.00	to	96.75
	600-650				82.00	to	95.00
	650-700				82.00	to	95.00
	700-750				82.00	to	95.10
	750-800				82.00	to	93.25
	800-900				82.00	to	91.00
PAIRS:	Too few for market test
CALVY COWS:	Too few to test
NEXT WEEK (Nov. 14): 4,000 head Special Calvy Cow Sale. 2,000 young, black cows

[Cuttnhorse]

A friend in Nebraska recently told me he sold his 5-wt calves right off the cows for $1.18.

[B4Ranch]

Life doesn't get much better than that!