Cutting the Fat

At $3.99 / lb. it called to me.

Before the pandemic beef brisket cost $2.49 per pound at Costco. A few months ago the price hit $5.49(!). A large percentage of brisket is fat; steak at $12 a pound is a better value.

Last week brisket had dropped to $3.99 per pound, so I seized the opportunity to buy a nine-pound slab.

This morning was spent slicing and dicing. After cutting away swaths of fat, I coated the beef in flour and browned the pieces.

Into the pressure cooker went carrots, onions, and potatoes, as well as spices, broth, tomato paste, and red wine.

Almost as good as dining out, and a lot cheaper.

Et voilà! Dinner for the next three days.

Like many Americans, we're adjusting our spending habits to cope with widespread inflation.

Many people say the escalations are just now hitting home in their everyday lives. For some, it’s sticker shock while filling up at the pump. For others, it’s the higher price of their morning joe at Starbucks, or the cost of strawberries at the local grocery store...

Plenty are having that experience while filling their gas tanks, opening a utility bill or looking for a place to live. The national average price for gasoline recently climbed above $4, hitting its highest point since July 2008. Electricity bills climbed more than 4% in 2021 and are up again this year, sparking complaints on social networks such as Nextdoor. The average cost of a one-bedroom apartment is up nearly 25% year over year, according to Rent.com’s latest report. Home-lending costs are also rising; the average rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage topped 4% for the first time since May 2019, Freddie Mac said Thursday.

Nearly a year ago your humble blogger feared the return of '70's-style inflation. It's not that bad yet, and our leadership doesn't seem worried. That's what worries me.