When I changed my diet last year, I started adding a lot of chicken and turkey to my diet for sandwiches. I was shocked at how expensive deli meats were! 1 pound of deli-sliced meat could run as high as $7! I acquired a hand-me-down deli slicer from a friend and realized that I could save a bunch of money by slicing my own meat. I thought I'd share what I do now. Here is what you need:
1. Deli Slicer and a large bowl or platter plate
2. Vacuum Sealer, Bags, and a Sharpie Marker
3. Cooked Poultry (chicken, turkey, whatever)
First, you will need to cook the bird. You can get frozen birds or pre-cooked birds, depending on what you want to do. Pre-cooked birds are usually a bit more expensive, but they also save you hours in the kitchen cooking them, give you consistent results, and still save you a ton of money. You can get something as small as a 1-pound pressed breast or as big as a 20-pound bird. Just recently at Sam's Club, I picked up a 9-pound pre-cooked turkey for $33:
http://img256.imageshack.us/img256/8686/img0022k.jpg
So 9 pounds divided by $33 equals $3.66 per pound. Yup, 16 ounces of lean meat for under $3! The next step is to cut it, then slice it. I just use a big serrated knife to cut the bird into quarters, then I chop those in half to fit on the slicer. I have a metal Chef's Choice food slicer, which go for $99 brand-new on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Choice-6...-Slicer/dp/B0002AKCOC/
Amazon also sells used models, and you can check Craigslist or eBay for other deals as well. The nice thing about this model is that it's metal, which is heavier than plastic and a bit easier to work with on the countertop, and it has an adjustable dial, so you can do thin-sliced or thick-sliced, or anything inbetween. I believe you can also get an ultra-thin-slicing blade for some models. Rival also has an less-expensive model, it's plastic but it gets the job done, for around $40:
http://www.walmart.com/catalog....do?product_id=3957101
Here's some thin-sliced turkey:
http://img256.imageshack.us/img256/5157/img0024w.jpg
I like to cut it in 3 styles - shredded-thin, thin, and thick. Shredded-thin is nice for frying up on a pan or throwing into a grinder roll, while thin is nice for just slapping it on a sandwich. I also do thick, which is good for a sandwich roll or for cutting into pieces for a burrito wrap or a chopped/mixed sandwich:
http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/2163/img0026k.jpg
Next you'll want some kind of vacuum sealing machine to store the extra meat that you can't eat in a week or two. 9 pounds of turkey can last me a whole month! A vacuum sealer is basically like a Ziploc bag, but it sucks all the air out and then heat-seals the open side of the bag. When you package meat like this, you can store it for at least 2 years in your freezer, and it will taste just like the day you put it in and not have any freezer burn when you pull it out. Here's their website:
http://www.foodsaver.com/
I'd recommend going with one of the flat models. I read numerous reviews on the new upright models that say they don't have enough suction power and use like 3" extra of bag, which is kind of a waste. FoodSavers are like Bowflexes - people buy them, use them once, then throw them in their cabinet. You can find good deals on eBay, Craigslist, or by asking around (call up your mom and see if any of her friends have one!). A good one will run you under $150. Use the Sharpie to label the date and type of food on the bag after sealing it (sliced chicken and turkey tend to look the same frozen).
Now, bags can get pricey. However, there are a couple sellers on eBay who sell industrial-grade bags at a good price. I just took a peek and one guy is selling three 50' rolls for $50, which is a big savings ($30+) over the FoodSaver-brand kind. I would recommend going with these instead of the FoodSaver-brand bags. I also recommend getting rolls instead of pre-cut bags since rolls are way, way cheaper. Just slice off the size you need, seal on end, stuff the food in the bag, then seal the other end. Easy! (my FoodSaver is about 10 years old and I found a roll-slicer that sits underneath to make it even easier! you can also use a paper cutter to get a straight cut) Rival also makes a nice cheap vacuumer sealer (I believe Big Lots has them for a really good price).
And that's all there is to it! It only took me about 10 minutes to slice the pre-cooked 9-pound turkey breast, then about 5 minutes to cut some bags and vacuum-seal them. So 15 minutes of work gave me a month's worth of turkey at about $3.66 per pound.
:thumbsup:
1. Deli Slicer and a large bowl or platter plate
2. Vacuum Sealer, Bags, and a Sharpie Marker
3. Cooked Poultry (chicken, turkey, whatever)
First, you will need to cook the bird. You can get frozen birds or pre-cooked birds, depending on what you want to do. Pre-cooked birds are usually a bit more expensive, but they also save you hours in the kitchen cooking them, give you consistent results, and still save you a ton of money. You can get something as small as a 1-pound pressed breast or as big as a 20-pound bird. Just recently at Sam's Club, I picked up a 9-pound pre-cooked turkey for $33:
http://img256.imageshack.us/img256/8686/img0022k.jpg
So 9 pounds divided by $33 equals $3.66 per pound. Yup, 16 ounces of lean meat for under $3! The next step is to cut it, then slice it. I just use a big serrated knife to cut the bird into quarters, then I chop those in half to fit on the slicer. I have a metal Chef's Choice food slicer, which go for $99 brand-new on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Choice-6...-Slicer/dp/B0002AKCOC/
Amazon also sells used models, and you can check Craigslist or eBay for other deals as well. The nice thing about this model is that it's metal, which is heavier than plastic and a bit easier to work with on the countertop, and it has an adjustable dial, so you can do thin-sliced or thick-sliced, or anything inbetween. I believe you can also get an ultra-thin-slicing blade for some models. Rival also has an less-expensive model, it's plastic but it gets the job done, for around $40:
http://www.walmart.com/catalog....do?product_id=3957101
Here's some thin-sliced turkey:
http://img256.imageshack.us/img256/5157/img0024w.jpg
I like to cut it in 3 styles - shredded-thin, thin, and thick. Shredded-thin is nice for frying up on a pan or throwing into a grinder roll, while thin is nice for just slapping it on a sandwich. I also do thick, which is good for a sandwich roll or for cutting into pieces for a burrito wrap or a chopped/mixed sandwich:
http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/2163/img0026k.jpg
Next you'll want some kind of vacuum sealing machine to store the extra meat that you can't eat in a week or two. 9 pounds of turkey can last me a whole month! A vacuum sealer is basically like a Ziploc bag, but it sucks all the air out and then heat-seals the open side of the bag. When you package meat like this, you can store it for at least 2 years in your freezer, and it will taste just like the day you put it in and not have any freezer burn when you pull it out. Here's their website:
http://www.foodsaver.com/
I'd recommend going with one of the flat models. I read numerous reviews on the new upright models that say they don't have enough suction power and use like 3" extra of bag, which is kind of a waste. FoodSavers are like Bowflexes - people buy them, use them once, then throw them in their cabinet. You can find good deals on eBay, Craigslist, or by asking around (call up your mom and see if any of her friends have one!). A good one will run you under $150. Use the Sharpie to label the date and type of food on the bag after sealing it (sliced chicken and turkey tend to look the same frozen).
Now, bags can get pricey. However, there are a couple sellers on eBay who sell industrial-grade bags at a good price. I just took a peek and one guy is selling three 50' rolls for $50, which is a big savings ($30+) over the FoodSaver-brand kind. I would recommend going with these instead of the FoodSaver-brand bags. I also recommend getting rolls instead of pre-cut bags since rolls are way, way cheaper. Just slice off the size you need, seal on end, stuff the food in the bag, then seal the other end. Easy! (my FoodSaver is about 10 years old and I found a roll-slicer that sits underneath to make it even easier! you can also use a paper cutter to get a straight cut) Rival also makes a nice cheap vacuumer sealer (I believe Big Lots has them for a really good price).
And that's all there is to it! It only took me about 10 minutes to slice the pre-cooked 9-pound turkey breast, then about 5 minutes to cut some bags and vacuum-seal them. So 15 minutes of work gave me a month's worth of turkey at about $3.66 per pound.
:thumbsup: