It’s no secret that beef prices in the U.S. have gotten out of hand.
According to recent data, steak costs about 16.6% more than it did last year, while ground beef has climbed nearly 13%. Supply is dropping, and experts warn that prices will only keep rising in the months ahead.
With that reality, shoppers are looking for ways to stretch their money further, such as California butcher Anthony Bartleson (@meatdad), who has taken to TikTok to share insider tips with anyone willing to listen.
Butcher Steps In To Help A Shopper Save Money On Beef
In a recent video, Bartleson actually walked up to a shopper in the meat aisle to give them real-time advice. His video has since earned over 614,400 views.
The clip opens with Bartleson pointing at a large package of USDA Choice beef loin tri-tip roast sitting on the bottom shelf.
“This is the only thing you should be looking at right now,” he tells the man, who was clearly eyeing a pricier cut nearby.
The customer agrees, but Bartleson presses on. “I’m a butcher. That’s what I do,” he explains, before picking up a thin-cut steak. “They usually like this one right here—$20 a pound. That’s what they’re normally trying to sell this for.”
Then he gestures back toward the tri-tip roast. “So right now $6.99 [per pound]. … You cut it thin; you cut it thick—it’s tri-tip. You use it for everything.”
The butcher also gave him ideas for using the leftover elements, like the fat, which Bartleson says he fries his tortillas in.
He explains that this is exactly what he tries to teach on Instagram and Facebook. “I say ‘No, no, don’t buy this. No, no, no—twenty dollars,” he explains. “This is seven, but it’s the same. No more wasting our money. Only buy what’s on sale.”
Is It Really A Good Deal?
Some shoppers get nervous about sale meats, assuming they might be close to spoiling.
But butchers like Bartleson say as long as the package is within the sell-by date, looks fresh, and passes the classic “sniff test,” you’re fine.
And buying whole roasts or loins can actually save more money in the long run. For example, a single tri-tip roast can be broken down into multiple meals: thick slices for steak dinners, thin cuts for fajitas or stir-fry, and trimmed fat for cooking oil. Whatever isn’t eaten right away can be portioned and frozen.
Shoppers Loved The Lesson
In the comments, people said they’d welcome a butcher swooping in to help during their grocery runs.
“I would love for someone to come up to me and tell me this in the grocery store. I love meat!” one person wrote.
@meatdad I don’t play around when it comes to Beef!! 🥩
Another added, “I just bought 2 chuck roasts on sale at 5.99 a pound. 50 bucks later we gonna have pot roast, steak fajitas, grilled steak, and ground chuck burgers! The next couple of weeks are gna be great!”
And one person admitted, “I pace back and forth indecisively in the meat aisle; I would be so happy if the beef fairy showed up to share his wisdom!”
BroBible has reached out to Bartleson via email for more information.