Just enjoyed a frugal dinner.  Friends gave us the "garbage beef" (that is what they called it, no kidding, and to our faces), when I spoke up and said we would eat it--DON"T THROW IT AWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  So what was this garbage beef exactly?  ground beef from chuck, round steak, porterhouse, chuck roasts!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, aren't they special.  They buy a side of beef every year from a friend but only eat del monicos, filet mingion (sp?) and ground sirloin.  I just found out they have been throwing out the garbage beef for 4 years.  They didn't even try to find a shelter, etc. because "nobody would want to eat that crap."  SAD.

ANYWAY--in the crockpot on low for 8 hours and delicious: small chunks of round steak, a can of diced tomatoes, a can of cr. of mushroom, a big onion and several peppers diced up, fresh carrots and celery served with cooked noodles.  YUMMY.  So tender it could be cut with a fork.  Yeah, we're just a bunch of garbage eaters here.  

WHAT IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE?  I took close to $400 worth (my best estimate, probably low)of the above beef cuts and am sharing with some family members in need.   It filled the trunk of my Honda to capacity.

I can hardly believe my ears, but I know that you are telling it like it is.  What waste they made before you came along!  Literally with starving children in Africa & hungry children here in the USA, it is a crying shame for those people to have thrown out so much food in the past.  I do not have polite words strong enough!

 Oh, my goodness...  please don't tell anyone outside the US, they think badly enough of us as it it! How wasteful; how sad.

I do wish I knew someone like that, though.   (Joke!) You made a good haul.

 Geez you must have met my younger sister!  My older brother went to her house(1 young daughter, 1 SO(idiot), her and 2 large dogs)during very hard times and gave them 70 1 pound packages of ground sirloin for the freezer.   Sis glad to have it thanked him out the door.  A couple of days later he stopped by to say hello and the SO was feeding his prized dogs the burger, my sister said that they had to eat too.  Mind you it was still frozen and they had yet to eat any of it and she was sportin' a black eye.

I am so happy to hear of your windfall and glad you came across them before they disposed of all that meat!  ; )  Your dish sounds heavenly.... 

Holy Moly!  Can I have their address? I'd be more than happy to take the "garbage beef" off their hands. I can use it, so could my local food bank.

   I'm trying to wrap my head around this ... why in heaven's name don't they just find a good butcher and buy those particular cuts of beef? (I do find it funny that they'd eat ground sirloin....)

   Seriously, keep in touch with these folks .. you and your family should never have to buy meat again.... 

WOW is all I can say. We buy a side every year too, but we keep it all :-) I know how much beef you're talking about! How could they toss that much good meat?

The family that I buy my beef from would never ALLOW me to toss that much meat. In fact, the pieces/parts (organ meat) that we don't want gets passed on to someone who will take it.

I wonder if the butcher shop knows about their wasteful habit. Usually someone there would channel it to someone who is needy. Most of the cow is usable, almost down to the moo!
 

 "ground beef from chuck, round steak, porterhouse, chuck roasts!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

They don't know what goes into the ground meat that people buy at the grocery store, do they? And we get to pay $2.48 a pound (regular price) for it!

 Gardengirl, I am still working on being able to buy a quarter of a cow (what is the right term for that?). I assure you, I will not be turning my nose up at any cuts.

What are the organs good for?

Brandy:

 Gardengirl, I am still working on being able to buy a quarter of a cow (what is the right term for that?). I assure you, I will not be turning my nose up at any cuts.

What are the organs good for?

 

As far as I know, it is called a quarter. Generally you share a side with someone and split the cuts.  It only works if both parties like the same cuts. For example, you can't get porterhouse steaks and ribeyes. There is only one brisket. I don't remember all of the "rules," as we have been buying for 8 years now and get the same cuts every time.

The organ meat is personal preference. I like liver and onions, but I won't cook it because my DH would barf. I used to get it when my mom was alive because she liked it and would cook it for anyone who would eat it. Tongue is an acquired taste. I'm sure there are creative brain recipes too, but some of that is just YUCK! 

When you get your quarter, ask for the organ meats. You might be able to get someone else's too. Makes good dog food if nothing else. 

 The place I called about the beef sells in more general categories...steak, roast or ground. My parents and I were planning to split the cost so we can see how we like this before diving into larger amounts. We also lack the freezer space, I need a new one before I can even do this much.