CHEF SAMBRANO: CHEAP ONE POT MEAL FOR THE FAMILY

Saturday, May 23, 2015

CHEAP ONE POT MEAL FOR THE FAMILY

From me to you my friend who has a family, and on a tight budget. There are many ways to cut cost when feeding a family of 4 to 8. And that way is the one pot meal. Soups or stews is what will feed your army, and the cost is effective, no wasting any ingredient, and purchasing ready to expire less attractive cuts of beef, pork, chicken... you'll be styling. So let's get to the formula for cooking for 8 max. Let's take into account that each person will eat about 4 to 6 oz. of protein from an animal. And about 3 oz. of veggies and some gravy. You'll be able to save money.

First of all, let's take the 4-6 oz. of meat.. for example let's say I'm choosing beef. We'll multiply 6 oz. (max) by 8 persons, that is 48 oz. of beef I'll need. Or 3 lbs. of beef. To save money, go to the beef counter, and ask the butcher if he's got any chuck, round, or brisket on sale that's ready to be expired. If he does, you'll save money, as little as a buck something a pound maybe less. And the veggies, get about a 1/2 pound each of celery, carrots, and potatoes. And for seasonings, all you need is salt and pepper.

Get out your pot big enough for all of the ingredients, put some cooking oil on the bottom, over medium high heat, brown the pieces of meat (cut into cubes first), then add some water to just cover the meat. Lower to simmer covered for about one hour, the water should turn golden, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes longer. Add in the veggies cover and simmer for another 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Let it sit so the potatoes work as a thickening agent. When ready serve with rice or bread. Easy!