Web Exclusive Tips: Beyond Pork and Beans

Pork Shoulder
Braising an inexpensive cut of meat such as pork shoulder is a great way to bring out flavor and make the meat really tender. I also love to find pork loin on sale?pay attention because when it goes on sale, it can be the same price as pork shoulder! And what’s great about pork loin is you can braise it, roast it, or slice it up into chops, so you have a versatile cut of meat for the same price as the shoulder.

Tomato Paste
Tomato paste is one of my favorite inexpensive ways to add a ton of flavor to recipes! A trick I use: sometimes fresh tomatoes can be very expensive, so I can substitute a few tablespoons of tomato paste for part of the tomatoes in a recipe. I keep all that wonderful tomato flavor, while shaving a dollar or two off the bill.

Dried Beans
Even canned, beans are inexpensive (and a great alternative for those days when five pm shows up and you don’t have your dinner started!). But if you can think ahead and soak your own dried beans overnight, you can save an additional 70% off the cost of your (already reasonable) canned beans! I sometimes soak a pound or two of beans overnight and cook until almost tender and then I freeze the beans in resealable freezer bags. That way, I have the convenience of ready-to-go beans at the plan-ahead price.

Whole Wheat Flour
Whole grain flour is more expensive than standard all-purpose flour, but I think it’s worth the extra few pennies per recipe. The whole grain gives a little extra texture and body to the biscuits, turning them into a mini-sidedish that satisfies.

Green Onions
This biscuit recipe is a perfect opportunity to use just the greens of your scallion, reserving the white roots to grow in water (for my favorite green regenerating tip!)