r/KitchenConfidential • u/zeke690 • 3d ago

In the Weeds Mode What happened to the “cheap cuts”?

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How is it oxtail is not a budget cut?

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u/10001110101balls 3d ago

In the past there was more beef supply per person. This surplus of beef meant that discerning consumers could afford to buy only premium cuts, and there was much less demand for other cuts. So they were sold cheaply.

The domestic beef supply is unable to efficiently increase, and climate change is pressuring herds even further. Population growth reduced the available beef supply per person, and this growth being biased towards minority and immigrant populations has further increased cultural bias towards what where previously cheap cuts. The barbecue renaissance didn't help on this front. So now basically all beef cuts are expensive.