buying ground pork vs having butcher grind pork tenderloin

[ten6mom]

We have recently started using a lot of ground pork because it's slightly cheaper that buying ground beef even in bulk. However, I saw that at Sam's Club I can get a pork tenderloin (I think that's right... that's the large, boneless piece of pork, right?) for even slightly cheaper per pound than the ground pork at Target.

Has anyone ever had a butcher grind up a tenderloin for them? Any thoughts specifically on whether it seemed less fatty to you than pre-ground pork?

Thanks for any thoughts or tips

 

[GoofyPrincess]

Packaged ground pork can be up to 30% fat (set by the USDA in America). Pork tenderloin is much, MUCH leaner (4-5% fat). Your purchase will depend on how the pork is used. If you're looking for a lean meat to brown and use in a casserole, use the ground tenderloin. If you're making burgers, the tenderloin is way too lean and won't hold together - you need the fat. Pretty much use the tenderloin like you would chicken breast and the ground pork like you would use fatty ground beef.

For the record, pork tenderloins are small. I wonder if you are actually seeing a whole pork loin. Much bigger, less tender and basically a big pork chop without the rib bones. It falls between the ground pork and tenderloin for fat content (2-3g of fat per ounce versus 1 per ounce for the tenderloin and ~6g for the ground pork). Hope this helps!

 

[ten6mom]

^ Thanks for this info! Mainly it'll be browned and used in things like Hamburger Helper and what we like to call "Creamy Ch'porko Delight" (adding browned ground pork to risotto) so I would love the lower fat content of the tenderloin even though I drain cooked ground meat very... aggressively.

I am not sure what I saw at Sam's as far as the tenderloin (or loin?) but since it was Sam's, it was large, so perhaps it is the entire loin. Either way, at least it's lower fat than the standard ground pork we have been buying. I wonder if Sam's will grind it for me...

Thank you for some great information!

 

[barkley]

we do this (the exception being that we grind it ourselves using an attachment for our kitchenaid mixer). the pork is MUCH less fatty to the extent that when we go to use the sausage we make from it we have to use pam in the pan to prevent sticking.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Pork loin & pork tenderloin are 2 entirely different cuts of meat. Pork loin (probably what it is), is pretty lean, where tenderloin is VERY lean (as mentioned above). Tenderloin is also not a cheap cut of meat, so it's probably not that.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

We go with ground turkey and buy pre-ground.

 

[runwad]

It's a pork loin. I get those at Sam's they are real long and kinda skinny. We use it for barb-q pork sandwiches Let me know if they grind it for you. I never think to ask a butcher to do anything for me. I gotta get in the habit of doing that. Duh!

 

[daughtersrus]

We have recently started using a lot of ground pork because it's slightly cheaper that buying ground beef even in bulk. However, I saw that at Sam's Club I can get a pork tenderloin (I think that's right... that's the large, boneless piece of pork, right?) for even slightly cheaper per pound than the ground pork at Target.

Has anyone ever had a butcher grind up a tenderloin for them? Any thoughts specifically on whether it seemed less fatty to you than pre-ground pork?

Thanks for any thoughts or tips

I recently saw a sign at our local Sam's Club that said they would cut meat for free. They cut it for me into chops at no charge. It's a lot cheaper! I assume that they will grind it for you if you ask. It was $1.66/lb compared to $2.88/lb for it already cut into chops.

 

[tina.tina]

I recently saw a sign at our local Sam's Club that said they would cut meat for free. They cut it for me into chops at no charge. It's a lot cheaper! I assume that they will grind it for you if you ask. It was $1.66/lb compared to $2.88/lb for it already cut into chops.

Thanks so much. This is good to know.

We go with ground turkey and buy pre-ground.

I like ground turkey, too, but it was more expensive than pork the last time I checked.

 

[ten6mom]

Thanks everyone. I will have to check my local Sam's and see if they'll grind it up for me. The cut of meat (which I see now was probably a pork loin, thank you everyone!) was about 2.68 a pound or something, and the ground pork I have been buying at Target is 2.99 a pound. It's not a huge cost savings, but if the fat content is substantially less it's worth it to me, because I am not a fan of fat, and there's less waste that way!

I would not mind ground turkey but it is usually more expensive than pork, at least around here.

 

[daughtersrus]

Thanks everyone. I will have to check my local Sam's and see if they'll grind it up for me. The cut of meat (which I see now was probably a pork loin, thank you everyone!) was about 2.68 a pound or something, and the ground pork I have been buying at Target is 2.99 a pound. It's not a huge cost savings, but if the fat content is substantially less it's worth it to me, because I am not a fan of fat, and there's less waste that way!

I would not mind ground turkey but it is usually more expensive than pork, at least around here.

Prices at Sam's can be different depending on the store. We have 4 clubs within a short distance of our house. I was shocked at the price difference between some of the products that I buy. You might want to call other stores in your area and ask for the meat dept. They should be able to tell you the price. I paid $1.66/lb for the pork loin I bought last month. I was shocked that I saved $1.22/lb by asking them to cut it for me instead of grabbing a pack that was already cut.

 

[barkley]

Prices at Sam's can be different depending on the store. We have 4 clubs within a short distance of our house. I was shocked at the price difference between some of the products that I buy. You might want to call other stores in your area and ask for the meat dept. They should be able to tell you the price. I paid $1.66/lb for the pork loin I bought last month. I was shocked that I saved $1.22/lb by asking them to cut it for me instead of grabbing a pack that was already cut.

it's amazing how much you can save by virtue of asking the butcher at a store to change the cut on an existing piece. I saw my mom do this when i growing up and kept up w/the habit-if roasts are on sale and the per pound price is better than what i can get stew/fajita/ground beef for i won't hesitate to pick out several and have the butcher at our local safeway (or other stores) prepare it for me. i pay a lower per pound price and get a better cut of meat. same goes for packaging-now, we finally got an air sealer machine a year or so ago so repackaging is not an issue, but beforehand if the 'family size' packages of meat were going for a much better price i didn't hesitate to ask the butcher to break the packages up into smaller components (i was still buying/paying for family size but it was easier for use/storage).

it never hurts to ask what the packaging/prep policy is at an individual store-in my experience most places are great to work with.