Pros and cons of using a Cooking Log


 
Chris Allingham

Chris Allingham

Administrator
Staff member
Cooking logs are great things. They help you document your process, so you can repeat your successes and avoid your mistakes in the future.

The downside is that they remind you of how prices have changed. I paid $2.39/lb for boneless pork butt at Costco yesterday...only $1.35/lb in 2004. Damn you, cooking log!

http://virtualweberbullet.com/cookinglog.html
 
If I had a cooking log, Chris, I wouldn't use this forum as much...not going there. I don't wanna be posting about no "damn you, cooking log" Ha !!
 
Still, cooking at home is a much better deal than eating out so while it's true that meat prices have gone up, so have restaurant prices. Has anyone kept a log of restaurant prices? I bet they have gone up way more than the meat at Costco and I don't need a log to tell me that the quality is not getting any better.

I don't keep a log, but when I go to the store, I take pictures. I have the following prices if anyone want's to compare to today's prices:

Boneless Chuck Roast
Jan 2013 $3.98/lb
Aug 2013 $3.98/lb

Beef Short Ribs
Jan 2013 $4.98/lb
Aug 2013 $5.98/lb

Baby Backs (three pack)
Jan 2013 $2.99/lb

Boston Butt
Aug 2013 $1.58/lb
Looks like this held pretty steady until just recently based on our limited sample of Chris' 2004 price and my 2013 price.


All were Sam's Club prices. I don't have a Sam's club membership anymore because it was something my wife got through work. They switched over to Costco a couple months ago and I haven't made a meat run there yet, but looking forward to it.
 
Some meat prices from May 1977
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Here are the price changes for NVa.

Boston Butt - Costco
15 Sept 2012 - $1.79/lb
23 Nov 2013 - $1.89/lb
19 April 2014 - $2.59/lb

Whole Chicken - Costco
23 Sept 2012 - $1.19/lb
25 Dec 2013 - $.99/lb

Brisket - Restaurant Depot Angus Superior (untrimmed flat & cap)
8 Oct 2012 - $2.68/lb
18 April 2014 - $3.99/lb
 
I bought a 9 lb Excel branded pork butt on sale for $1.59/lb at a small local grocery store Friday. They were $2.49 at Publix.
 
I started using your spreadsheet cooking log shortly after I found this site but didn't get into the habit of entering prices. I feel your pain though. My "practice" brisket this weekend cost about what I used to pay for a beef tenderloin.
 
I have kept a personal journal for about nine years. I keep track of my cooks, but unfortunately, or I guess fortunately, haven't kept the price per pound of my purchased meat. What I have kept track of, and I feel your pain in your last sentence, is what I've paid for gasoline price per gallon!!!
 
Jerry N. said:
Still, cooking at home is a much better deal than eating out so while it's true that meat prices have gone up, so have restaurant prices. Has anyone kept a log of restaurant prices? I bet they have gone up way more than the meat at Costco and I don't need a log to tell me that the quality is not getting any better.

I don't keep a log, but when I go to the store, I take pictures. I have the following prices if anyone want's to compare to today's prices:

Boneless Chuck Roast
Jan 2013 $3.98/lb
Aug 2013 $3.98/lb

Beef Short Ribs
Jan 2013 $4.98/lb
Aug 2013 $5.98/lb

Baby Backs (three pack)
Jan 2013 $2.99/lb

Boston Butt
Aug 2013 $1.58/lb
Looks like this held pretty steady until just recently based on our limited sample of Chris' 2004 price and my 2013 price.


All were Sam's Club prices. I don't have a Sam's club membership anymore because it was something my wife got through work. They switched over to Costco a couple months ago and I haven't made a meat run there yet, but looking forward to it.
Click to expand...

Jerry, Went to Costco last week and got this three pack of Swift Premium Baby Back Ribs for $4.49/lb.

 
It's crazy how much things cost these days. Seems like everything is going up except my salary!:(
The cook log idea is one of the best things I've learned from this site. I fill one out every time I smoke and I find them useful to review to fine-tune my results.
 
I also use the cooking log but with me being a newbie smoker, I tend to forget to log everything since I am still trying to figure out how to keep my temps steady...I at least will start the log to track how I prepared the meat and what the weather was like. Also will record when I started the pit and such but once the meat is on...I forget to fill in the log. Since I have a Stoker and using the Pit Pal program on my phone, it does help me to track the temps a little better but still learning how to use the Stoker.

For my meat prices, I usually get a bone-in cryopak pork butt from Kroger...They used to go on sale at $1.49/lb but lately the lowest I have seen them is $1.89/lb when they have them. Haven't had 'em for the past 2 months.

Dave
 
When I bought my first smoker 10-12 years ago boston butts were $1.19lb, brisket was $1.58lb at SAMs.

Baby backs were $2.29, eye round $2.29, pork loin $1.49.

Wings were $1.29, boneless thighs $1.49.

Everything has gone up around 50% since. Ugh
 
Keeping notes of cooks has helped me tons. I have shared them with new or potential smokers to save them the hours of reading it took me to get there.

Kroger had chickens for 77 cents a pound. We'll be eating rotisserie chicken tonight (and for dinners next week).
 
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