Look for the answer to this question on the Internet and you’ll find lots of technical and scientific sites that talk about yield, live weights and dressing percentages. But that’s not what you want, is it? What you want is an easy way to figure out which is a better value when you’re standing in front of the meat counter. Here’s how to do it, using chicken breast as an easy example to get started:

 

Bone-in/skin-on chicken breast is about one-third bone and skin. In round numbers, if boneless breast is $3.00/lb, a rough equivalent for bone-in/skin-on would be $2.00/lb. To figure out which is the best value, start with the boneless price, subtract a third, and that’s what the equivalent bone-in/skin-on price should be. If the bone-in/skin-on costs less than that, it’s a better value. If the bone-in costs more than that, buy the boneless/skinless. 

 

You can do the same thing when it comes to other kinds of meat, too, and you don’t need a fancy formula or a calculator. All you have to do is estimate how much bone there is and use that to figure the costs you will compare.

 

Here’s a rough guideline to give you an idea of the range for different cuts:

 

How Much Bone?

Putting a number on it:

Example Cuts

A Little Bone

A tenth

T-Bone Steaks, Rib Steaks/Roasts, Pork Chops

Medium Bone

A third

Pork Shoulder Steaks/Roasts, 7-bone Pot Roasts, Chicken Breasts/Thighs

Lotta Bone

A half

Shanks, Spareribs, Short-Ribs

 

One more sample run-through, just to make sure you have it, OK?

 

Country style pork ribs can be a good economical cut, and in Seattle, boneless costs about $2.00/lb, so the bone-in ones should cost…how much?

Medium bone. A third (67 cents). Subtract the third  = $1.33/lb….

So, if the bone-in ones are less than $1.33/lb (when the boneless ones are $2.00/lb), they are a better value. Pretty easy to figure out, huh? Now, when you’re standing at the meat case, you know how to evaluate pricing between bone-in and boneless meats!

 

And, yes, there are other considerations on both sides of the bone-in/boneless choice: convenience, using the bones for stock making, more flavor with bones in and so on, but those are all subjects for another day. In this entry, we’ve figured out what the best value is based on price, and we’ll cover those other factors in upcoming posts.....

 

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