Costco pork bellies -- Skin On?

[cptnding]

We make a LOT of bacon this time of year for our own supply and to give friends and family around Christmas. Usually 6-8 bellies.
It's getting time for us to start the process so I stopped by Costco for some bellies today. Much to my surprise they were all skin on. And the price is still $3.99/lb. I've been buying them from Costco for years and have never seen a skin on one before. Are you guys seeing this as well?
I bought a skin on belly a few years back from somewhere else and after a lot of frustration getting the skin off said never again. Admittedly my knife skills are not very good.
There are a couple of local butcher shops around that carry them skinless but the price is twice that of Costco.

 

[mr_whipple]

Memory isn't my strong suit, but I swear I posted about this very issue,. Swift pork bellies at costco here are always up and down, but the lowest was $2.99/lb and up to $4.50 ish.. but always skin off. That includes the pre-cut pieces which were always a touch higher in price for obvious reasons. I stopped in a few weeks ago and everything is now skin on, and I think whole bellies were at 3.49/lb that day. Thin to boot so I passed, but oh boy, home made bacon in these parts is still better than store bought but if there ever was an indicator of inflation / shrinkflation.. oh never mind. I love me some pork rinds but please don't steal my wallet for them.

 

[SmokinEdge]

We make a LOT of bacon this time of year for our own supply and to give friends and family around Christmas. Usually 6-8 bellies.
It's getting time for us to start the process so I stopped by Costco for some bellies today. Much to my surprise they were all skin on. And the price is still $3.99/lb. I've been buying them from Costco for years and have never seen a skin on one before. Are you guys seeing this as well?
I bought a skin on belly a few years back from somewhere else and after a lot of frustration getting the skin off said never again. Admittedly my knife skills are not very good.
There are a couple of local butcher shops around that carry them skinless but the price is twice that of Costco.

welcome to the new normal. Prices are high and going higher every day. Will get worse before it gets better I’m afraid.

Thats why those belly’s are cheaper, they need knife work, I’m paying 5 bucks a pound for premium trimmed half bellies at the moment but I’m expecting that to change soon.

I grew up with slab bacon on the rind, but we sliced it by hand back then.

 

[Gonna Smoke]

Prices are high and going higher every day. Will get worse before it gets better I’m afraid.

If it ever does get better. I still remember boneless chuck for $2.99/lb. or less and that hasn't been too long ago...

 

[SmokinEdge]

If it ever does get better. I still remember boneless chuck for $2.99/lb. or less and that hasn't been too long ago...

I can’t buy whole beef on the rail for that price. But it’s fun to remember when 100 bucks would fill a whole grocery cart at the store, now it wont even fill one bag. Disgusting.

 

[DougE]

I can’t buy whole beef on the rail for that price. But it’s fun to remember when 100 bucks would fill a whole grocery cart at the store, now it wont even fill one bag. Disgusting.

I still haven't come across the receipt for the last half beef I just got back last week for a per pound processing fee but the kill fee+procssing fee for my half was up about $75 from the one I had done last year. This years was smaller weight wise by a bit

 

[nlife]

I'll have to check if they've changed here in BC, Canada next time I go. I have quite a few packs left in the freezer and have been moving more towards BBB for general bacon needs

 

[Fueling Around]

Shopped at Clermont FL yesterday. The $3.99 / # full belly packs are skin on and clearly state that on the label. The labeling for the broken down packages of sliced or smaller slab also clearly state skin on.

Crossing my fingers the Business Center in Orlando still has skinless.
We'll be heading there fairly soon. Wife forgot to get toilet paper yesterday and that is no joking matter to her.

 

[mr_whipple]

I was complaining about this a while ago in another thread. Costco is one of the only places around here to get pork belly and really the only reason I have a membership anymore. I used to use the pharmacy for my last dogs meds as it was drastically cheaper than the vet.

 

[SmokinEdge]

I was complaining about this a while ago in another thread. Costco is one of the only places around here to get pork belly and really the only reason I have a membership anymore. I used to use the pharmacy for my last dogs meds as it was drastically cheaper than the vet.

Look for restaurant supply stores, some will let the public buy and some require a wholesale license, but we have them here and no problem shopping there.

 

[Hijack73]

4.99/lb here

always on the prowl for the Aldi sales now.

I did freezer inventory yesterday. I'm down to about 40 lbs of beef.

Uncle Scam's potential popes have promised us that grocery prices will go down very soon. I have absolute faith in them......................................................................................................................

 

[DougE]

Why I have my own beefs processed. I lose on what the calf would have brought at auction, but still come out cheaper, per pound than buying my beef at retail prices. May start raising hogs in the future but for now, pork prices are not outlandish.

 

[cptnding]

Costco is one of the only places around here to get pork belly and really the only reason I have a membership anymore.

Same here.
If you have a BJ's around the ones here in GA carry skinless bellies but they are cut in half. Not what I prefer but better than skin on. It will get us by this year. Twice as much repetition weighing, bagging, and getting the cure rubbed on but less work than skinning then doing the same. Price was $4.39/lb.

 

[cptnding]

Look for restaurant supply stores, some will let the public buy and some require a wholesale license, but we have them here and no problem shopping there.

The Restaurant Depots around here only carry skin on.
US Foods Chef Store web site show skinless but the closest one to me is 2.5 hour drive. Their web site says that the are opening a location down near Atlanta soon that will be only 45 minutes away. Looking forward to seeing that one.

 

[millerbuilds]

Yep, noticed that a month or so ago. Still skin on on Saturday when we stopped by. I will pass and spend more at the butcher. The extra $1-$2/lbs is still cheaper than me spending the extra time fighting through trimming the skin and the product loss in the process. Maybe I over judge what my time is worth, but I figure I make it up in buying whole cuts of other meats and doing the cutting/trimming myself.


- Jaosn

 

[Gonna Smoke]

I don't have a Costco membership and I don't recall ever seeing them at Sam's so I have to grab bellies anywhere I can.

always on the prowl for the Aldi sales now.

Yep, me too...

 

[SmokinAl]

Here is a great video on how to skin a belly. He makes it look easy, but I have tried it & it works, much like skinning a fish. You just need a curved knife so you don’t cut the skin.

Al

 

[mneeley490]

I've never seen skin-on bellies in my area Costcos. But I haven't bought any in a while. I'll have to take a look next time I'm in.

 

[JckDanls 07]

If you only knew how sharp those knives are in that video... My knives are very sharp but nothing like that...

Myself I don't mind the skin on... I fillet it off and save the skins for pork rinds ...

 

[cptnding]

Here is a great video on how to skin a belly. He makes it look easy, but I have tried it & it works, much like skinning a fish. You just need a curved knife so you don’t cut the skin.

Al

Thanks for posting that SmokinAl I did a bit of searching for videos and found nothing like that.