My Beef With Beef

Tom Purcell on May 25, 2021

Since packing plants can’t fill thousands of job vacancies, they can’t process enough meat to meet the growing demand.

And since packing plants are buying less meat, cattle producers are slaughtering fewer cattle.

As growing demand for beef collided with reduced supply this spring, prices soared — and they’re likely to keep going up, according to Jason Cheplic, the third-generation owner of my favorite local butcher shop, Cheplic Packing, Inc.

“In the 60 years we’ve been in business, beef prices have never been higher,” says Cheplic. “Pre-COVID we ran a boneless Choice ribeye special for $9.99 a pound. To cover our payroll and business costs, we must now charge $13.29 a pound — at profit margins that are lower than they’ve ever been.”

That’s a 40 percent price increase in a little over one year — and Cheplic’s price for ribeye is still far better than what chain supermarkets are charging.

One local Pittsburgh chain is charging $15.99 a pound for the same cut of meat.

What this means is that weekend grill and barbecue aficionados like me are experiencing some serious pain in our pocketbooks — and stomachs.

With the summer just ahead and life slowly beginning to return to normal, I was looking forward to hosting many evening barbecues.

Before COVID, there were few things I enjoyed hearing more than the words, “Oh, my, Tom, this juicy ribeye steak is as tender as butter!”

But this year, I hope to at least hear, “Tom, this is the most delicious budget burger meat I have ever had!”

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