Beef and lamb prices set to rise – what to eat instead?

With the cost beef and lamb "set to rise sharply", we suggest some alternatives.

In a new market forecast for spring, Lynx Purchasing has suggested that the prices of both beef and lamb will “rise sharply” in the coming months, following above-inflation growth over the past year to January 2015.

This isn’t just going to affect prime cuts and whole joints, but products made using offcuts such as pies and burgers too.

It’s going to hit anyone who enjoys their red meat in the pocket. But what about a substitute? Here are some recipes from our collection with suggested alternatives to beef or lamb.

Recipes and alternatives

Cheese and onion pie
While Andy Bates’ original recipe calls for a kilo of stewing steak to split among four individual pies, I reckon you could go veggie and use an extra three or four large onions, quartered, with extra cheese and perhaps some cubed, parboiled potatoes that are then finished off inside the oven, to make a superb cheese and onion pie.

Koftas

Koftas are Indian meatballs, seasoned with loads of tasty spices. Instead of lamb, adapt this recipe for lamb kofta pulao to incorporate strips of chicken marinated in the same spice blend. Or, you could again forgo meat and follow the first few steps of this recipe for chickpea kebabs, but shape the mixture into kofta balls instead of kebabs, and use them instead of lamb.

Madras

Beef madras is mighty tasty, but a few flat field mushrooms chopped into quarters work wonders in curries in general. Quorn also works a treat. Add some sliced bell peppers for extra texture, and you can also throw in courgettes, okra, cauliflower, or really just about any other vegetable you can think of.

You should also check out our top 10 collections for the best ideas of what to do with chicken, fish, eggs, and the best recipes we have for vegetarians.

Prices down

While beef and lamb have gone up in price, pork has fallen significantly in real terms, and potatoes are 5% down in price. However, Lynx Purchasing suggests the low pork prices could be short-lived.

Potatoes, along with carrots and parsnips, are likely to remain cheap for a while, as last year’s supplies are still lasting well.

Beef and lamb aren’t expected to become completely unaffordable meats anytime soon, but careful use of them can make them go further, and you can opt for cheaper, less popular cuts like shin or oxtail and slow cook them to make your food budget stetch that little bit further.

If beef and lamb became very expensive, would you think about giving them up for good, or would you still save and buy them on a special occasion? Let us know your thoughts in the Comments below.

You might also like:

Top 10 chicken recipes

Top 10 vegetarian recipes

Top 10 fish recipes