MasterChef Australia frugal foodie Steph De Sousa shares money saving supermarket meat shopping tip

Australia
By William

Aussie mom reveals how she saves thousands on her food bill with one simple trick

  • Steph De Sousa buys whole chickens and dissects them himself
  • The hack saves her more than $2000 a year

By Shania Obrien for Daily Mail Australia

published: | Updated:

Steph De Sousa, former MasterChef contestant and self-described “frugal foodie,” has revealed how she saves thousands of dollars on her food bill each year.

The talented chef she says save more than 50 percent on the price of chicken by shopping at ALDI and cutting the meat yourself.

While chicken breast fillets typically cost $10.99/kg, a whole chicken costs just $4.49/kg.

Steph dissects the chicken herself and uses the different parts for different meals.

She claims that this basic culinary skill saved her more than any other before breaking down the process for her fans.

Stephen De Sousa [pictured]former star of Masterchef Australia, saves more than 50 percent on the price of chicken by shopping at ALDI and cutting the meat himself

1.Maryland

For the thigh and leg, cut away the skin between the thigh and breast.

“Once you’ve done that, pull the leg and thigh away from the chest, exposing the thigh.”

“Now you can cut right through that femur and remove the Maryland.”

One mom revealed the one grocery skill that has saved her thousands of dollars over the years

One mom revealed the one grocery skill that has saved her thousands of dollars over the years

2. The wing

“It’s very similar to the Maryland trial,” Steph revealed.

You first pull the wing bone away from the sternum to expose the wing joint until you can see or feel the wing bone.

Then you just cut straight through and remove the wing bone.

3. The chest

To remove the breast, slide your knife little by little along one side of the breastbone.

“Slowly bring your blade all the way to the bottom of the sternum until you’ve exposed the entire breast,” the chief advised.

After that, you just need to cut through it and disconnect it from the body.

For the thigh and leg, cut away the skin between the thigh and breast

To remove the breast, slowly run your knife along one side of the breastbone

To remove the breast, slide your knife little by little along one side of the breastbone

Steph De Sousa’s foolproof grocery shopping hacks to save money

You can save more than 50 percent if you buy a whole chicken and cut it up yourself

Save 70c/kilo by buying brushed potatoes and washing them yourself

Frozen veggies are 50 percent cheaper than fresh veggies and don’t get sad and soggy in the fridge if you don’t use them up right away

Frozen fish is also a lot cheaper per kilo and won’t spoil if you change your mind and want to use it later

You can store grated cheese in the freezer to prevent it from spoiling

Source: Stephen De Sousa

“Remember, this is a new skill, and every new skill takes practice,” Steph said.

“You won’t get it perfect the first time, but don’t give up.”

Many were thankful for the money-saving hack.

“Great tips, I’m going to buy a whole chicken tomorrow and cut it myself,” said one woman.

‘I do that too, I also debone it, roast the bones and boil them in water with vegetable scraps to chicken stock!’ revealed another. “It makes so much difference.”

“I buy two whole chickens every two weeks, which gives me eight servings of chicken nuggets, four main meals, chicken stock (first and second run), and bone meal,” a third added.

But others were not convinced.

“I don’t know if the $5 is worth all that extra effort,” one woman wrote.

“When you buy a whole chicken you also pay for the bones and so much you don’t eat – that’s why it’s cheaper,” said another.

A third added, “I respect this, but raw chicken is just too gross for me.”

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