You’re right, meat that is canned is so versatile. And it does taste great. I don’t understand why a small can of canned chicken at the store is so expensive. Beef even more so.
If I forgotten to take something out of the freezer, then I always look to see what canned meat I have to make a quick dinner.
My freezer went out once, years ago. I saved most of the contents by canning it. I wouldn’t have been able to get a new freezer in time.
I decided to start pressure canning meat for the same reason.
The meat keeps indefinitely and does not get freezer burns or nasty freezer taste.
I cook the meat and make broth and then put the meat and broth in can can that. I do not can it as soup because I do not care for how pressure canned veggies come out. I just open the jar and add the veggies fresh and no one would be the wiser that the meat had been pressure canned.
I especially like making turkey soup and canning the stock for gravy and some jars with broth and meat for soup later in the year when everyone is tired of eating the same chicken and beef and pork. And it’s virtually impossible to find turkey broth or turkey soup on store shelves.
People are under the assumption canned tuna is cheap. About the cheapest I can find is 70 cents for 5 oz. Consider that 2.5 oz of that is water. You’re now looking at 2.5 oz of meat for 70 cents or $4.50 per pound.
For the younger crowd, be aware that “small” tuna cans have gone from 7.5 oz to 5 oz. in the past 20 years so you’ll have to make adjustments when using an old recipe. I don’t know the meat to water ratio in older cans so can’t help with that.
Cheaper store brand Spam is about $3/lb. and obviously has more fat than you’d normally have with a ham shank. Of course, you can buy a ham on sale around 79 cents/lb and home can it yourself for less. Yes, the fat and bone needs to be built into the price but that bone can be separated for two pots of beans and the fat can also be used so nothing is a waste. The dog enjoys the fat - sparingly.
Hope everyone boils the Thanksgiving and Christmas turkey carcasses, picks the meat off and froze/canned the stock for future soups or whatever. I usually boil the bones twice and either combine the batches or label them as “strong” and “light”. Same for chicken and other bones.
You’ll never have to buy canned stock.
Keep a container in the freezer to continually drain canned and fresh cooked vegetables for future soups and such. Don’t toss it into the sink or garbage! Again, you’ll never have to buy canned broth. Do the same with the liquids off your pressure cooker and insta pot meals.