Costco Shopping Spree of 1 Million Won: Meat Preparation and Ingredient Utilization for the Holidays

Ahead of the Chuseok holiday, Big Mama Lee Hye-jung visited Costco to purchase approximately 1 million won worth of groceries and shared specific ways to utilize the ingredients for holiday food preparation. According to the video, Lee Hye-jung explained in detail the process of dividing the bulk-purchased meat into different parts and preparing them according to their intended use.

Bulk-Purchased Meat: Preparation Methods by Use

Lee Hye-jung cited Costco's low prices and variety of cuts as advantages, demonstrating the process of subdividing the purchased meat to match holiday dishes. In the case of pork loin, she cuts it into about four pieces to use for tonkatsu or grinds it to make donggeurangttaeng, an essential holiday dish. Pork belly is cut into widths of about 5cm to prepare for boiled pork (suyuk), and the prepared meat can be divided for use in stews or as boiled pork.

The utilization of beef is also specific. Beef for bulgogi is seasoned with salt and frozen in advance to be used as ingredients for yukjeon (beef pancakes) to be placed on the ceremonial table. Additionally, she plans to use eye of round for jangjorim (braised beef) and chicken breast for various dishes such as cold salads. She added that since the amount of holiday food is large, it is efficient to use the weekend to pre-make side dishes like squid and shishito pepper braised dish or jangjorim.

Fresh Seafood and Rational Ingredient Selection

Among seafood, salmon and Argentina shrimp were mentioned as major purchase items. Lee Hye-jung purchased salmon due to its omega-3 content, and for the Argentina shrimp, she cited the large size and firm flesh, which results in less shrinkage during cooking, as advantages. In particular, these shrimp are intended to be used for holiday shrimp pancakes. She also introduced a method of purchasing domestic marsh snails and portioning them for gangdoenjang (strong soybean paste stew) to be stored in the freezer. She stated that because the price of marsh snails at Costco is reasonable, she portions and stores them so they can be eaten about three times.

In addition, purchase lists for snacks and pet supplies are also visible. Lee Hye-jung purchased dog chews and chicken snacks that dogs love during a sale period. Also, various snacks such as Sand Whopper cookies, truffle chocolate, and Saeukkang, which features whole fried shrimp, were included in the shopping list. In the video, Lee Hye-jung described Costco as a "playground where one can shop without guilt," expressing the joy of shopping for holiday preparations.

Efficient Organization and Storage After Bulk Purchasing

When shopping at places like Costco that have many large-capacity products, it was emphasized that the post-organization process is as important as the purchase itself. Lee Hye-jung explained that while shopping takes about 2 hours, it takes more time to return home, portion the purchased ingredients, and organize them using vacuum packaging. In particular, to handle large quantities of food ingredients, the process of portioning using a vacuum sealer is essential.

To keep bulk-purchased ingredients fresh for a long time, a habit of organizing quickly immediately after purchase is necessary. When purchasing sale items in bulk, such as dog snacks, Lee Hye-jung uses a method of organizing them in advance, considering the amount that seven dogs would eat in a month. Lee Hye-jung revealed that she plans to visit Costco once or twice more before the holiday and advised that efficient holiday preparation is possible only if items are organized quickly upon returning home.