A decade later, I find myself turning to pork trotters, pig ears, and beef tendon, though for reasons I wouldn’t have expected. What began as a desperate teenage attempt to ward off breakouts has become a comforting, nostalgic, and affordable meal at a time when grocery prices are spiking more sharply than they have in 40 years and we’re warned of imminent meat shortages.

Costco is limiting members to three fresh meat items per person amid concerns of a nationwide meat shortage due to slaughterhouse and meat processing plant closures. Grocery stores like Kroger have followed suit. Meanwhile, cuts of offal are readily available at Asian and Latin supermarkets—and they’re much more affordable than premium cuts like pork chops and steaks. Pork tail, feet, and ears are consistently less than pork chops. Beef tendon and heel meat are less than half the price of steak.

Admittedly, these cuts may be a little more of a hassle to prepare—you have to pluck individuals hairs out of pork feet, skin and tail. With that done, though, they’re easy to cook. I use the same red braising technique for all types of offal: You slow-cook the meat over the course of two hours with ginger, green onion, Sichuan peppercorn, and cooking wine. This method makes the meat tender and flavorful, while the soy sauce and caramelized sugar provide the signature red color.