lets get back to basics... starting with the butcher

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1059211/The-cheap-cuts-meat-help-beat-credit-crunch.html

In light of all the recent reports regarding the true origins of many meat products I am just sooooo glad I am a veggie! :j

But even I have had knowledge for several years about the 'ear-holes & a*se-holes 'meat' that is in various food products on shop shelves.

I was brought up vegetarian and at 46 peeps still take the p*ss about me lacking in some way because of it. I have never got on me soapbox or rattled a tambourine in the name of vegetarianism as I personally believe it, like most things in life is a personal choice and although I was raised veggie, my kids were always given meat and non meat dishes & as adults they eat a pretty healthy diet

There was even some mention of Quorn - a meat substitute - being somehow contaminated ( I've never really understood veggies who feel the need to eat meat substitutes :huh: )

The guess the only way to really know what is in your food is do like COOLTRIKERCHICK and find yourself a quality butcher and grow as much of your own produce as possible. Learn how to cook, bake, preserve and make bread and pass these 'lost' home skills on to your kids - both female AND male

YOU are in control of what you eat! Take the reins! ( NEIGH! ) :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Rosie1978 wrote: »

Can anyone advise me - what do I ask for if I want to make a beef casserole? Stewing steak? (basic, I know but as I say I'm lost here..)

Thank you

Shin - I would make this 10-20% of your ingredient. Good shin will show some gelatinous bits/blobs. Sometimes there is a thin membrane around the outside (shin comes cut in rounds - like a circle) I would remove that unless going for long long cooking.

Chuck steak/ stewing steak/ blade - I would ask for it in a piece - can be all the rest of your stew ingredient. You can then cut it to whatever size you want and remove what you want too.

Skirt - thick if you can get it. This is very lean or possibly marbled. Good for big pieces. Substitute for the above chuck etc or use a mix.

(Waitrose unfortunately only do thin skirt - least my branch)

Ox cheek is beef - it is quite tough and must be slow cooked in a stew. However you can cut into quite small chunks and it will sort of melt in. Cheek is cheap - Waitrose sell it. I think it does the same sort of job as shin in that it thickens and gives flavour to the 'gravy'

You can use brisket, silverside etc but only if you get those reduced - otherwise I would rather braise as piece (pot roast).

I usually cook a 3kg stew - often a goulash - as it freezes well. I will slow cook for several hours. One trick I have is to cook for 3 hours then turn off oven and leave in overnight. If you do this you may find meat doesn't hold its shape but the taste is wonderful.

You can also cook on a ring as well - it does not have to be the oven. Gentle, gentle simmer. Or there are slow cookers too though I haven't tried one of them.

I am going to try the oxtail receipe above. Sounds good.

I'm fortunate that there is an abundance of local butchers in our town (although very few fruit/ veg shops until recently), at least 8 I can think of in the town centre, and most are reasonably priced and great quality. I have one down the street from me and is is just excellent, and not expensive either. They do great meat packs for all budgets, which often include veg and frozen side dishes.

What I love about local butchers is that they can give so much information on their meat and what to do with it! If you tell your butcher what you want to make, and that you want a cheap cut of meat, they'll tell you the best thing they have on offer. They might also offer cheap bags of bacon misfts or chicken wings, and free bones for your dog.

They can look in their records and tell you the exact animal your sausages (and everything else) came from. I usually buy the cheapest cuts, which sometimes I have to ask for the day before, but I give them good custom too buy buying huge steaks occasionally. A 16oz rump steak costs under £7, and I've never had such good value (never mind quality) from a supermarket.

I also dislike the amount of packaging on meat in the supermarket, it would fill my bin in no time if I used it often. There's plenty of reasons to not fear your local butcher, get to know them and you'll soon be eating better than you ever did before

Can I trust the beef mince in the butchers to be lean/extra lean or should I ask him to mince steaks for me specially?