meat from butchers V supermarket

thriftlady_2

jr666 wrote:

what is the difference buying from a supermarket meat counter and buying it from a butcher?

Well someone on this thread said the meat counter at Morrison's was good,in that the meat is actually butchered by butchers in the store,but most meat counters in supermarkets are not staffed by butchers.Look at what is for sale on these meat counters-for the most part it is the same stuff as is in the packets in the meat aisles.Try asking them to mince some meat for you,or joint a chicken,bone a piece of beef.They can't do it because all their meat comes pre cut into units they think we want.Try buying oxtail,breast of lamb,any offal apart from liver and kidneys,rabbit,hare?Try asking for advice on how to cook what they have on offer,or what they'd recommend for a nice stew.

The butcher's counter is there to appeal to those of us who like the idea of shopping in small,independent shops.Don't let the stripy aprons fool you.

Ticklemouse

jr666 - as a butcher friend said to me of supermarket meat ' in the field on Monday, slaughtered on Tuesday and on the shelf on Thursday'

A good butcher will know where is meat has come from and it will have been hung to bring out the flavour. Just look how much Sainsbury's sell their meat that has been hung for (don't know what they call it, but I think Jaime Oliver is involved somewhere ) This therefore implies that ordinary meat hasn't been hung at all.

thriftlady_2

Ticklemouse wrote:

It's not just supermarkets you have to be wary about though. I have just come back from a large car boot sale and there is always a 'butchers van' there - the ones where they tell you the incredibly low prices via their headset Now I've only once bought meat from one of these vans - many years ago when a friend told me it was fantastic meat etc - never again.

I bought some chicken from one of these once.It was rank and ended up in the bin,I should have known better it was so cheap.Avoid these people like the plague.

VickyA_2

thriftlady wrote:

I bought some chicken from one of these once.It was rank and ended up in the bin,I should have known better it was so cheap.Avoid these people like the plague.

One of OH's friends bought a "load" of meat from a butcher's van at a Sunday market. Apparently, it was mostly bones and what meat was on the bones, not even the dog would eat. He soon realised that he'd been "had".

thriftlady_2

Ticklemouse wrote:

Just look how much Sainsbury's sell their meat that has been hung for (don't know what they call it, but I think Jaime Oliver is involved somewhere ) This therefore implies that ordinary meat hasn't been hung at all.

Sainsbury's got into trouble with the advertising standards authority over this.They claimed their's was the only beef hung for whatever length of time it was.Butchers all over the country complained that this was standard practice in the butchery trade,so Sainsbury's had to change the claim to 'the only supermarket with beef hung for...etc'.What a bloody cheek,charging a premium for a product any butcher will give you as standard,they just don't sell beef that hasn't been hung.Makes me mad :mad:

black-saturn

Sorry but what do you mean by being hung?

Smiley_Mum

There is a listing here for butchers but nothing much in Lowestoft unfortunately.

http://lowestoft.ufindus.com/Butchers

Ticklemouse

black-saturn: before the carcass is butchered, it is literally hung for up to 21 days. When the carcass is whole, there are chemical reactions that take place within the meat/bones, that tenderise and improve the flavour of the meat. I'm sure there will be someone around who can answer in a more technical manner

Have you seen those films and tv progs where the bad guy and the copper end up in a big walk in fridge full of beef carcasses? Well, that's them being hung

black-saturn

OK, thought you meant something about halal meat but now I know what you mean.

I forgot about the butchers in High Street Lowestoft. They were always famed for having loads of different flavours of sausage. I'll take a walk up there and have a look this week.

halloweenqueen_2

I must respond to the comment about snobbery,I used to buy all my meat from supermarkets but now find it is cheaper and better to buy from the butcher. I go in there and buy the specials etc as well as all the other bits and pieces. I bought carrier bags full a few weeks back and worked out the meals were only going to be a couple of £'s for all of us. I'm not quite sure how that makes me a snob?
I do find morrisons to be good for their offers and have found their gammon joints to be really good. I just prefer to shop locally and cut down on the food miles and the onslaught of huge supermarkets.
I can't afford to be snobby -it gets you in debt!