Buying from a butcher

nickiboop

Eww
‘Fresh’ supermarket chicken that flew in from Brazil months ago

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article3060093.ece

nick_b

That is so wrong. *shudder*

LoopyLinz

Hi Everyone

Hope you are all well. Looking for some help, Im completely clueless when it comes to butchers, actually it completely freaks me out even going in there as I have no clue what I am supposed to be asking for!

Take my most recent visit............£16 for two steaks, which I then put in the george foreman and well needless to say they didnt exactly taste too fantastic! This has become a bit of a joke with my family, they think its hilarious that I spent £16 on two steaks!

We tend to eat a lot of chicken that I buy from Tesco or Asda but would really love to cook some nice joints or something. Two problems though Im never too sure what quantities Im asking for (there is just hubby and I) and Im never sure how I am supposed to cook these things!!

Help!!!!

Linz xoxox

angelavdavis

It may well be that this one wasn't the right butchers for you. Not all butchers are the same. I would ask around locally for recommended butchers.

I tend to shop more at farm shops these days - ordering my meat in bulk and putting it in the freezer. Once I find somewhere decent I tend to stick to it.

When my OH still had his place, I used to occasionally shop in a butchers near him, but over time I learned that it didn't offer the best quality, so I switched.

The best butchers are those that spend a little time nurturing their customers - because they want you to come back! Also, I don't think you should be afraid to ask them questions too - most decent butchers I have come across are only too happy to discuss the meat and welcome comments - even negative feedback as they are reliant on their suppliers most of the time. Ask the butcher how much quantity he thinks would be right for two of you in a particular cut.

I also have a copy of this book which goes into detail on what cuts of meat are available for each meat type. This type of information can be found in many books, but I like this book because it gives a good overview of types of cooking techniques, etc as well.

nesssie1702

If it's a butcher worth his/her salt, then they should bend over backwards to make sure that you're happy. Ask them what the best way to cook a joint is, or if they can recommend how you should cook something.

I regularly cook steak on my George Foreman Grill - normally rib-eye which are pretty juicy and can take that method of cooking, heat on both sides of the plates.

If you paid £16 for 2 steaks, it sounds as though you were given 2 fillet steaks (either that or you paid a lot for something else!) :eek:

Hope you find a good butcher, ask friends, family, colleagues where they go.

thriftlady_2

Please don't be afraid to ask questions at the butcher's. You don't need to know how much you want just say -'I'm feeding 2 adults and 3 kids' or whatever and the butcher will be able to tell you how much you need. However it is worth knowing that as a general rule 4 oz/110g of meat per adult is about right (so you can watch he doesn't put extra on the scales;) ).

To find a decent butcher try tracking down your nearest QGuild Butcher.

Edit: Here he is

[FONT=Helvetica, Geneva, Arial, SunSans-Regular, sans-serif]Thomas McCreery Butchers[/FONT]
[FONT=Helvetica, Geneva, Arial, SunSans-Regular, sans-serif]439 Ormeau Road
[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Geneva, Arial, SunSans-Regular, sans-serif]Belfast
[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Geneva, Arial, SunSans-Regular, sans-serif]Antrim
[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Geneva, Arial, SunSans-Regular, sans-serif]BT7 3GQ
Tel/Fax: 02890 644911
[/FONT]

Larumbelle

Don't feel that you're imposing on a butcher by asking questions - if he (and it usually is a 'he' still!) is any good, he wil probably be grateful that someone is showing an interest! My old butcher, who is now sadly retired, took me under his wing and made me OS about meat long before I found this board. He taught me so much about meat and poultry, even though as a skint student I was probably his least profitable customer. He once taught me how to cut chickens up, telling me that breast fillets were for rich, busy people, and he hoped I wouldn't be offended but he was sure that was the complete opposite of me! He'd always suggest what to buy, tell me recipes how to cook them, he was of the definite opinion that cheaper, slow-cooked cuts were by far the best, and I think he was pleased to have found a co-conspiritor! He always told me that the steak-buyers subsidised us 'real' cooks. His recipes always finished with 'your boyfriend will love it, cook him this and you'll definitely get lucky tonight!' Except once, when I bought steak for OH on Valentine's Day, and he told me that at for steak I should demand a proposal of marriage at the very least. When I went in to show him my engagement ring the next day he was speechless! :rotfl:

You can tell whether a butcher is good or not by asking questions about the meat you're buying. When this chicken was butchered, what farms and abbatoirs he works with, what breed the animal was, what was it's diet, how old was it, how long it has been hung. All beef has to be traceable, but a good butcher will make it his business to know a lot more than the legal minimum, and will want you to know because it ensures his meat is good and it should be a matter of pride to him. Also, its a cliche but being busy is a good sign. I would make my first visit a Saturday morning (but don't ask your questions then - try to pick a time when he's not rushed off his feet ), and if he's not busy, I would wonder why.

thriftlady_2

silvercharming wrote: »

Don't feel that you're imposing on a butcher by asking questions - if he (and it usually is a 'he' still!) is any good, he wil probably be grateful that someone is showing an interest! My old butcher, who is now sadly retired, took me under his wing and made me OS about meat long before I found this board. He taught me so much about meat and poultry, even though as a skint student I was probably his least profitable customer. He once taught me how to cut chickens up, telling me that breast fillets were for rich, busy people, and he hoped I wouldn't be offended but he was sure that was the complete opposite of me! He'd always suggest what to buy, tell me recipes how to cook them, he was of the definite opinion that cheaper, slow-cooked cuts were by far the best, and I think he was pleased to have found a co-conspiritor! He always told me that the steak-buyers subsidised us 'real' cooks. His recipes always finished with 'your boyfriend will love it, cook him this and you'll definitely get lucky tonight!' Except once, when I bought steak for OH on Valentine's Day, and he told me that at for steak I should demand a proposal of marriage at the very least. When I went in to show him my engagement ring the next day he was speechless! :rotfl:

You can tell whether a butcher is good or not by asking questions about the meat you're buying. When this chicken was butchered, what farms and abbatoirs he works with, what breed the animal was, what was it's diet, how old was it, how long it has been hung. All beef has to be traceable, but a good butcher will make it his business to know a lot more than the legal minimum, and will want you to know because it ensures his meat is good and it should be a matter of pride to him. Also, its a cliche but being busy is a good sign. I would make my first visit a Saturday morning (but don't ask your questions then - try to pick a time when he's not rushed off his feet ), and if he's not busy, I would wonder why.

Excellent story and advice:T :T

pigpen

My BIL is a butcher.. he can cook curry. They are not trained chefs so don't ALWAYS know how best to cook a cut. If someone asks him and he doesn't know.. he rings my sister or my brother (he is a trainee chef) and then tells the customer what they've said.. he is learning!!

If you have a freezer it doesn't matter the size of the lump of flesh.. you ccan freeze whatever is left over for another meal.. it only takes a few goes to get the right idea what you are after. I usually cater for 10+ so end up getting the biggest cuts in the shop.. any leftovers (in my dreams!!) would be made into stews, eaten cold in sandwiches or frozen for another meal.

The book Anglea gives the link to looks really good. A lot of the cook books do weights person/portion as well which is always a help.

I think the best way to cook any meat is for longer on a low heat. I put smaller bits of meat in a large square cake tin and cover with foil.. but the roastingbags are fabulous!! .. few herbs, some onion or leek and cook and they are divine... and the juices can be used for gravy.

Trial and error is always the best way to learn anything. A bit of experimentation with herbs and marinades is a must.

Pennylane

As a young housewife I was clueless about food & cooking (I chose Art instead of Cookery at school) but I very quickly learnt and I am told I'm a good cook all the time!:o

I also had a lovely old butcher then and as silvercharming said in that excellent post, they are usually more than willing to help.

He told me about different cuts of meat or he's suggest cheaper alternatives and he'd just chuck it on the scales and say "give us a fiver for the lot". :j

I remember being behind another young woman one day and she asked for 4 ounces of mince - he just smiled at her and said "are you throwing a party?" Bless her, this was to be her first attempt at making cornish pasty and we all had a laugh! When my kids were little they used to look at various meats on display or pheasants/rabbits hanging up and once my DS said "my cousin says eating meat is cruel" and he just grinned and said "I tell you what young man, you ought to hear vegetables screaming when they're being chopped up.";) My kids used to stand their listening when I was preparing veg.