Buying from a butcher

Alisonpennypincher

I am a vegetarian but cook all sorts for DH. I regularly visit my Local Butcher and i always have to ask their advice as i am totally clueless.

I just tell him what i want to cook, whether it is for one meal or if i want some left overs and leave the rest to him. Apart from the fact that he thinks it is hilarious that a vegetarian visits him regularly, he looks after me really well. So please don't worry, just ask away!

hilstep2000

My butcher is wonderful!
He always tells me what is on offer, and how to use it if I don't know.
Ours is currently offering Lamb for stewing at £7.50 for 5lb! My lot adore lamb stew.
I also use liver and kidneys, and love stuffed lambs hearts too.
You need to find out how to use cheaper cuts, Delia is a good one!

Penelope_Penguin

I'd agree - cultivate your butcher and it will pay dividends

I'll add this to the existing thread on how to find and keep a butcher

Penny. x

suki1964

LoopyLinz wrote: »

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

Take a look at the butchers first. If the meat is sitting there all shiny and icy - walk on - its bought in and the butcher is just a salesman. If its all laid out looking lovely in trays in the chillers - bend down and look at the light - some butchers use red lights to give the meat a better hue. You dont want bright red shiny meat - you want darker with a good covering of yellow fat.

Up here in Ballymoney we are over run by butchers - the chains who I wouldn't touch with a barge pole to old Archie who sells the cows and sheep he breeds. I would use maybe three of the butchers in the town - all family run, all can tell me where the meat came from and all who are willing to advise on what cuts are best for what

Rule of thumb with the steaks - dont get them cut too thick. Make sure they are dark meat and are flecked/marbeled with fat. If its a sirloin or rump, make sure the outer fat is a good yellow colour. All this goes to show a good aged bit of meat which will have taste and be tender - about 4/5 quid each steak will get a good sized one - more then enough for a mansize meal. I find if I cook them on the forman I nead to cook with the lid up till nearly cooked just putting the lid down to seal the top. If you are cooking and the water and blood is pouring out you have poor quality meat and Im afraid they will be tasteless and usually tough.

Fillet steak in my mind arent worth the money - pretty tasteless no matter how much you pay and are best served with a sauce. For a good plain steak - rib eye (cheap but always tasty) or sirloin (bit dearer)

pinkie_pie

I've never stepped foot in one, I have some hang ups regarding eating meat, however as per my previous thread I want to start cooking and freezing serious OS meals for my two dc

As I'm not going to let my hang ups affect them, what shall I buy and what can I do with it please? If I cook with meat at the most adventurous it's chicken breast, I want to maybe do some very economical very healthy batch meals with lamb or pork, or any other good ideas, that will freeze well (they're only small kids )

Any suggestions gratefully received! I'm assuming the butcher is the best place to get meat (as opposed to Tescos) and I want take advantage as I am out of town for the day which is why I can go, as we don't have a local butcher.

Pink.

Hi snowedunderitall,

There's an existing thread with lots of advice on buying from a butcher that should help so I've added your post to it. This thread may be useful too:

butcher or supermarket?

For ideas what to do with different types of meat have a look at the links I gave you earlier or have a read through the The Complete Cooking Collection

Pink

pinkie_pie

oops sorry

beautiful_ravens

I was a bit apprehensive about going in the butchers, so I did what someone from here said they did. I went in there [village butcher] and said "Hi, I have 15 pounds, and I need sausages, chicken and bacon" or whatever. It kind of passed the buck onto him a bit!
Also I get a freebie or two because Ive already told him my spending limit if the weight goes over;) He gave me some free suet I asked for, too.

MrsE_2

I bought the 16 packs of mince (for £38.00) on the Donald Russell special & a £2.70 pack of sausages to get free delivery worth £5:money:

Was on my way to M&S to grab a dine-in for tonight:money: & we stopped in the village. Butcher had his order early for Xmas signs out so I popped in to order.

He had a sign up selling his (local & happy) £7 chicken at 4 for £20, so I bought them (1 for tomorrow, 3 in the freezer) & then I noticed how lovely his chicken breasts looked, huge & plump. The standard price was a little cheaper than Waitrose but he does an offer of 5lb (10 large breasts) for £15.00, so I bought them too & stuck them in the freezer too.

16 packs of mince, 4 chickens & 5 X pairs of chicken breasts at least 25 dinners, all fab quality meat & for £73.00 less than £3 a night (& I will get extra off the chicken & some left overs for lunch in the mince & chicken).

Oh & he gave me my few streaky smoked rashers for free:T:T:T

DH is always telling me to support our local butcher, I will make a real effort to, he's cheaper than I thought:T:T:T

seafarers_wife

my butchers is amazing on price as well. 1 huge chicken breast for £1.20 or 5 for £4. 1 chicken breast does 2 meals as they are huge.

his joints are always fresh and its no hassle to sort you out with a different cut of meat or put one aside for you if the one you want isnt there.

his steak is gorgeous, its that nice and cheap that my mum has me do a "meat run" everytime i go home to scotland. I buy £30 quid worth of rump steak and the butcher will vacumm pack it for me and mum will get about 25 portions of steak when she cuts it into portion sizes for freezer.