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Tips on what to buy at the butchers?

Shopping day today. On our way home last week we noticed that the town had a new butcher, directly opposite the exisitng one. Both seem to be actively competing for business and we thought it might be worth a look today.

I noticed a board outside one advertising 10 chicken breasts for £6 which seemed good. We've got in the habit of roasting a Lidl free range chicken (~£4) on a Sunday, but OH doesn't like leg meat so seems wasteful to roast a whole one.

Any other tips for buying at the butcher? Any particular cuts that are great value that I should try. We have a slow cooker and keen to use it more often. Thanks.
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Comments

  • Any muscle that works hard on an animal will be tough unless stewed - so for beef think shin (leg), stewing steak etc. I'd say look for older animals - e.g. mutton - but that's fashionable and pricey now! Ditto for odd bits of pig (cheek etc).

    I have to say, 60p for a chicken breast sounds suspiciously low. I suspect it's imported, cruelly produced, adulterated (pumped with water and protein to increase size) and/or close to going bad. I find chicken is especially prone to going green and manky - and always get stung by "cheap deals" when I've tried them.
    Having said that, try a pack and see what you think?
  • Tescos wanted £6.18 for some stewing beef and I turned round and walked out and went to my local butchers who sold me a lb of shin of beef for 2.90.Its a stew for goodness sake so in the slow cooker I will turn my shin of beef into a delicious potful with veggies and herbs at half the price the supermarket wanted me to pay I love my local butcher and it was only that I wanted to see how much Tescos were charging that made me look in the first place .Many years ago women 'cultivated' their butcher and usually they will get to know you on a regular basis and help you with whats a good bargain.My local chap is lovely and when I told him what Tesco were selling it for he agreed that there is no exscuse for over charging He said that he can make a living without doing that and his shop is never empty.At Christmas the queues start at 7.30 in the morning and they are flat out all day.So get to know you butcher if you can but I too would be a bit wary of too cheap chicken as its not always that good ,or maybe its a 'loss leader' to get people into the shop to try as he's not long opened.
  • Your slow cooker is best for cheaper cuts of meat as the long, slow cook makes them incredibly tender and tasty. I'd be looking for:
    Oxtail - great in curries and stews
    Shin of beef - great in stews
    Beef Cheek - stews, pulled beef sandwiches
    Rabbit - stews, casseroles and burgers
    Game (when in season) - casseroles

    Ask him to recommend things to you, my butcher is brilliant at that. He knows how I like to cook and will suggest cuts accordingly.
  • The bonus is that you can choose exactly how much you want and the butcher will give good advice on cheap cuts, preparation and cooking. Can't get that in a SM
    Blessed are the cracked for they are the ones that let in the light
    C.R.A.P R.O.L.L.Z. Member #35 Butterfly Brain + OH - Foraging Fixers
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  • ~Chameleon~
    ~Chameleon~ Posts: 11,956 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    edited 20 October 2012 pm31 1:07PM
    The bonus is that you can choose exactly how much you want and the butcher will give good advice on cheap cuts, preparation and cooking. Can't get that in a SM

    You can if you go to the meat/fish/deli counter rather than buying pre-packed stuff. Lots cheaper too, and certainly comparable with high street butchers. I frequently ask for just 4 sausages, a single chicken breast, 4 slices of ham, for example, and many butchers now seem to to be turning into pre-pack junkies advertising large packs of marinated meat at inflated prices. There often appears to be a lot of meat in the pack until you look closer at the actual weight ;)
    “You can please some of the people some of the time, all of the people some of the time, some of the people all of the time, but you can never please all of the people all of the time.”
  • ~Chameleon~
    ~Chameleon~ Posts: 11,956 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    JackieO wrote: »
    Tescos wanted £6.18 for some stewing beef and I turned round and walked out and went to my local butchers who sold me a lb of shin of beef for 2.90.

    Was this pre-packed? Just last week I bought 440g of shin beef from the butcher counter in Tesco and it cost me £2.68. Made the most delightful stew with it :)
    “You can please some of the people some of the time, all of the people some of the time, some of the people all of the time, but you can never please all of the people all of the time.”
  • I buy scrag end for stews, lamb breast for slow roasting, liver,stewing beef and kidneys for pies. I have even stuffed lambs hearts with lemon stuffing and slow cooked, very tasty and easy to do. A good butcher will have all of these, not so sure about supermarkets?

    I have found since using the cheaper cuts not only have I saved money but that my cooking skills have improved too! and it is so nice to come home to the smell of a stew or similar in the slow cooker
    Dont wait for your boat to come in 'Swim out and meet the bloody thing' ;)
  • spike7451
    spike7451 Posts: 6,944 Forumite
    You can if you go to the meat/fish/deli counter rather than buying pre-packed stuff. Lots cheaper too, and certainly comparable with high street butchers. I frequently ask for just 4 sausages, a single chicken breast, 4 slices of ham, for example, and many butchers now seem to to be turning into pre-pack junkies advertising large packs of marinated meat at inflated prices. There often appears to be a lot of meat in the pack until you look closer at the actual weight ;)

    Same here,I often go into my butchers & ask for 'a fistful of beef pieces',a chop or a few sausages as I'm the only meat eater aside from the cat as the DGF's a veggie..
    That's another thing,you can ask the butchers for any off-cuts of meat for the dog or cat as well.
    My butchers is far cheaper than the Co-Op over the road & sells more locally sourced produce.When I'm working I often buy one of his fresh BBQ chickens,last's me a few days & I even have a carcass to make stock with.
  • suzybloo
    suzybloo Posts: 1,104 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker I've been Money Tipped!
    I was chatting to the butcher last week and he was saying folks are asking more for the cheaper cuts.Two cuts of Beef that are great for stewing are Spale and Skirt - they are ideal for the slow cooker or making into pies (not sure if they are called the same south of the Border, as I am aware we heve different names for different cuts?) These are roughly about half the price of stewing steak
    Every days a School day!
  • Popperwell
    Popperwell Posts: 5,088 Forumite
    As said elsewhere I may have to consider eating rabbit(a local butcher is doing rabbit for £2.50)Featured on TV this past week in a programme about trying to get the British public to rediscover food they have given up on.

    Best butcher on my town means walking not easy with mobility problems and add taxi fares any savings are lost:(If I get a mobility scooter or I am forced to downsize and if I am nearer that may change...

    Found a yellow stickered Pork Loin in Tesco's today worth £4.40 for £2.20 and some high quality pork sausages worth £2.58 for 68p.
    "A government afraid of its citizens is a Democracy. Citizens afraid of government is tyranny!" ~Thomas Jefferson

    "Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in a while, or the light won't come in" ~ Alan Alda
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