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

pollyskettle

I bought this months meat from Clare Barry (https://www.clarebarry.co.uk) and I have to say I have been particularly impressed. Nothing has disappointed us so far; we've so far used the chicken breasts, minced beef, brisket, minced lamb and diced steak. I have to say I didn't find the gammon joint particularly good value, but we have yet to use it so it may be phenomenally good and worth the price!

I would use the butcher in the village, but he is reduced to one shop a week for sausage rolls for the boy, a bone for the dog and occasionally burgers in the summer if I can't be bothered as I can't justify his prices. He is a very good butcher and people come for miles to get their meat there, hence he charges well for it!

mysk_girl

Thanks! I sort of know this stuff but I don't think to write it down and then I paniced and just asked for what I know. I have done slow cooker chicken roast before and it was lovely :-) I have everythign I need for this weeks menu planner, so watch this space next Tuesday...
Must say the butcher seemed really nice so I just have to pluck up the courage to actually talk to him about what I want!

Fire_Fox

mysk_girl wrote: »

Thanks! I sort of know this stuff but I don't think to write it down and then I paniced and just asked for what I know. I have done slow cooker chicken roast before and it was lovely :-) I have everythign I need for this weeks menu planner, so watch this space next Tuesday...
Must say the butcher seemed really nice so I just have to pluck up the courage to actually talk to him about what I want!

It's no different to asking a pharmacist or the owner of a traditional ironmongers/ hardware/ DIY store, you expect them to have much more knowledge than you and they expect questions from novices and experts alike. I asked the butcher yesterday what the difference is between baby cow and calf liver and he didn't turn a hair, just explained. And then I bought just 100g to try it and he didn't turn a hair then either. But I will go back to him and he knows it - good salesman, both times I have been there he has given me a leaflet about his local wholesale butcher.

You don't have to ask for specific cuts, you could say you want some chicken/ lamb/ beef for the slow cooker and what is the best value this week? As long as you don't freak out at bone or fat you won't look silly at all. We have been in a recession for several years now, I imagine few customers have money to burn and even fewer can name all (any! ) of the cuts off a beef cow.

mysk_girl

I don't freak out at bone or fat, so that should be OK :-) I'm looking forward to asking now, see what I end up with!

katyboo123

Thank you so much for starting this tread. I am 28 and I find it mortifying going into our local market to the various butcher counters. This for a couple of reasons:

1. I don't know how much I need. I was buying frying steak the other day and I just knew I wanted 3, in the supermarket it is about a quid per steak, so I expected in the butchers it would be priced individual. It wasn't it was in kilo and I asked her how much the average steak was. She tutted and put one on the scales and said 1.51 and started wrapping it for me. I said I wanted 3 and she got really wound up plus I couldn't see the meat up close like you can at the supermarket (albeit through a plastic pack). So all in all a very weird interaction. Perhaps if I found another butcher locally using the tips in this guide I would feel less bothered about questioning them on how much do I get for my pennies.

2. I am not sure about the cuts. I recently went halves with my friend buying a lamb from the farm where her sister lives and I have no idea what I am going to get. Can anyone recommend any resource which explains the cuts and what you can do with them or how you should ask the butchers to prepare them for you? Otherwise I would stick to the cuts I know which seem to be the most expensive!

3. I always feel like because I am (relatively) young I don't know what I am doing, can you ask for 50g mince if that's all the recipe calls for?! I have no idea.

No one gives you a guide to going to the butchers or bakers or greengrocer and the supermarkets make it easy even suggesting recipes and serving
ideas on the packet. Plus you can read the label and not have to ask anyone!!

On a final note... I have eaten horse meat in spain and france on holidays and am not upset that I may have been tricked at some point into eating it. I don't buy many pre packed foods and don't really eat a lot of red meat anyway as it doesn't agree with me I find it very rich indeed! However, I am upset about being lied to and the fat cats creaming all this money off the top by advertising cheap horse as premium beef. So I do want to try to use local butchers more often and this thread has been very useful in picking up some tips.

So, thanks!

COOLTRIKERCHICK

Hi Katyboo123

I think I said in my first post, I personally find men butchers more helpful when I have asked questions etc... Its like they really do like to be helpful, and some of the women serving seem to think you should know these things...

My butcher has a fridge counter, so all the meat is displayed in front of you, so you can see the quality and what he has..

Meat is only taken from the back, or his butcher's block if I need more than what is displayed, I want it cut up, or if I have pre-ordered something, usually his large chickens, as they sell out quick on the weekend. He only orders x amount, and when they are gone, they are gone.


Any good butcher will not mind selling any quantity large or small...

I will try and find a image of the diff cuts of meat on a lamb for you

rachbc

Butchers can be as varied as anywhere - some appalling ones with disgusting levels of hygiene and very dubious practices and some great ones.

I use makro, local college butcher shop, farm shop (buy a whole lamb for £2 a lb) and the supermarkets. I buy by weight not £ amount as I like to know how much I am getting for my money and won't buy anything if the price isn't clear, I also don't buy things priced per item s it makes it very difficult to compare - your £1 chicken breast could be brilliant value or terrible as you have o idea the £/kg til you get home and weigh it

COOLTRIKERCHICK

and here's one for pork






It might be worth looking in charity shops for the old cook books, especially the one's from the 70's, they usually got sections of different types of meat etc, and might have the diagrams of the diff cuts in there..


edit.... sorry the pork one isnt very good, maybe someone can find a better one, or if not I will have a scout around this evening when I get home from work

COOLTRIKERCHICK

here we go, this is a good site promoting british pork etc
http://www.lovepork.co.uk/prime-cuts

you can also click on one of the colour dots, to tell you what cuts are best for cooking in diff ways

cheltenhamgal

If anyone is wanting to try Oxtail, I would thoroughly recommend it. I paid £4 for about 1lb Oxtail and made an Oxtail and Guinness casserole.

I browned off the Oxtail first with some garlic and oregano and sage(optional to brown first) then put 3 peeled and sliced carrots in the slow cooker with a chopped onion and half a peeled and chopped swede, the Oxtail, a beef stock cube, a little more garlic, some soy sauce, one can of Guinness and cooked on high until the meat had fallen off the bone. I then strained the stock from the meat and veg, removed the bones and thickened the sauce.
It has been enough for my daughter and I for two meals and one portion for the bloke to take to work. Also some gravy left over which I have frozen