I want to start using a butcher

[hammerman]

I am terribly embarrased that, at the age of 41, i've never used a butchers except for prepacked barbeque stuff.

So i want to start using one...or a farm type shop but in all honesty, i haven't got a clue what to ask for when going in for my sunday joint.

I'm also on a pretty tight budget and i like to see the prices before i choose.

What do you suggest ?...will a butcher talk things through with me and put up with me being a pain in the a**e.

Any decent websites that may help me choose what i need.

Many thanks in advance

[Eve]

You could break yourself in gently by going to a butchery dept in Morrisons where they have proper butchers who can be very good.

Other than that, what area are you in and someone may be able to suggest somewhere good.

[Gormless]

I wish you luck. I had that same idea, to use a local tradesman, sponsor the small guy, so I went up to a mobile butcher's van at my local mini-mart, there were flies crawling over the meat. I know you are going to cook it, but even so.
Some of these guys don't help themselves. I hope you have better luck.

[B00]

hey HMan:-)

I wish you luck too, though from a different perspective!

Now i know you'll get posts after this telling me i'm wrong, lol, but I've always found local butchers to be really expensive.

Like you, I hit upon the grand notion of supporting my community and hopefully saving a few quid at the same time and went to my local butcher. Didn't ask for anything grand either, just simple things like sausages, chicken, brisket (cheaper cut of meat, ace in the slow cooker) etc and nearly cried when the whole lot was totalled up.

Never again, I'm sticking to Asda and Tesco in future- my limited food budget wont let me do otherwise.

[Eve]

I'm dreading shopping for t'other half's new diet (as per post below).

He's been told to get organic stuff, fancy meat, corn fed and all that. I can feel an expensive shopping weekend coming up!


Am going to go to Bury market and see what they have there but will probably end up back at Morrissons butchers (their fish counter is great too but t'other half won't eat fish :()

[B00]

Ahh, now i do like Bury meat market (sounds like a pick up joint doesnt it? heh!). The beauty of there is that they're so busy you just need to point and say "one of those please".

[hammerman]

Thanks all....i know what you mean Boo. I was just talking over this with my wife and i was saying that the cost may be a prohibitive factor. I can see a butchers being at least 50% if not 75% more expensive.

It's all very well watching all these cookery programmes where they think nothing of getting a whole leg of lamb for �40 but us mere mortals have to budget.

Anyway, i won't be put off until i've found out for myself and i'll report back my findings.

[tiggerblue10]

Hi Hammerman,

Have a look at this guide. You may need to click on it to enlarge. However, don't be embarrassed about asking your local butcher which cut is for what purpose. Thats what they are there for and I'm sure will be happy to help.

http://www.wapitiriver.com/images/Wapiti-Cutti ng-Chart_web.jpg

http://www.joseph-morris.co.uk/cuts/lamb%20cut s.jpeg

[shaneystar2]

I use a local butcher in our market or we have two in our High Street .I don't buy stuff like bacon or cooked meats from him though .I would rather eat less meat and pay the bit extra for good stuff though .
A good butcher will give you the provenance of his meat and he will weigh it out and and you can have whatever you want .They hang it for the correct amount of time and don't just bang it out wrapped in in bits of plastic with hardly any fat like they do in the supermarkets.
I usually just ask for a piece of brisket for example, in money rather than weight ..I just say ..a piece of brisket about six quid in money ...etc .
I like belly pork rashers ,but I don't want those thick bits they have in the supermarket ..My butcher cuts them as thin as I want them ..
I spend about 30 pounds every six weeks at the butchers and for that I get a joint , either beef ,pork or lamb,whatever we fancy,more often than not it's beef , ,.chipolatas , sausages ,pork belly ,a bacon hock , liver , stewing steak ,pork loin chops and 5lbs mince. There are only two us of that eat meat anyway and we don't have a roast every Sunday these days .I rarely buy chicken because I don't like it but he has free range large chickens for about six pounds .You could feed a family for a week on one of them .
That sees us through for ages .I suppose the price will vary where ever you are in the country This is all local meat.
.I would avoid farmers markets for meat though .it may be good and very organic but it' s very overpriced .
And they tend to stuff things with apricots and all this other fancy doings which pushes the price up.

[winebuyer]

Use your butcher !!!

But do your buying backwards. Instead of shopping, then waiting for the price, you say "I'm looking to spend about �x and I want some [whatever] for [however many] of us. What have you got?"

Why would any butcher think you are being a pain in the a**e when you are standing there, waiting to give him your money?

And if you think your local butcher is expensive, try buying his bacon. It goes into the grill, and comes out the same size. You will suddenly discover that for all these years, you have been paying your local supermarket for thin strips of pink water, which may be cheap, but it's not good value. Once you've had thick, meaty, tasty, butcher's bacon, you will never waste your money in a supermarket again.

[theonlyone]

I use a local butcher and can buy a bacon
hock for �1.50 ..I had brisket on the bone
for �3.. and that was 3 bones ..huge ...
lovely ...supermarket meat is not hung
long enough ..it should look brown not pink ...
try the local shop and he will put you right ..
or if you are lucky an lady in the queue will
point you in the right direction.. if you don't
ask you never learn ...

[Lakitu]

I use my local butcher too, he is a little more expensive than the supermarket, but I do get more for my money (e.g. the bacon).

Once per month, I buy a 'pack', I pay �40 and the butcher gives me a selection of different meats, which I freeze in amounts that are manageable for just me. I don't eat meat every day and I find that it pretty much always lasts me the month.

[weeal]

If you start using a butcher you wont want to go back to pre-packed tesco type meat. The difference is night and day and much healthier and tastier.

Both Morrisons and Sainsburys have excellent butcher counters and are not too exensive, and will advise you on almost anything you ask, theyre good like that honest.

Ive found a cheap butcher in a local shopping mall, like a mini marketplace, and they do value meat parcels where you get a bit of this and a bit of that for �15 and theres loads of different things in it. great value. Lidl also used to do this but dont think they have a butchery bit now.

[Diane1954]

I like my local butcher,he has a blackboard with details of where the meat comes from. I find him very helpful but if you do want advice I wouldn't ask on a Friday or Saturday as these are likely to be his busy days.He'll be able to give you more time during the week.

[ethandron]

have to say, i totally agree with boo, and have had exactly the same experience. i was so disappointed as i really wanted to shop locally for local meat, but the price was prohibitive.
i have since started buying most of my meat from costco, rather than my local asda (nothing wrong with asda's meat and never had a problem with it) because of a recommendation from a neighbour, and we have really noticed the difference. as you're probably aware, you have to buy it in large packs, so i just split it up when i get home and freeze it in manageable portions. they regularly have offers too, and i always take advantage of them which brings the price down further. if you can, give costco meat a go, i don't think you'll be disappointed.

[country_boy]

Hi
Any butcher worth visiting will gladly chat to you and give you advice. As someone said, may be worth going in when quiet to chat.
I'm lucky as I have a farm shop just up the lane from me. Can be expensive but I find the difference is well worth it. Mind you some things are cheaper than the supermarkets, eg. free range chicken legs (quarters) are 60p each and their homemade varieties of sausages are around �2 for a lb. Chuck steak and mince are pretty reasonable too.
If you can afford it (or have a birthday coming up!), get the River Cottage Meat book - covers pretty much everything you need to know cut wise and what it suits, plus loads of recipes and explanations of slow vs fast cooking etc.
There must be thousands of websites that'll tell you the same. I'll see if I can find some good ones for you.
I have a roast pretty much every sunday and like to vary between beef, lamb and pork - occasionally chicken.
If lamb - I usually either slow roast shoulder or fast roast the leg. (leg more expensive and less fatty than shoulder - remember though - fat = flavour)
If pork - I usally go for a flank of belly pork or a rolled loin. I find leg can dry out a bit if you're not careful. I find shoulder is cheaper than loin and leg is the more expensive cut.
Beef - I like to roast rib or use brisket (a lot cheaper) in the slow cooker for a pot roast.
Mostly I ask for boned and rolled joints to save hassle but am going to start roasting on the bone as the flavour should be even better. Don't be afraid to ask the butcher to bone/roll the joint if they're not already prepared. He should offer you the bones after (if not, ask for them, you'll more than likely be paying for them anyway) they are good for making stock or just use as a rack to prop the meat upon.
as already advised ask for an amount money wise. Take cash so you can make out you've only got a certain amount to spend!

[hammerman]

Thanks everyone....brilliant help and advice as usual

[country_boy]

Here are a few sites that may help:

http://www.cliftonm.demon.co.uk/index.html

http://www.thefoody.com/basic/basicmeats.html

http://www.ivillage.co.uk/food/meatpoultry/art icles/0,,164342_550141,00.html

[Eve]

Just been up Bury Market and got some nice fresh gammon steaks, chicken and sirloin steaks from there.

Looks lovely quality and can't wait to try it.

Popped into Morrisons on the way back and had a chat with one of the butchers and got some fresh mince from him and fresh fish from the fish counter as well as lots of fruit and veggies.

Will see how it goes but the biggest difference we noticed between the market and Morrissons was the quality of chicken.

They do big platters of chicken breast for a tenner at the market so going to get one of those next week and freeze it.

[Alibobs]

I use a local butcher - although in comparison the prices may seem higher the quality is so much better. He knows the origin of the meat and tells me about his suppliers.

Like Shaney i would rather eat less meat but know what I'm eating.

However one thing I think you should bear in mind - a good butcher can advise you on the cheaper cuts of meat and how to cook them. In the supermarkets you only tend to see the "popular" cuts which lack in flavour sometimes

I bought a piece of belly pork last week which the butcher boned for me - I rolled it at home with some herbs (although he would do this for you and stuff chickens etc if you take the stuffing along) and slow roasted it. It served twelve people, there was lovely crackling and it was delicious. It cost me �8.00 to buy

So go on, go on in and have a chat!