To be confused about supermarket meat

[Cat98]

I read all these comments about local butchers, but can anyone tell me what I should be looking for if I am buying meat from a supermarket? (To ensure some element of welfare/quality). Red tractor? Free range? Organic? I can't go to a butcher, I'm stuck with good old tesco or sainsburys. But I want to buy the best I can from a crappy supermarket bunch!

[givemeaclue]

Get British then, not overseas

[SkinnybitchWannabe]

Buy British.

[aldiwhore]

You are limited as to what you can know you're buying anywhere to be fair, but generally, the more expensive it is, the more likely you are to get the animal you desire!

I can't always afford the organic labelled meat, or the meat that proudly announces the farm on which it lived, but I try to buy cuts of meat from the middle of the price range section... I don't even buy mince, I mince my own in the food processor (from stewing steak, cheaper too).

I don't think you'd be buying horse if you buy Tesco value mince though.

Morrissons is favoured by me at the moment as for a while they've made a big thing about simplifying their food sources by owning their own farms, abatoirs (spelling sorry) etc., but I'm sure if you dig deep enough there will be something not to like about them.

We have so much choice that actually it's becoming impossible to choose the right thing!

[gordyslovesheep]

British
Rspca welfare standards as a minimum
Organic
Free range

What you can afford but British as a minimum

[TWinklyLittleStar]

Have you considered using an online butcher like this one? If it's good enough for the Queen... :)

[MousyMouse]

yep, buy as local as possible. check labels, as sometimes the meat is just packed in uk, not produced here. also some meats (esp chicken and pork) can be injected with water or brine, but that also should be declared on the label.

[Cat98]

Thanks, that's helpful. I am relieved too because the non organic British stuff tends to be cheaper than organic overseas! I didn't know which was best. We don't eat meat every day and I no longer buy any frozen processed meat. (Fish fingers though - they're ok, right?!)

[Cat98]

Twinkly star - I'd love to use something like that but just too expensive.

[babiesinslingsgetcoveredinfood]

Sea horses

[Cat98]

Haha babies - I saw that too while skimming the other thread!

[TWinklyLittleStar]

It is expensive cat, we now eat far fewer meat dishes than we used to but the meat we do eat tastes better. We've ultimately saved money as buying in advance forces us to menu plan, so no more last minute shopping trips or takeaways. I know that isn't the case for everyone though. (and getting DH to eat pulses is still a battle!)

[babiesinslingsgetcoveredinfood]

twinkly same. Especially re pulses, it's a chickpea not stricnine FFS!

[gordyslovesheep]

Haha expensive cat ...do you fry or roast that?

[ouryve]

Buy British - the tractor is a helpful thing to look for. Avoid anything processed unless the package tells you exactly where it came from. Some packaging is deceptive - it can say manufactured or produced in the UK, but this doesn't mean the ingredients are British in origin.

[Cat98]

Haha! If I tried to serve dh pulses he would be trying to roast our cat I think...
I am not keen on pulses either so we struggle for tasty veggie dishes beyond soups or pasta in various types of cheese! Do sometimes use quorn for curries but that's not much cheaper than meat!

[babiesinslingsgetcoveredinfood]

I have been gradually working my way up. He now likes the tiny red lentils & inexplicably loves pearl barley. I made a very garlicky bittern bean dip which he wolfed down, I just called it garlic dip. If I'd called it butter bean hummus like I used to, he wouldn't have touched it!
I do veg curries with whatever -dried up-- bits are at the bottom of the fridge, potatoes etc & chuck in a handful or two of red lentils. They cook down into the sauce, so you get the benefit with none of the texture many don't like.