AIBU to confront the butcher?

[pinkflamingo12]

I'm aware this is a bit of a strange question, but I wanted to get outside opinions before i jump in with two feet on this issue

Over the last couple of weeks myself and DH have had my in-laws round for sunday lunch. Both times i cooked a beef and onion pie for the main course. I thought it would be a showstopper but for some reason both pies have smelled like wee and i was really confused as to why?

The first time it happened i presumed DH has bought a dodgy onion from the supermarket but when it happened the second time i knew that couldnt be the case as we had shopped for ingredients at a completely different, more upmarket, supermarket (under the impression that the onions were causing the wee smell). However, both times i used beef i had got from the same butcher. I can't help but think that, if it isnt the onions which are causing my pies to smell like wee, it must be the beef.

So basically, i was wondering should i confront the butcher? I dont want to upset or offend him, i just need him to know that the beef he sold me was unsavoury. What if myself, DH or even my in-laws had become ill after eating it? What if someone else has become ill from eating it?

i'm not sure if i should go back to his shop and tell him that the beef he sold me smells like wee when cooked or if i should leave a review on facebook so that others are aware of his dodgy meat and avoid the shop so they dont get ill, as the wee smell might be cause by bacteria?

i would really appreciate any advice you lovely people have! Thank you in advance

Except that no cow would reach 20 -25 years, as if we didn't farm them for meat or milk they would be wild animals with a shorter lifespan as nature dictates. As for humane, I'd much rather go quickly than starve due to a wasting disease or infection or being lame and dying slowly.
So many people eat meat that abbatoirs will continue to be a reality of life as distasteful as some find them, so surely the focus should be on quality of life and humane treatment. This is not just the responsibility of abbatoirs but of farmers and transporters as well. All I can say is that abbatoirs I've been in, put a premium on animal welfare and staff are trained extensively in the movement and good treatment of the animals that pass through. As previously said there is no benefit to efficiency if animals are stressed and scared.
Cows are actually slaughtered anywhere from around 6 months for veal to 20 odd years depending on the type of cow and the intended purpose.

I wondèr if any vegan has actually every quilted someone out of eating meat. I doubt it.

It's interesting that you used the word guilted, why would someone associate guilt with eating meat if they believed there was nothing wrong in doing it?

Vegans dont try and guilt people, but many do try and make them aware of some of the realities of the milk and dairy industries, if someone feels guilty that's between them and their conscience. Does it work? I would assume so, as the number of people going vegan has escalated this year and there was vegan marches all around the globe last weekend, with all the marches more than doubling their numbers compared to last year, Tel Aviv had over 20,000 people marching.

Re: pork smelling of wee I've always thought it smells like shit when it's being cooked. I put it down to the fact pigs aren't choosy what they eat
Omg, my friend says this!

It's ironic that someone who worked in a slaughter house uses the name the old cow when cows who have a natural lifespan of 20-25 years are slaughtered between the ages of 12 and 24 MONTHS

Err, ok. Like I said I'm happy with my choice to eat meat. I don't eat much but I enjoy what I do. BTW it wasn't my parents flat that smelt bad it was the food that their vegan tenants cooked. Like I said I have no idea what it was but it was rank. Maybe beans? I obviously am not suggesting ALL vegan food smells bad . I sometimes eat food suitable for vegans myself 🤷🏻‍♀️ Come to think of it I'm not too keen on the smell of hung pheasants either.....

Oldcow sorry, I'm not a chef or a butcher. Haven't any experience in this industry. I merely googled it!
Sounded like it could be a thing! Although if the bladders are removed moments after, then obviously not. I'm glad some comments are funny to everyone else 😁
He is selling old meat, so yes out of order, needs to be told. You expect meat to be fresh from a butchers.

I've just read the recipe...

If the mince didn't stink of piss when you browned (ie cooked) it before making the actual pie, then it's not the mince.

I'm going to assume it didn't because noone would continue to make a pie with pissy mince.

Worcestershire sauce is fermented and has anchovies in. It smells awful if it goes off. Equally pastry can go rancid and stinks to high hell when it does. The pastry is the only raw ingredient at the point the pie went in the oven where the smell appeared, therefore it is the most likely culprit.

Improper refrigeration/freezing/thawing can all cause pastry to become rancid.

I think you've got your finger in the wrong pie blaming the butcher...

I think it would be a bit quick to blame the butcher when there are so many other variables that could cause the piss-like smell. Try different meat whilst using all the same other ingredients, if he pie doesn't smell then you have found the cause, if it does then you need to try a process of elimination/swapping the place of purchase until you find the smell goes.

Other than all of that this thread has been quite funny but also informative. It's nice to hear what it's like from those who work in an abattoir and this has made me feel even more confident about eating meat. Looking forward to my lamb chops tonight.. hopefully no pissy smells.

If it is a butcher where you can ask for the meat to be minced while you watch/wait then do that. You can choose the meat you want and ask them to mince it. You would need to be able to see it being done though.

The reason for this is that mince often contains all the bits of animal that won't be sold otherwise, they just bung it in with the good stuff, so may contain bits of kidneys, noses, ears etc. Same as with burgers and sausages, it might say 100% beef but it doesn't specify which bits of the animal.