To b shocked by the price of meat a tthe butchers?

[LyraSilvertongue]

I bought:

Two sirloin steaks

Two (individual) chicken and mushroom pies

Eight thin slices of salami.

It came to more than £19.

And they wonder why people go to supermarkets for their meat. I'd love to buy good quality meat all the time but at that price we'd hardly ever eat it.

One of the things we love about our butchers is that they love making recommendations and will prepare the meat exactly how you want it. So we ask for recommendations for say a stew and then pick based on what he says, plus he always tells us the price of the things he recommends so we know the cost before we buy. If we're doing roast pork, we always ask him to score the skin as his knives are sharper, he is more skilled and it makes much better crackling. Last summer we bought a leg of lamb but wanted it butterflied so it could be opened up, marinaded and barbecued, and they did that for us for no extra cost. And as others have said, if they don't have what you want oin display they'll usually just disappear into the back and fetch it. They're fab.

Plus unlike the supermarket they always have a chat and a joke and share the local gossip, so it's a much more pleasant experience. Prices are reasonable - more than supermarket but not significantly so, but definitely better quality. We haven't bought a supermarket chicken in the 5 years we've lived here as his are so good.

The other things is - there is much less packaging than the supermarket as it comes in paper and small plastic bags rather than big plastic or polystyrene trays. So more eco-friendly and supporting local business - very trendy

HolidaysQueen - my mum was literally taught to cook by her butcher. When she married my dad she had no cooking knowledge at all and very little money but she would go into the butcher's and say 'What can I make for my husband's dinner today?' and he would sell her something cheap and tell her how to cook it and which veg to serve it with.

So the moral is I must stop being shy and talk to my butcher.

twinklemegan absolutely - getting chatting

kathy the 'balancing the carcass' thing is what all good butchers do I think. I'm sure you are right that that is why they like to sell the cheaper cuts. My butcher (and I'm sure he's not the only one) seems to have a lot of respect for the animals he sells and likes to see them used well hence giving cooking tips and selling all of the animal and not just the supposedly nicer bits.

I think that those of us who eat meat should make as much effort as possible to eat as much as the animal as we can and not have any waste.

Plus the thing about cheaper cuts is that they often have a lot more fat in them so you end up with a meal that has is more succulent and has tonnes more flavour provided you cook it for long enough. A fat-free, fancy, expensive cut of meat may not actually be the tastiest - it's just the poshest and quickest to cook.

Another good basic book which covers stews etc. is Delia's Complete Cookery Course. But then that book is good for most things

Our butchers fascinates tourists - they have a huge window in which are always stacked a pile of haggis, and hanging behind them are several half cows. I guess that means they do the balancing the carcass thing, and you do know the beef has been hung!

Also you can sometimes 'balance the carcass' yourself by having the whole lot. I've never tried this yet, but my local butcher sells half lambs for the freezer, for about £40 or £50 I think (all jointed for you). I've never sat down and worked it out, but it's probably pretty good value.

I would love to do that MrsBumblebee! But not enough room in freezer or anywhere we could put another

jsut bought today from my organic butcher in east dulwich

3 small fillet steaks

8 rashers back bacon

250 grm beef mince

1 free range chicken

20.15

the quality it is just amazing and worth it!

Totally agree about the cheaper cuts. Just cook them slowly and for a longer time and the meat just falls off the bone.

In fact, one of the reasons I go to a butcher is to get cheaper cuts of beef (like oxtail, brisket, chuck), which supermarkets don't often stock. I also love pork belly - makes super crackling at very little cost.

Bought ds a sausage roll from the butcher today is that better than a greg's one

WHo buys Greggs sausage rolls?

The meat content looks so white that people must know they are not eating much meat...it is all fat!! yuck yuck yuck

I bought a Greggs sausage roll recently. It was 'orrible.

Mrsbumblebee it really is very good value and well worth a try. We used to do get 1/4 cow every now and then and it was fantastic (like christmas everytime the big box arrived).

Oh dear, am I the only foodie on here with a secret love of Gregg's sausage rolls? They're my once in a blue moon guilty treat . I know they're full of total crap, but I love them all the same...

Mrsbumblebee I eat gregs hot sausage rolls, it isn't a secret and I sometimes eat them at work in the tea room in full view. Last week my dd and I eat a gregs sausage roll each walking along the street!

So it is only february and alread three have been consumed by the people in this household.....