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Original poster

I went to our local award winning butchers today and I should have just given the chappy my PIN number..

18 replies

Megglevache · 30/09/2008 20:02

..and told him to go for it.

It was so ££££££££££££££££££ even though I was ordering the cheaper cuts of meat!

I felt terribly grown up going there and pretending I knew exactly the cuts of meat I needed but our local supermarket's meat is rank and always off well before the display dates.

I have just eaten some lamb stew which has been cooking for 6 hours and it's the best I have ever tasted. And I bought oxtail!

How much do you think it would have cost

1 big pork belly (for 5)
Scrag end of lamb (12 pieces)
Beef shin (for 6)
8 (breadcrumb-less)home made sausages
6 hunks of oxtail.

OP posts:
Carmenere · 30/09/2008 20:03

35-40 quid?

Original poster
Megglevache · 30/09/2008 20:05

Carmenere how did I know you'd be hot footing it on here, you big foodie you

OP posts:
edam · 30/09/2008 20:08

If you are lucky enough to have a good butcher, ask him for ideas. My mother claims she was pretty much taught to cook by our local butcher!

Original poster
Megglevache · 30/09/2008 20:14

Really Edam, he was so lovely a proper old gent with an ancient bow tie and even older jokes and he did tell me to cook the Oxtail in red wine (a whole bottle!) for as long as I possibly could.

Perhaps next time I'm there I'll ask for some ideas on really cheapie unused cuts (not offal though)

OP posts:
Carmenere · 30/09/2008 20:15

Oh yes our local butcher taught me how to make sausages and used to give me sausage casings for free.

Original poster
Megglevache · 30/09/2008 20:17

whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat!

That you must share.

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Original poster
Megglevache · 30/09/2008 20:18

Oh I forgot to say it came to £28 but that amount should be ok for about a month. It just seemed so pricey compared to the supermarket.

OP posts:
OhWellNeverMind · 30/09/2008 20:22

It is pricier than the supermarket.

But sooo much nicer. I find that I add far less bisto and oxo and "flavour ehancers" to stews and bologneses and stuff when I buy from the butchers.

Carmenere · 30/09/2008 20:23

Well he just told me what proportion of meat to fat to use, what cuts were best and what seasoning's to use.

Original poster
Megglevache · 30/09/2008 20:24

That's very true. When my mum came over in the summer she bought steak from them and would not stop raving about it saying like it tasted the way steak used to take in the olden days [bless the old folk]

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OhWellNeverMind · 30/09/2008 20:33

The only meat that I have bought from supermarket in last 18m or so is occasional Minced beef (butchers is closed on Monday and sometimes I forget to plan ahead). I can still taste the difference though...even after it has been made into a bolognese/chilli etc.

PigeonPie · 30/09/2008 20:41

It might be more expensive, but I find I don't need to use as much. Between me and the two DSs I generally use half a chicken breast at the moment (that's until they are both eating almost as much as I do!) because they are so big and even if DH is eating with us I will only use one.

Our Butcher's ham is cheaper and much nicer than supermarket ham and the packaging is greatly reduced (one poly bag rather than the plastic 'plate' things) and it's fresh - if they run out they go and get another whole ham to put on the slicer!

I buy two or three pound bags of mince and pop them in the freezer and also buy five chicken breasts and bag them separately so that I've generally got something to dive in the freezer for.

In answer to your question though Meg, I'd have thought between £40 and £45?

Original poster
Megglevache · 30/09/2008 21:06

Maybe not as much as I thought then.

OP posts:
OhWellNeverMind · 30/09/2008 21:07

I would have said between £40-50 incidently...so it sounds as though you have actually got a good value butcher.

Anyway it sounds as though you have about 30-35 portions of meat there - at less than £1 per portion for fresh quality meat that is a BARGAIN.

You couldn't buy a Gregg's sausage roll and fruit shoot per person for that and think of the relative nutrtional value .

Original poster
Megglevache · 30/09/2008 21:09

Blimey, when you put it like that.

OP posts:
PigeonPie · 30/09/2008 21:58

Meg, I didn't see your post about how much you paid! That's a bargin - keep going there.

In fact I know that I've been going to buy meat at our butchers for a while now because the owner always calls me Mrs PigeonPie :-) - even though I'd be quite happy him calling me by my Christian name. Actually, it feels like I ought to be my Mother's age

NorthernLurker · 30/09/2008 22:01

I think £28 is very reasonable. I've been buying meat from the butchers at the farm shop for a while now and have found consistently that it is similar prices or indeed cheaper than supermarkets and the quality is amazing!

Original poster
Megglevache · 01/10/2008 10:18

You are spot on about the quality. The meat does look so different compared to the pre wrapped which I have always benn used to.

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