Buying meat in the local butchers Vs the supermarket

Re: Buying meat in the butchers

Well, considering the amount of reodents my cats bring me I could deffo make a few stews!

OR even a blackbird pie

Actually, a quick question in relation to mince...if, for example I'm heating it on the pan and as happens, after a while there's quite a lot of liquid after coming out, is this all fat, or would some of it be water as well?
 
Re: Buying meat in the butchers

Kine said:
Actually, a quick question in relation to mince...if, for example I'm heating it on the pan and as happens, after a while there's quite a lot of liquid after coming out, is this all fat, or would some of it be water as well?
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Some of it would be water as well. Try turkey mince to see a difference, you get some watery liquid, but not as much (less fat), but there'd always be some water in meat.
 
Re: Buying meat in the butchers

Kine said:
Actually, a quick question in relation to mince...if, for example I'm heating it on the pan and as happens, after a while there's quite a lot of liquid after coming out, is this all fat, or would some of it be water as well?
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A fair bit of liquid will always come out of mince. The amount and what it mainly comprises of just depends on the quality and where you get it.

Supermarket basic mince - generally high water content as well as high fat content.

Minced steak from a butcher - much less water but still a fair bit of fat.

Lean steak mince - less fat obviously etc.

There will always be at least some water/moisture and always at least some fat.

If you check recipes that use mince they nearly always mention 'draining off the excess liquid' - so that's how 'normal' it is I guess. If it's good mince don't drain all the liquid though as it will have good flavour - 'liquid' from cheap mince is horrible.

I'm no butcher or chef but that's my take on it anyway.

Edit: crossed with TS
 
Re: Buying meat in the butchers

Kine said:
Actually, a quick question in relation to mince...if, for example I'm heating it on the pan and as happens, after a while there's quite a lot of liquid after coming out, is this all fat, or would some of it be water as well?
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Already answered I know. The answer is to fry in smaller batches rather than the mince all at once. It's easier to drain off and ensure that the meat gets fried rather than poached.
 
Re: Buying meat in the butchers

If it's good quality mince meat from a butcher then you will get very little water.
If it's from a supermarket then you'll get a lot more water in my expericnce.
 
Re: Buying meat in the butchers

MandaC said:
I've never had minced mouse - must be a delicacy!
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Heston Blumenthal (he's mad, he is) did chocolate mouse on a stick for one of his Christmas feasts. It was dormouse. I'll see if I can find a link anywhere in case anyone's feeling adventurous. Some of the people at the dinner couldn't eat it at all once they realised it was an actual mouse inside the chocolate shell, but others managed.

His programs are generally very interesting/funny as he tries to work out how to replicate some old dish or some crazy invention. I wouldn't be rushing down to his resto for the tasting menu as I have a feeling I wouldn't be able for a fraction of what he makes so it would be a huge waste of money. But still, it's interesting.

z

p.s. found some links - http://www.channel4.com/food/on-tv/heston-blumenthal/feast/about-heston-s-christmas-feast_p_1.html &
 
Re: Buying meat in the butchers

TBH I would absolutely love to try some of his stuff, just for the experience.
 
Re: Buying meat in the butchers

I wouldnt mind trying Stuart Little on a stick....
 
Re: Buying meat in the butchers

Just to follow up on this. I bought a free range St. Sever chicken in Superquinn today. It was expensive at 13.00, given that they had specials on their own range for larger chickens for 5.49. I left the chicken in behind the butchery counter and asked if they could joint it for me and I would collect it later on. Came back, collected chicken, which was rewrapped. Got home, chicken just more or less randomly hacked with bits of bone stuck everywhere. Some poor guest is going to get a chicken wing as a portion.

One more reason to visit a proper butchers if you want somebody who knows what they are doing. I would rather they said they did not know how to do it, rather than ruin it.
 
Re: Buying meat in the butchers

I worked in meat dept of big supermarket years ago - uggggg never touch their meat since. At the end of the day we had to open packages and turn the meat over so the nice pink side was now facing out. I lasted one day in that job.

Mince should always be used usually quickly after mincing. The tearing of the meat by the mincer ruins the quality of the meat. I now buy round steak at the butcher and then get him to mince it for me. No hidden water or extras that way.
 
butchers vs supermarkets

You must be going to the wrong butchers.
I work in a butchers, and we are legally obliged to put the sell by and use by dates on all our products, as well as where the meat has come from.
The reason people say they prefer butchers to supermarkets is because a butchers is part of the community. If somethings too expensive you say oh no not this week is there any special offers on. There usually will be.
Supermarket butcher counters dont have the same level of expertise, nor do they have the quality of meat that you would get from a butchers.
 
Wild Boar Sausages

I was up in Belfast and got some wild boar sausages in a market there. Does anyone know if they can be sourced in the midlands, they were very tasty.
 
I buy most of the meat from either of 2 butchers in Galway city centre. The quality of meat is far superior to the likes of Dunnes. My kids prefer sausages from the butchers.

However I do have major problem with the 2 butchers where I but meat and that is the standard of hygiene. I often see the staff handle money and meat with the same hands regardless of whether they are wearing gloves or not.

It has come to to stage where I am bringing lots of coins in my pocket so that I can pay exact change and I also bring my own bag. I even bring wipes to clean my hands after i leave. I am on first name basis with the butchers concerned. The meat is excellent and we haven't been poisoned so maybe I am over reacting? This was the norm when I went to the butcher with my Dad in the 1970's.

This never happens in Dunnes on the odd occasion when i buy meat there but the standard of meat is not as high.


Sorry for veering off topic.......
 
Hillsalt said:
I often see the staff handle money and meat with the same hands regardless of whether they are wearing gloves or not.
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Would you not say it to the butcher?
I must watch mine next weekend and see what the glove/money/meat handling situation is - I cant say Ive noticed it before.

Then again - you will be cooking the meat at a high temperature so presumably bacteria-wise its ok - although money is dirty and not necessarily with bacteria - just ordinary dirt as well, which Id rather not be eating, although I no doubt do on a regular basis!!
 
truthseeker said:
.. although money is dirty and not necessarily with bacteria - just ordinary dirt as well
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Money is laden with bacteria, and is a very common source of cross contamination. The floor is likely to be cleaner!
 
Leo said:
Money is laden with bacteria, and is a very common source of cross contamination. The floor is likely to be cleaner!
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I actually mistyped that - I meant money is dirty and not necessarily JUST with bacteria!!!

I used to work handling money, the smell and dirt of your hands of the end of a day handling money would make you sick - its probably the dirtiest thing people handle on a daily basis.
 
I find Superquinn meat fine, sausages are best around. My local butcher is awful, meat fatty and chicken fillets even fatty.( even his veg is just about gone off). I worked in a shop years ago....and they had small meat section, the guy in charge used to wash the bacon to make it look fresher and not dried out, he never washed hands and even on occasion drop it on the floor, the old dears swore by his meat....
 
Caveat said:
Do you think restaurants are any different?
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I used to work in a restuarant as well - not in this country - it wasnt pretty.

One day a very nice man quite seriously asked me what Id recommend, I looked him right in the eye and said 'another restaurant'. He thanked me, tipped me 10 dollars, and left.
 
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