chocolate_o_brian

iTrader: (22)

There was a thread on here a few weeks back which got onto the subject of what folk spend on shopping. I remember stating that I was going to try my local butcher up the high street for meats and compare a little bit after.

Well suffice to say I am converted - the difference isn't astonishing but the meat from my butchers is much better for similar money

I'm not going to stop shopping at Asda's as I see no shame in getting value for money over a "scenic" supermarket but from now on I will be getting my meat from the butchers. It will cost a little more BUT I can have more variety in my diet, experiment more with my lack of cooking skills and not eat (so much of) the processed stuff

Today got...
6 thick beef burgers
5 slabs of belly pork
1 1/2 lb of bacon
500g diced chicken
2 nice sized rib-eye steaks

Totall was about £17.41 which isnt bad.

Just to add, I food shop on a fortnightly basis, so some of the above will be frozen and defrosted over the next two weeks.

oldsplice

Told you so!

Always ask the butcher for ideas as to how to cook stuff. Cheap cuts are lovely when casseroled etc. In *some* cases, they will even show you how to make a Scooby badge out of sausages!

Chip

We do most of our shopping in local shops. Try buying a whole chicken though and bone it yourself. Easy to do and it will halve the cost of what you pay for diced chicken. And you can make stock from the bones as well.

Meat from the butcher will also not contain added water ,salt and worst of all phosphates, all of which can be found in supermarket meat.

Chip

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Get yourself a slow cooker, about £15 at Tesco. Cooks cheap cuts of meat into lovely tasty meals. Add a few veg and it's a stew you can just walk away from while it cooks.

Experiment with herbs and spices too.

http://direct.tesco.com/q/R.100-2168.aspx

Chip

Weve got a beef stew cookng at the moment made with beef shin. Lovely!

Chip

chocolate_o_brian

iTrader: (22)

Aye, the Mrs knows all the casserolle stuff and how to use the bones - me I just stuff to pieces so I'm not bothered about a little gore

Thing is you walk in and my eyes bulge at all the treats available whereas in our local Asda it's boring Also if I catch them at a good time and say the magic word "bargains", one of people serving usually finds you an offer for buying 3-4-5 of something..

chocolate_o_brian

iTrader: (22)

Got one from Asdas, Jeff when they were on offer for about £7

Nat uses it now and again but I'm not a veggie/fruit person as you know

Lee247

Yep. I'll be off to the butchers once I have this vat return printed off.
Roast Pork this week mm mm mm

Ant

Missus makes a brilliant beef Wellington......I'm dribbling thinking about it

oldsplice

Ant

You not a fan?

oldsplice

I meant the 'dribbling', you twerp!

dpb

Would go to the local /only butcher here in sussex ,but id go broke in a month

Asked for a price on some oxtail for a few meals haha


for the same money the girlfriend went to Landan an back ( seven sisters ) market stalls and came back with half a bucket load !

Ant

I'm hungry leave alone

oldsplice

You big wuss!

chocolate_o_brian

iTrader: (22)

Here's one then... me and Nat are having the rib-eye steaks tonight. How to do them?? Last time I did both under a medium grill with some mixed spice/herb on them as frying would have seen it all disappear. Being preggers she has to have hers well done (usually rare). I like mine medium-well.

Any tips? Having with chips and beans

Chip

Beans?? FFS

Cook your steak in a very hot cast iron griddle pan. Oil and season the meat not the pan.
Cook from room temp for dependiong on thickness 2 1/2 mins side.Rest for 3-4 mins after cooking.

Nat can have it rare as bugs live on the outside of beef and lamb rather than through the meat like with pork or chicken.

For chips use Maris Piper spuds and cook first for 7-8mins at 140c then blast them at 180c just before serving.

Serve with mushrooms pan fied in garlic butter and a grilled half tomato topped with balsamic vinegar.

Enjoy!

Chip

dpb

Our grill is so inadequate it just doesnt work for steak ,

Chip

Very few home grills will be hot enough to cook a good steak. Even most BBQs are inadequate.

Chip

chocolate_o_brian

iTrader: (22)

Right, french fries and beans for me it is then

Sorry for wasting your time I'll pass it onto Nat if she doesn't hit me for suggesting rare steak

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

I can't beat my local butchers for pork and sausages, its absolutely suberb.

His beef isn't quite so good though, but then I struggle to get decent Rib-eye/Entrecote in the UK full stop...supermarket beef in Spain is miles better. Don't Ask me why, maybe its not so 'mad'

As chip says, steaks MUST be done on a griddle ontop of gas burner; A electric grill isn't hot enough. Gas BBQ will often suffice if pre-heated enough.

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Then here is your chance. Add some veg to the mix and eat it as stew.

Potatoes, courgettes, swede, turnip, beans, peas, leaks, onions etc all go well in stew, tomatoes add flavour.

Chip

Bit of a waste of a good steak there though.

Chip

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Nah, I'm on about when/if he uses the slow cooker.

Andy: thought about getting used to veg by using a liquidiser to make soups, since you object to the texture?

stuart69

iTrader: (1)

Always happy to help

Ant

Cook your steak in some reggae reggae sauce that's what we do


*when I say we I mean the missus.

oldsplice

You'd never make a Scooby badge out of YOUR sausage!

chocolate_o_brian

iTrader: (22)

As you know mate my eating habits are fussy so the above veg would feed Nat a treat but would see me hungry

I liquidised fruit but not veg as I hate the taste (unless I hold my nose whilst I bowk)

Oooh, err. I don't actually like Reggae Reggae sauce. Bought a couple varieties of it from Asdas a few months back to try it on a few different meats. Didn't get along with the tangyness of it. I prefer chilli and pepper over sweet or tangy/fruity sauces. Unless they make a pepper one now?

Ant

Dunno I have to have the ketchup one now as the original reggae reggae is too hot cos I'm a *****

chocolate_o_brian

iTrader: (22)