OK, Need a bit of advice. Butchers best mate

food
#1

Hi peeps.
Loving this forum.

I’m the first to admit it…I’ve been good at keto, but a bit crap at diversifying, especially with cuts of meat.
Apart from liver (which I love), sirloin steak, and bacon…it seems like Ground Hog Day.
I’m good at spicing things up etc. with the keto vegetables, but I’ve lost inspiration about the meat.

Then I perused on here. Wow!

Lots of good ideas, from a lot of good people.

I’m asking you good people, to advise me, because I’m about to engage with a particularly good local butcher. I would love to know, in a quick go-to guide, how you manage and cook different cuts of meat.
With herbs and spices, method etc…

Yes, I know, why not just search the internet?
Too full of nonsense. I trust this place.

Thanks!

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #2

The year I spent in London, our local butcher sold a kind of bacon that was really yummy, and much more substantial than what we get here in the U.S. (I love them both; they are very different). Given the difference in the standard cuts of meat between the two countries, I asked him what to ask for upon returning to the States, and he said to use the term “uncured back gammon.” You might look for some of that locally to wherever you are.

I love a good pork picnic, which is the shoulder joint. It roasts a treat, has a cap of fat that makes it self-basting, and despite all the bone, it yields quite a few very tasty meals. I also like ribeye steak—which is a fatty cut with a round bone in it—better than sirloin. If you like liver, try also kidneys and beef heart. Also tongue, if you can find it. It’s hard to find anywhere in the U.S., unfortunately. Oxtail used to be the cheapest beef, and it makes a delicious soup/stew, but it became popular in the U.S. about thirty years ago. Alas, my innner Scotsman simply will not allow me to pay $8.50/lb. for something that should cost only $0.99/lb.

Cured meats might also be another option, at least to occasionally relieve the monotony. I love a good prosciutto/Parma ham, not to mention pepperoni. And in my area they sell something called Irish garlic sausage that is yummy. I don’t know how Irish it is, but it’s certainly garlicky!

P.S.—I also much prefer goose and duck to most chicken.

#3

Nothing to add; just watching and salivating…

#4

Hmmm. Got me thinking there.
Might try some duck, goose or/and pork shoulder in the slow cooker.

I’ll have to go easy on the herbs and spices though- I’ve history of ruining things like pulled pork in the slow cooker by adding too much…then the sauce is too strong when it has reduced over a few hours.
I think I can get my hands on duck easily enough (farm reared).
I can certainly get my hands on wild duck as a lot of my work mates shoot them on lough Neagh…but shooting season is over until September.
Completely different fat content, farmhouse and wild ducks…taste too.

(UsedToBeT2D) #5

I just did a pork shoulder picnic roast in slow cooker. 8 lbs, fat side up, sprinkled salt, pepper, garlic powder, 1 cup of water, 8 hrs on low. Pull apart with fork. Delicious. After shredding, I add a couple tablespoons of no sugar bbq sauce after shredding if I need a bit of sweet.

(Bob M) #6

I think this is a great duck recipe:

And you can make 1, 2, or 3 ducks at a time. I usually make 2.

For me, duck is expensive, and goose is really prohibitively expensive for what you get.

#7

That seems like a belter mate!
I think I’ll try that, cheers.

#8

All good advice. Keeps the diet alive…my problem is, if groundhog day gets to me, I’ll just go back to bad habits. I’ve been eating ‘Keto’ choc bars recently, and even I deep down know that needs to stop.

(Michael) #9

Variety is nice. I eat everything from eyeballs to testicles to feet. If you have a good butcher, get some cheeks or tongue and pressure cook for 80 minutes. They fall apart when removing from pot. Very good. I am getting both later today actually along with hearts and ground beef.
Thymus and pancreas (probably called sweetbreads by your butcher) are also excellent. Most recipes call for blanching and boiling then frying while I pressure cook for 40 minutes and then deep fry in pork fat or ghee. This is my favourite of all the meats, I just add salt after frying.
Might also want to try sheep brain fried in butter and added with scrambled eggs ( scrambled brains) using heavy whipping cream. You can always add some protein to all that fat, here is where testicles could add more flavour to your meal. I do not add spices except salt, but you may want to add some to your dishes.

#10

Thanks for that. I’ve no doubt all these organ meats taste delicious (I love liver for instance), but I think the texture of the likes of tongue or heart might put me off though. Never say never though- I may try them.
I was just reading up on liver there, I never realised it was so packed with so much Vitamin A.
I think I’ll have to restrict myself to eating it only once a week or so. It should come with a warning label; regarding the possibility of leading to Hypervitaminosis A if eaten in excess or too frequently.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #11

Tongue tastes and feels in the mouth like corned beef, so if you like the latter, you will like the former. Beef heart, in my experience, is indistinguishable from roast beef.

#12

I just remember the crunch from Biology dissection class, taking a scalpel to a pig’s heart…crunch! Very fibrous.