Price of Meat

budgemook

Hi,

I recently moved to sandymount and in the village there is quite a good butcher. The meat from there has all been good so far but I'm not sure about the price. Could people tell me what the prices of the following things should be (in or around).

Striploin Steak:
Chicken Fillet:
Duck Breast:
Cod fillet:
Shoulder of Lamb:
Rib eye steak:
Sirloin steak:

Thanks for the help!

Honey-ec

You'll need to give an idea of what size steaks you're buying. Obviously there's going to be a huge variation in price between a 4oz piece and an 8oz one.

budgemook

well the steaks are all about 8oz. I'd like to know the approx price per lb even.

jdivision

Chicken fillets are usually 10 for E10 or 6 for E7.50 in most butchers
Duck breasts were E3 in my old butcher (office moved) and they were huge ones.
Shoulder of lamb should cost almost nothing
Not really sure of the others, particularly rib eye as for some reason it's really hard to buy in butchers.

Alun

jdivision wrote: »

Shoulder of lamb should cost almost nothing.

Why? Shoulder is one of the best cuts for diced lamb for curries etc. Breast of lamb would be ultra cheap, is that what you're thinking of?

bonkey

Alun wrote: »

Why? Shoulder is one of the best cuts for diced lamb for curries etc.

Pretty much exactly why its cheap...its effectively a stewing cut.

budgemook

shoulder is lovely even roast!

Be janey, my butcher is expensive. 3 chicken fillets for 7.50. duck fillets were 5.50 and striploin steaks 6 euro. the rib eyes weren't too expensive and i think they are the nicest steak.

thecross1

i used to be a butcher a while back and your picking the most expensive meats. butcher shops are always more expensive than supermakets. sirlion, stiplion, really dear. im not sure of prices now, its been about 8years 4 me. but i think the best thing u can do is just look in the window write down the prices and shop around in other butcher shops and supermakets. some good deals to be had if u shop around and as i said butcher shops are always more expensive.

P. Breathnach

Butchers might usually be more expensive, but not always. In general (again, not always) you get better quality in a specialist butcher's, and it can be worth paying a bit more. A good 150 gm steak is better than an inferior 200 gm one. You have to make your own judgements on value for money. In some ways, it might be better to set the question of price per lb or kg aside, and ask yourself if you got €6 worth of enjoyment out of that piece of meat.

I love whole shoulder of lamb, braised slowly. And I would love to know where to get duck breasts for €3: I think I am doing well if I get them for €5.

The Hill Billy

budgemook wrote: »

Be janey, my butcher is expensive. 3 chicken fillets for 7.50.

My butcher does 3 chicken breasts for €9. However, they are massive & you'd easily make a curry for 4 people with just 2 of them.

rubadub

thecross1 wrote: »

butcher shops are always more expensive than supermakets.

Not always. My local is €10 for 10 and they are 140-150g each, so 1450g for €10 is €6.89 per kilo. Another butcher I went to were smaller at about 1200g for €10.

Tesco have several "own brands", some are around €22 per kilo for fillets. They have a new "market" range and they are actually very good, no scraggly bits on them, and it is about €8.40 per kilo I think.

Once I got a big chicken in dunnes and the breasts were 350g each! it was actually cheaper buy the chicken and just cut the breasts off than to buy them individually. i.e. I think the chicken was €7, so 700g is €10 per kilo and in the shop breasts were more than that.

Honey-ec

thecross1 wrote: »

butcher shops are always more expensive than supermakets.

I have to say, I've found the opposite to be almost universally the case. Any butcher I've ever used has been far cheaper than the supermarket, particularly for chicken fillets and round mince.

At the end of the day, I'd also much prefer to give my money to an actual butcher than a massive supermarket.

Alun

bonkey wrote: »

Pretty much exactly why its cheap...its effectively a stewing cut.

True, compared maybe to a fillet or the leg, but they don't charge "almost nothing" for it, that was the point I was making.

the beer revolu

To compare prices you really need to be talking about price per KG.

Expect striploin or ribeye to be in the region of €20 per KG
Fillet much more - over €30/KG

Just compare price per KG with that of a supermarket, then compare the quality of the meat and the service you get (and the packaging) and make an informed decision.

I hate butchers who don't display price per KG.
Isn't that illegal ?

Sparks

thecross1 wrote: »

butcher shops are always more expensive than supermakets.

I dunno about that - I've never seen a supermarket have chicken fillets cheaper than the local butchers.
As to the other meats, if I'm buying mince or round steak for chilli or the like, I'll get it wherever it's more convenient/cheaper; but if I'm buying cuts like steaks that'll be cooked whole, I'll get them from a butcher and get them cut there and then. Slightly more expensive maybe, but worth it.
What bothers me is butchers that buy in pre-cut primals and the like, because they can't get me the cuts I want like skirt steak or hanger.

Toto Wolfcastle

I have always found butchers to be far cheaper than supermarkets. My butcher does 5 nice big chicken fillets for €5.99. Round mince is always cheaper too and of a far better quality. The way they mince it is also better. Not long strings of beef like you get in the supermarket. Even the feel of it when it's in the bag is better.

brianthebard

the beer revolu wrote: »

To compare prices you really need to be talking about price per KG.

Expect striploin or ribeye to be in the region of €20 per KG
Fillet much more - over €30/KG

I don't know how this would be normal that ribeye would be priced the same as striploin? Sirloin would generally be cheaper than strip, and ribeye is a below that again so it should be cheaper? I'm not saying you're wrong but I find it very odd? I don't often buy red meat because it is so expensive (and so hard to get good quality, tasty meat then) but I had intended to go looking for ribeye at the weekend and now I'm a bit concerned.

the beer revolu

brianthebard wrote: »

I don't know how this would be normal that ribeye would be priced the same as striploin? Sirloin would generally be cheaper than strip, and ribeye is a below that again so it should be cheaper? I'm not saying you're wrong but I find it very odd? I don't often buy red meat because it is so expensive (and so hard to get good quality, tasty meat then) but I had intended to go looking for ribeye at the weekend and now I'm a bit concerned.

Ribeye has become a bit trendy and, I think, is usually priced somewhere between sirloin and striploin.

Sparks

the beer revolu wrote: »

Ribeye has become a bit trendy and, I think, is usually priced somewhere between sirloin and striploin.

And overpriced at that to be honest. It's just not that good a cut, there's too much connective tissue between the muscle groups to make for a nice steak.

budgemook

Sparks wrote: »

And overpriced at that to be honest. It's just not that good a cut, there's too much connective tissue between the muscle groups to make for a nice steak.

I think it is as nice as people are now saying. Jamie Oliver says it's best and I'm behind him 100% ;-)

Sparks

Well, you stick to the ribeye and I'll stick to fillet and striploin

budgemook

Jamie knows....

Okay, some people may prefer fillet and are justified in doing so. I really like it too but i find rib eye tastier though not as tender, BUT Rib eye is certainly nicer than strip. Maybe you're thinking of plain rib steak?

Sparks

Nope. I've had good, dry-aged ribeye in Locks. It's okay, but there's too much connective gunk between the muscle groups that you sliced through to make the steak.

For my money, you take a good, inch-and-a-bit-thick dry-aged striploin steak, add some salt and pepper and oil up with a little peanut oil, put it on a rocket-hot cast iron pan for 60 seconds on either side and then two more minutes on each side in a 250C oven (still on the skillet), rest it for five minutes up out of its juices and covered in tin foil, and that's a better steak than a ribeye given the same kind of treatment.

budgemook

I disagree but each to there own. Also I think a steak should be turned only once in cooking, something to do with the blood flowing up and down.

Also, marinade the steak in balsamic vinegar before cooking and it's very nice.

Once again, Jamie knows.

Sparks

marinade the steak in balsamic vinegar before cooking

Be nice if I could afford enough Balsamic to do that! (Unless you mean the fake balsamic, that is - and no, I'd rather use sherry vinegar since you're not getting ripped off for that )

Seaneh

Ribeye has a lot, more favlour than fillet and Striploin but I wouldn't call it better.

Texture wise fillet and strip win everytime but yeah, ribeye does have more falvour and I do really enjoy it.

brianthebard

the beer revolu wrote: »

Ribeye has become a bit trendy and, I think, is usually priced somewhere between sirloin and striploin.

Ah I see I didn't think such a thing would affect prices. silly people! :pac:

Sparks

brianthebard wrote: »

Ah I see I didn't think such a thing would affect prices. silly people! :pac:

*hehe*
How else do you think monkfish and lobster got to be so expensive?

CJhaughey

I find Ribeye is usually around the €15 per kg mark.
Steak is a rarity in out house but when I do buy it I like Ribeye.
I don't mind a bit of chewing if the flavour is good.

the beer revolu

brianthebard wrote: »

Ah I see I didn't think such a thing would affect prices. silly people! :pac:

Also note the steady climb in the price of lamb shanks.
Pork hocks are still cheap, though. Shhhhhhhhh!;)

budgemook

Sparks wrote: »

Be nice if I could afford enough Balsamic to do that! (Unless you mean the fake balsamic, that is - and no, I'd rather use sherry vinegar since you're not getting ripped off for that )

how do you tell the difference between real and fake?

Sparks

budgemook wrote: »

how do you tell the difference between real and fake?

Check the label, specifically the ingredients. Real balsamic does not contain caramel.
And it'll have cost you so much you'll be able to hear a low weeping noise from your wallet

(Oh, and if you put a teaspoon of neat real balsamic vinegar in your mouth, it's sweet and lovely and you'll be wanting more; the fake stuff will taste like you just sucked down some malt vinegar without the chips).