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How do Butchers work in Ireland?

  • 19-02-2015 5:32pm
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14


    Hi all, I am new to Ireland. Have been learning a lot about Irish ways of living and it's been quite fascinating so far.

    One thing I still haven't figured out is the art of buying meat from a butcher's place :). What services can I expect from the butcher after I buy meat from him? Say I buy a whole chicken, is it okay to ask the butcher to de-skin it and cut in small pieces?

    Just don't want to be rude to the butcher by asking him to do things he is not expected to do. Thanks for your comments!
    Tagged:


Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,381 ✭✭✭✭Paulw


    It will depend on the butcher.

    Most are very helpful and will do as you ask/need.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,284 ✭✭✭wyndham


    ashgg1 wrote: »

    One thing I still haven't figured out is the art of buying meat from a butcher's place :). What services can I expect from the butcher after I buy meat from him? Say I buy a whole chicken, is it okay to ask the butcher to de-skin it and cut in small pieces?

    Just don't want to be rude to the butcher by asking him to do things he is not expected to do. Thanks for your comments!

    I wouldn't expect a butcher to do this tbh. Some light trimming of steaks, etc is probably acceptable, but if you want chicken pieces, why not buy chicken pieces?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,635 ✭✭✭donegal.


    ashgg1 wrote: »
    Hi all, I am new to Ireland. Have been learning a lot about Irish ways of living and it's been quite fascinating so far.

    One thing I still haven't figured out is the art of buying meat from a butcher's place :). What services can I expect from the butcher after I buy meat from him? Say I buy a whole chicken, is it okay to ask the butcher to de-skin it and cut in small pieces?

    Just don't want to be rude to the butcher by asking him to do things he is not expected to do. Thanks for your comments!

    theres no problem asking your butcher to do this.


  • Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 7,423 Mod ✭✭✭✭pleasant Co.


    ashgg1 wrote: »
    Hi all, I am new to Ireland. Have been learning a lot about Irish ways of living and it's been quite fascinating so far.

    One thing I still haven't figured out is the art of buying meat from a butcher's place :). What services can I expect from the butcher after I buy meat from him? Say I buy a whole chicken, is it okay to ask the butcher to de-skin it and cut in small pieces?

    Just don't want to be rude to the butcher by asking him to do things he is not expected to do. Thanks for your comments!

    If (s)he's a good butcher (s)he'll accommodate you, if you get hassle over it then try another butcher, it's not rude to ask.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,411 ✭✭✭Avada


    Just to note, don't expect most of these services from a butcher in a supermarket. Most aren't butchers, just counter assistants.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 33,518 ✭✭✭✭dudara


    Not a Consumer Issue, moved instead to Food & Drink

    dudara


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 395 ✭✭mags1962


    Depends on which supermarket you frequent and definitely not a german one.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 71,186 ✭✭✭✭L1011


    mags1962 wrote: »
    Depends on which supermarket you frequent and definitely not a german one.

    Considering Lidl/Aldi don't even have butcher counters (or any manned counter, bar the checkouts) I fail to see the relevance of mentioning them.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 12,449 ✭✭✭✭pwurple


    Depends on the butcher. Proper butchers will do all this... portion/skin/bone your meat as you want, talk to you about the portions and different cuts. Discuss ways of cooking them. Cut or get you something specific if they don't have it there and then.

    But often in chain or retail butcher shops and supermarkets all you get is counter assistants. They are not real butchers. They pick up what is in front of them and put it in a baggie. That's it. Zero skill or knowledge.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,065 ✭✭✭Miaireland


    pwurple wrote: »
    Depends on the butcher. Proper butchers will do all this... portion/skin/bone your meat as you want, talk to you about the portions and different cuts. Discuss ways of cooking them. Cut or get you something specific if they don't have it there and then.


    I agree with the above. My local butcher will do all this. To be honest I would have thought most butchers would be like this. Even the butcher section in our local supermarket would think nothing of jointing a chicken or chopping up meat for stews and stirfries etc.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14 ashgg1


    Thanks all. I will visit a nearby local butcher (not in a supermarket) and try out your suggestions.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,986 ✭✭✭✭duploelabs


    pwurple wrote: »
    Depends on the butcher. Proper butchers will do all this... portion/skin/bone your meat as you want, talk to you about the portions and different cuts. Discuss ways of cooking them. Cut or get you something specific if they don't have it there and then.

    But often in chain or retail butcher shops and supermarkets all you get is counter assistants. They are not real butchers. They pick up what is in front of them and put it in a baggie. That's it. Zero skill or knowledge.

    This! The majority of butchers out there today are just retail assistants. I asked for some beef shin, oxtail, and short ribs the other day at a chain butchers and even the manager looked at me like I'd three heads, i'd to describe what I wanted and then he said he'd to call head office to order it in. I know it sounds weird but a proper butchers will have the smell of the meat in the air


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 71,186 ✭✭✭✭L1011


    duploelabs wrote: »
    This! The majority of butchers out there today are just retail assistants. I asked for some beef shin, oxtail, and short ribs the other day at a chain butchers and even the manager looked at me like I'd three heads, i'd to describe what I wanted and then he said he'd to call head office to order it in. I know it sounds weird but a proper butchers will have the smell of the meat in the air

    I find the franchise chains - identical branding, overly clinical internal feel - are more likely to have this problem whereas the older butchers with the tacky plastic "greenery" between items in the display cabinet are more likely to be able to accomodate near any request

    My local one is somewhere between the two extremes - I've walked in when someone was carrying an entire pig from the store room but they have an immense amount of prepack stuff they really can't be doing on site in a small store.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,907 ✭✭✭✭CJhaughey


    I find the butchers in my local Supervalu's very good, One of them is a trained butcher and operates his own abbatoir.
    The other Supervalu has butchers that make sausages cut meat into any kind of portion you want and have plenty of good advice.
    Be sensible, go at a time when there isn't a massive queue and they will have a lot more time to respond.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 39,902 ✭✭✭✭Mellor


    I know Superquinn doesn't really exist anymore. But originally, their butcher counter was manned by proper butchers. Some guys even did their butchery apprenticeship there.

    I personally would ask a butcher for small stuff like cutting up a chicken. But i'd have no problem asking you to debone larger whole cuts.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,912 ✭✭✭pog it


    duploelabs wrote: »
    This! The majority of butchers out there today are just retail assistants. I asked for some beef shin, oxtail, and short ribs the other day at a chain butchers and even the manager looked at me like I'd three heads, i'd to describe what I wanted and then he said he'd to call head office to order it in. I know it sounds weird but a proper butchers will have the smell of the meat in the air

    Very true. Reminds me of the 'butchers' in a certain shopping centre in Dublin :mad:


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 6,351 ✭✭✭katydid


    donegal. wrote: »
    theres no problem asking your butcher to do this.

    I should think a butcher would find it a strange request, but I imagine they would do it.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,818 ✭✭✭Bateman


    I ask them to separate the drumlets from the winglets when I'm getting wings sometimes and generally they do it


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4 pidgybird


    A proper butchers shop!! Would skin bone and even roll the chicken.. A proper butcher shop also knows what shin beef on or off the bone is.. And also what an oxtail is.. A proper butchers shop can also give you cooking instructions.. A proper butchers shop in Ireland can also tell you where the beef or lamb or pork had their last meal.. Irish butchers are the best in the world..


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,986 ✭✭✭✭duploelabs


    pidgybird wrote: »
    A proper butchers shop!! Would skin bone and even roll the chicken.. A proper butcher shop also knows what shin beef on or off the bone is.. And also what an oxtail is.. A proper butchers shop can also give you cooking instructions.. A proper butchers shop in Ireland can also tell you where the beef or lamb or pork had their last meal.. Irish butchers are the best in the world..

    Those type of butchers are very sparse on the ground these days, the majority seen are nothing more than retailers with very little knowledge


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 391 ✭✭twerg_85


    I went into FXB Deansgrange the other day and asked him for some bone in pork loin. No problem he says and heads into the back room. He reappeared a few minutes later with half a pig and proceeded to butcher it up into large cuts so he could get at the loin for me. Asked me how much I wanted, took off the chine bones, trimmed it a little and bob's your uncle.
    I was asking about another cut of meat, wasn't sure where exactly it was from and as he said "We have whole pigs here, so I definitely have the meat, just haven't heard that term before". He offered to look it up for me but I was in a bit of a rush.
    (By the way, he reckoned it was probalby form the shoulder area and turns out he was right - I'll be back there next week!)

    Anyway, great place if you're nearby.

    F.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4 pidgybird


    Try Peter Gillivans Moate.. Own abattoir.. Experienced and efficient staff.. Always helpful and friendly.. To check how good your butcher shop is see how many trays in the cabinet are cuts of meat and how many are ready made meals.. Proper butchers have a limited selection of ready made meals as their main concern is fresh cuts..


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