Meat

chrissb8 · 17-08-2020 11:32PM

Some of you are talking absolute nonsense. Good meat does not cost that much as the consciousnesses of people and how/what they eat is at an all time high.

Supermarkets go throught the effort to show where meat is sourced from. Even sometimes showing a picture of a happy farmer who reared that very chicken you now hold in your hands.

Ireland is vastly different to other countries in their approach to meat and infact we could feed the population 8 times over with the amount produced per annum in Ireland.

Bord BIA and the standards for food in this country are exceedingly high so when you get a mark saying free range and Bord BIA on the pack. It is free range in every sense.

Meat, dairy, eggs are all amazing in Ireland, infact I would say not surpassed anywhere in the world. I've lived in the UK, if you want to see an inferior meat product go into a Sainsbury's as they obscurely say 100% British chicken without going into anymore detail as to what that even means in regards to what you're eating.

Honestly if you think meat is in anyway inferior in Ireland you're deluded or at least looking for something in order to fulfill some weird belief you wish to be true.

rainbowtrout · 17-08-2020 11:51PM

chrissb8 wrote: »

Bord BIA and the standards for food in this country are exceedingly high so when you get a mark saying free range and Bord BIA on the pack. It is free range in every sense.

Not contradicting the quality of food here but free range legally only applies to eggs and poultry from farms that meet the legal standards for free range. Free range on any other product is a meaningless term.

PsychoPete · 18-08-2020 12:01AM

The only conclusion I'm getting after reading through six pages of this thread is I am absolutely hanging for a chicken fillet roll now

Church on Tuesday · 18-08-2020 12:24AM

ReginaldSmythV wrote: »

Very few and far between.

Not really, there are loads of good butchers out there.

Greyfox · 18-08-2020 12:41AM

PsychoPete wrote: »

The only conclusion I'm getting after reading through six pages of this thread is I am absolutely hanging for a chicken fillet roll now

Just make one at home with real chicken fillets, it would be 100 times nicer

Treppen · 18-08-2020 12:46AM

Church on Tuesday wrote: »

Not really, there are loads of good butchers out there.

Loads of bad ones too

gozunda · 18-08-2020 12:55AM

rainbowtrout wrote: »

Not contradicting the quality of food here but free range legally only applies to eggs and poultry from farms that meet the legal standards for free range. Free range on any other product is a meaningless term.

I once saw a sign outside a house selling "Free range Eggs and Potatoes"

I asked the woman who was at the gate what the free range potatoes tasted like.

She replied they had no idea as they had never managed to catch one ...

True story.

I'll get my coat ...

PsychoPete · 18-08-2020 01:09AM

Greyfox wrote: »

Just make one at home with real chicken fillets, it would be 100 times nicer

Why would I when there is a woman in spar that does it for me

auspicious · 18-08-2020 01:20AM

Is this the right thread for this?
Why do absolute losers get to manage animals so often?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKe-tu4mvPk

gozunda · 18-08-2020 02:40AM

auspicious wrote: »

Is this the right thread for this?
Why do absolute losers get to manage animals so often?

Right thread? Simple answer - "No"

But seriously deranged Eartling Ed and his monetised youtube video's?

That said at one stage a certain forum was being pasted wall to wall with these types of videos by Ed and chums until it was pointed out that the footage was evidently highly edited to only show examples of poor management of animals in countries like the US and UK

That said I'd reckon looking to your man Ed for unbiased information on that topic is little better than asking the proverbial Sister Asumpta about contraception in biology class. Its not going to happen.

Oh and he doesn't like anyone keeping pets either ...

Large bottle small glass · 18-08-2020 10:42AM

I grew up on a small dairy and beef farm, up until there last day the animals had a pretty good life.

More intensive dairy farming is much harder on herd.

I've never been in an intensive chicken farm but I've been in a few pig farms. It's pretty horrific conditions for the animals, the results of a race to the bottom on price.

Constant darkness, crushed together standing on tanks of their own shu1te, high temp and fed on concentrate. No matter what they do after that with meat it's a poor meat product.

Mountain lamb and beef for the win.

Learn to cook cheap cuts and forget about the prime cuts

Pkiernan · 18-08-2020 10:44AM

cj maxx wrote: »

..but I’m sure it’s probably ok.

You're sure that its probably okay?
Think about that for a minute.

CrankyHaus · 18-08-2020 10:51AM

Large bottle small glass wrote: »

I grew up on a small dairy and beef farm, up until there last day the animals had a pretty good life.

More intensive dairy farming is much harder on herd.

I've never been in an intensive chicken farm but I've been in a few pig farms. It's pretty horrific conditions for the animals, the results of a race to the bottom on price.

Constant darkness, crushed together standing on tanks of their own shu1te, high temp and fed on concentrate. No matter what they do after that with meat it's a poor meat product.

Mountain lamb and beef for the win.

Learn to cook cheap cuts and forget about the prime cuts

Any thoughts on the difference between supermarket and butcher meat?
So far on the thread people are simply saying all supermarket meat is muck and spending more money in the butchers guarantees higher quality because reasons.
Is there any quality or traceability mark that people should look out for?
I was of the understanding that we generally get sold quite good meat in Ireland.

Buford T. Justice XIX · 18-08-2020 11:59AM

CrankyHaus wrote: »

Any thoughts on the difference between supermarket and butcher meat?
So far on the thread people are simply saying all supermarket meat is muck and spending more money in the butchers guarantees higher quality because reasons.
Is there any quality or traceability mark that people should look out for?
I was of the understanding that we generally get sold quite good meat in Ireland.

Depends what you're using the meat for, I'd say. If you're just after some high quality protein that you're going to smother in a packet of sauces, the supermarket meat is spot on.

If you're looking for the flavour in your meat, a good butcher will sort you with a fine line of cuts from a traditional beef breed, with plenty of fat in the cut as that's a huge part of the flavour.

Supermarket meat would be mostly continental breeds with more meat and less fat. Again, fine if you want it to taste of something else, not so much if you want your meat to taste of meat.

18-08-2020 12:28PM

99% of shops with “Butcher” over the door will have just opened the same packet of meat that Tesco will have opened to put on their shelf.

Church on Tuesday · 18-08-2020 12:41PM

ReginaldSmythV wrote: »

99% of shops with “Butcher” over the door will have just opened the same packet of meat that Tesco will have opened to put on their shelf.

Not any butcher I go to.

You can't compare meat in Tesco to a good butcher.

ShatterAlan · 18-08-2020 12:44PM

biko wrote: »

Buy from local farmers, or butchers that knows the source of the meat.

Yeah how many farmers are there in Dublin City Centre?

whisky_galore · 18-08-2020 12:48PM

ShatterAlan wrote: »

Yeah how many farmers are there in Dublin City Centre?

Lots of them if there's a protest on.

ShatterAlan · 18-08-2020 12:50PM

CrankyHaus wrote: »

So is there anything to look for to get good stuff, any mark or indicator of quality or lack thereof?

Just go to a butcher shop for your meat instead of a fcuking supermarket. Everything in the supermarket is mass produced and full of chemicals or is produced unethically

18-08-2020 12:54PM

Church on Tuesday wrote: »

Not any butcher I go to.

You can't compare meat in Tesco to a good butcher.

That’s what I mean. You must have one of the only good real butchers in the country left near you. Don’t let them go out of business.

CrankyHaus · 18-08-2020 01:06PM

ShatterAlan wrote: »

Just go to a butcher shop for your meat instead of a fcuking supermarket. Everything in the supermarket is mass produced and full of chemicals or is produced unethically

Do you have any factual basis for that statement?

Bobby Baccala · 18-08-2020 02:41PM

The quality of meat can vary drastically depending the on the shop you’re in and the suppliers they’re dealing with. A lot of the Supermarkets are using ABP and Kepak beef or Dawn meats which is of a pretty decent quality and generally tends to be all heifer beef.

Independent shops aren’t just limited to buying in vac packed primal cuts in the way supermarkets are. It’s impossible to get carcass beef into most supermarkets these days. In saying that most independent butchers don’t break beef in store anymore either. Larger operations may have a factory attached to the shop where this takes place.

A supermarket butcher can trace their cuts back to the farmer in the same way an independent butcher can. Farm to fork traceability is in legislation afaik.

Bobby Baccala · 18-08-2020 02:47PM

ShatterAlan wrote: »

Just go to a butcher shop for your meat instead of a fcuking supermarket. Everything in the supermarket is mass produced and full of chemicals or is produced unethically

Stop talking out your arse bud.

EmmetSpiceland · 18-08-2020 02:49PM

Bobby Baccala wrote: »

A supermarket butcher can trace their cuts back to the farmer in the same way an independent butcher can. Farm to fork traceability is in legislation afaik.

The farmer isn’t, exactly, the “issue” here. We all know that nearly all the herd here is grass fed and treated well.

It’s what happens after the animal is “moved on” to the processing plant where things start to get “creative”. The best bits are cut away, and priced accordingly.

What’s left, the connective tissue etc, is “reclaimed” and “reformed” into something resembling a cut of whatever you’re having yourself.

As long as you’re getting your meat for buttons you can’t really complain about chowing down on eyelids, scrotum and the other cheapest “cuts”.

Bobby Baccala · 18-08-2020 02:53PM

EmmetSpiceland wrote: »

The farmer isn’t, exactly, the “issue” here. We all know that nearly all the herd here is grass fed and treated well.

It’s what happens after the animal is “moved on” to the processing plant where things start to get “creative”. The best bits are cut away, and priced accordingly.

What’s left, the connective tissue etc, is “reclaimed” and “reformed” into something resembling a cut of whatever you’re having yourself.

As long as you’re getting your meat for buttons you can’t really complain about chowing down on eyelids, scrotum and the other cheapest “cuts”.

Ever see those gas flushed packets of mince that are 900g for 2.79? Or the cheap packets of meatballs and burgers? That’s where all the trimmings and connective tissue go. They don’t try and hide this information from you either, the fat content and connective tissue ratio is usually written on the back.

In fact what’s the issue here?

18-08-2020 02:55PM

EmmetSpiceland wrote: »

The farmer isn’t, exactly, the “issue” here. We all know that nearly all the herd here is grass fed and treated well.

It’s what happens after the animal is “moved on” to the processing plant where things start to get “creative”. The best bits are cut away, and priced accordingly.

What’s left, the connective tissue etc, is “reclaimed” and “reformed” into something resembling a cut of whatever you’re having yourself.

As long as you’re getting your meat for buttons you can’t really complain about chowing down on eyelids, scrotum and the other cheapest “cuts”.

You’re talking out of your hole. There’s no “cuts” made from those things, you’re thinking of processed items like burgers, mince, sausages, etc.

Large bottle small glass · 18-08-2020 02:58PM

CrankyHaus wrote: »

Any thoughts on the difference between supermarket and butcher meat?

In terms of traceability, disease control etc I would say no.

I use a good butcher who will get any type of odd cuts I might want, will cut roasts, brisket, stewing beed etc exactly how I want it.

If I want steak(very rare) I buy Aldi ribeye!! The price is insane

No idea how they keep red colour on meat in supermarket( vaccum pack and nitrogen?), but other than that I wouldn't have any major problem eating it.

The problem with meat market in general in Ireland is the ignorance and bland taste of your average consumer.

A beef farmer cannot make a living such has been the race to bottom on price and subsequent effect on breed variety and meat variety in market.

With our climate and grass we should be really pushing different breeds and the variety they could bring. There are exceptions like the lady with Dexter herd in Tipperary, but rare enough

CrankyHaus · 18-08-2020 03:00PM

Right so. Supermarket cuts may be legit, processed items incl mince not so much?

I do enjoy making my own burgers from mince. Would I be better off getting that from the butcher?
Do they mince the stuff on-site themselves?
Similarly would they make their own sausages or burgers on-site?

Large bottle small glass wrote: »

With our climate and grass we should be really pushing different breeds and the variety they could bring. There are exceptions like the lady with Dexter herd in Tipperary, but rare enough

I know a lad who imported Belted Galloways a few years ago and since then I've seen them a few times in that part of the country.

Bobby Baccala · 18-08-2020 03:03PM

The meat you pick up on a shelf in a supermarket is done in a factory somewhere and gas flushed to give it a shelf life of up to 2 weeks or so if it’s a beef product. You don’t know what you’re getting inside the packet so buy it at your own risk.

The meat you get at the butchers counter in a supermarket is completely different. Very little difference in quality between that and what you’ll find in a stand-alone craft butchers shop.

Bobby Baccala · 18-08-2020 03:08PM

CrankyHaus wrote: »

Right so. Supermarket cuts may be legit, processed items incl mince not so much?

I do enjoy making my own burgers from mince. Would I be better off getting that from the butcher?
Do they mince the stuff on-site themselves?
Similarly would they make their own sausages or burgers on-site?

.

Supermarket cuts from the counter are 100% legit. The stuff on the shelf could be anything.

Pick out a bit of rib steak and get your butcher to mince that for you. Best burgers you’ll ever have. Get him to throw in a bit of brisket if you like your fat.

All butcher shops make their own burgers. Some press them by hand and some have burger machines.
Some butchers do make their own sausages some buy them in. Every shop is different.

Meat

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