It is well worth a visit to your local butcher’s shop where you can get some great deals and hints and tips. Here are some of our top tips to help you make the most of your trip to the butchers.
Bulk buy
If you have plenty of space in your freezer, it is worth buying half a lamb and freezing it in individual cuts. From a half lamb, you can expect a shoulder of lamb, rack of lamb, leg of lamb, neck and chops. You could ask the supplier to cut these cuts into smaller pieces e.g. the leg into 2 to 3 pieces, which will make the meat go further. Meat box schemes may also work out cheaper than buying in bulk at a supermarket.
Meal for one?
If space is limited in your freezer to store surplus meat, your local butcher’s shop is the ideal place for buying smaller quantities of meat as and when you need it. You can also buy small quantities of meat in supermarkets.
Value for money cuts
Welsh Lamb Neck
Boneless neck fillets are great for marinating for kebabs, slicing thinly for stir-fries or diced for curries.
Welsh Lamb Breast
A relatively cheap piece of lamb and is best used in a stew, or it is often boned, stuffed, rolled and cooked slowly. Usually, it is extracted to make mince.
Welsh Beef brisket
Although you can buy this cut on the bone these days it’s usually sold boned and rolled, ready for slow roasting or pot-roasting.
Welsh Beef oxtail
Culinary name for the tail of the animal. Robust in flavour and texture. Requires slow, moist cooking methods resulting in very tender meat.
Welsh Beef chuck and blade
This is a fairly lean cut of high-quality beef removed from the bone and sold as chuck steak and diced chuck. Suitable for braising, stewing and is excellent for pie fillings.
Find your nearest Welsh Lamb and Welsh Beef butcher’s shop here.