Category Archives: Meat History

How about a goose ?

Posted on December 15, 2010 | Leave a comment

Before being overtaken by turkey, goose was the preferred choice for the Christmas lunch table in England and more recently there are signs of it making a bit of a comeback. Goose meat is richer and darker than turkey. It has a higher fat content, but a lot of the fat melts away during cooking leaving deliciously tasty and succulent meat.

Although not cheap, goose makes a wonderful treat for any special meal. In addition the goose fat collected during cooking makes the best roast potatoes and is almost worth the entrance price alone. Goose has a wonderfully rich, buttery flavour, bordering on the beefy, thanks to its grass diet. It’s certainly a fatty bird, but don’t let that put you off – the flavour is worth it.

The common domesticated goose is a descendant of the greylag goose (Anser anser) still found in the wild in Ireland, western Scotland and some other parts of Europe The most popular strain of commercial goose is the Legarth, a white-feathered bird with a high meat-to-bone ratio. This breed is very well-suited to free-range grazing. The Embden is another white variety that shares similar characteristics. Geese, by their very nature, are all free-range, but some will, of course, be better reared than others.

Free range Legarth geese

HISTORY

Geese were bred in ancient Egypt and goose liver was loved by the Romans. Goose has always been important in French cuisine where it plays a key part in traditional dishes such as cassoulet, confit d’oie and foie gras.

In Victorian times, the homes of the poor often had open fireplaces for heat and cooking but not with ovens. So many families, like the Cratchits in Charles Dickens’ Christmas Carol, took their Christmas goose or turkey to the baker’s shop.

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, first edition 1843

Bakers were forbidden to open on Sundays and holidays but would open their shops on these days to the poor and bake their dinners for a small fee. Dickens mentions Master Peter Cratchit and the two younger Cratchits going to fetch their Christmas goose from the bakers.

Bringing home the Christmas goose

There never was such a goose. Bob said he didn’t believe there ever was such a goose cooked. Its tenderness and flavor, size and cheapness, were the themes of universal admiration. Eked out by apple-sauce and mashed potatoes, it was a sufficient dinner for the whole family; indeed, as Mrs. Cratchit said with great delight (surveying one small atom of a bone upon the dish), they hadn’t ate it all at last! Yet every one had had enough, and the youngest Cratchits in particular were steeped in sage and onion to the eyebrows! But now, the plates being changed by Miss Belinda, Mrs. Cratchit left the room alone, — too nervous to bear witnesses, — to take the pudding up, and bring it in….. from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens first published by Chapman and Hall on 19 December 1843.

Christmas dinner at the Cratchit's

TIPS
BUYING
Fresh geese are available from specialist suppliers and quality butchers. You may need to order in advance, particularly around Christmas. Geese are quite big-boned and so choose a larger bird than you would a chicken (allow at least 750g per person). Having said that, smaller (younger) birds are the most tender, so two small geese are preferable to a single huge one.

Choose plump-looking free-range birds.

STORING
Keep refrigerated, giblets removed, for 2 or 3 days.

PREPARING
Scoop out any excess fat from the cavity and put aside for roasting potatoes. Rinse the goose inside and out and pat well dry. Prick the skin to enable the fat to be released during cooking (try not to pierce the flesh) and rub the skin with salt and pepper.

Place breast side up on a rack over a roasting pan. Roast at 220°C for 30 minutes followed by around 2½ to 3½ hours (depending on size) at 180°C. Baste the goose every 20 to 30 minutes and remove the fat that accumulates in the pan or it will smoke furiously (the fat can be stored in the fridge for a few days, or frozen). If parts of the goose seem to be browning too quickly, wrap them in foil.

The goose is cooked when a skewer in the thickest part of the thigh reveals clear juices (the flesh may still be slightly pink). Remove from the oven, cover with foil and rest for 15 minutes or so before carving.

Charlie the Butcher

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Posted in Christmas, Fat, Goose, Meat History

Thanksgiving – Turkey Day

Posted on November 23, 2010 | 1 Comment

It’s all getting busy in the build up to Thanksgiving Day on Thursday 25th November with the requests coming in for the traditional turkey, in fact in USA it is often called Turkey Day.
For us it provides some interesting possibilities for our own take on a Christmas turkey recipe.

'The First Thanksgiving' by Jean Louis Gerome Ferris

Traditionally, this famous American feast celebrates a meal held at the site of Plymouth Plantation by the Pilgrim Fathers who settled in Massachusetts in 1621 and ‘gave thanks’ to God for helping them survive a particularly harsh winter.

This celebration occurred early in the history of what would become one of the original Thirteen Colonies that later were to become the United States. Thanksgiving was modelled on harvest festivals that were common in Europe at the time.

Thanksgiving in the United States was observed on various different dates throughout history. By the mid 20th century, the final Thursday in November had become the customary day of Thanksgiving in most U.S. states. It was not until December 26, 1941, however, that President Franklin D. Roosevelt, after pushing two years earlier to move the date earlier to give the country an economic boost, signed a bill into law with Congress, making Thanksgiving a national holiday and settling it to the fourth (but not final) Thursday in November.

But back to the turkey and some suggestions for Thanksgiving and Christmas …

Free Range Norfolk Bronze Turkeys

Nowadays, Thanksgiving is widely considered to be more of a public holiday rather than a religious one, and is celebrated with traditional foods served at Thanksgiving meals. Roast turkey, mashed potato, yams, and cranberry sauce are all favourites likely to be seen on the table, with pumpkin pie an extremely popular dessert.

Every newspaper and magazine will be full of the usual cooking advice so I’ll keep it simple and point you towards what I think are the best ideas ….

Turkey recipes.

I’d suggest that you visit the folks at ChowHound for the full American ….

Nearer to home you should try these great suggestions at Delicious Magazine

Charlie the Butcher

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Posted in Christmas, Meat History, Poultry, Turkey

British Sausage Week

Posted on November 3, 2010 | 3 Comments

British Sausage Week

This week is British Sausage Week, held to promote the eating of British reared pork, and you can vote for your own favourite on the website. There are useful guides to buying prime cuts of pork , as well as a host of recipes to encourage people to cook with sausages.

Incidentally – you thought that Lady Gaga was setting a trend with her meat fashion – think again ……

: The Sausage Queen

The word sausage originally comes from the Latin word salsus, which means salted or preserved. In the days of old people did not have refrigeration to preserve their meat and so making sausage was a way of overcoming this problem.

The first sausages were made by early humans, stuffing roasted intestines into stomachs. As early as 589 BC, a Chinese sausage làcháng was mentioned consisting of goat and lamb meat. Around 2,700 years ago the Greek poet Homer mentioned a kind of blood sausage in the Odyssey,

“These goat sausages sizzling here in the fire – we packed them with fat and blood to have for supper. Now, whoever wins this bout and proves the stronger, Let that man step up and take his pick of the lot !”

Epicharmus, who lived sometime between c. 540 and c. 450 BC, wrote a comedy titled “The Sausage”. Evidence suggests that sausages were already popular both among the ancient Greeks and Romans.

Dry sausage was born as a result of the discovery of new spices, which helped to enhance, flavour and preserve the meat. Different countries and different cities within those countries started producing their own distinctive types of sausage, both fresh and dry. These different types of sausage were mostly influenced by the availability of ingredients as well as the climate.

Some parts of the world with periods of cold climate, such as northern Europe were able to keep their fresh sausage without refrigeration, during the cold months. They also developed a process of smoking the sausage to help preserve the meat during the warmer months. The hotter climates in the south of Europe developed dry sausage, which did not need refrigeration at all.

Sausages are a result of economical butchery. Traditionally, sausage-makers put to use tissues and organs which are perfectly edible and nutritious, but not particularly appealing – such as scraps, organ meats, blood, and fat – in a form that allows for preservation: typically, salted and stuffed into a tubular casing made from the cleaned and turned inside-out intestine of the animal, producing the characteristic cylindrical shape. Hence, sausages, puddings and salami are amongst the oldest of prepared foods, whether cooked and eaten immediately or dried to varying degrees.

Basically people living in particular areas developed their own types of sausage and that sausage became associated with the area. For example ……

Cumberland sausage

This is considered to be the meatiest British sausage. It is a chunky, course cut pork sausage spiced with black pepper, a few gratings of fresh nutmeg and mace and a pinch each of marjoram, sage and cayenne pepper. It is made in a continuous spiral and traditionally sold by length rather than weight. Looks very impressive when coiled in a spiral and cooked whole

Lincolnshire sausage

Old fashioned herby regional sausage traditionally made with pork, bread and sage, although thyme seems to be creeping in.

Marylebone sausage

A traditional London butchers sausage made with mace, ginger and sage.

Charlie the Butcher

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Posted in Celebrity meat related names, Meat History, Pork, Sausages

Today is …..

Posted on October 29, 2010 | 1 Comment

I am reliably informed that today – 29th October – is the Feast of St. Thomas Bellacci, patron of butchers.

He was born in a Florence house that was on the Ponte alle Grazie, of parents who came from Castello di Linari in Val d’Elsa.

Bellacci became a butcher himself, helping his father in his work. When young, he always got himself in trouble, until finally he was falsely accused of a serious crime when he was around the age of 30. He was helped out by a citizen named Angelo Pace; Pace introduced him to some friends of his who were monks, who in turn inspired him to a life of prayer.

In 1405, Bellacci joined the Franciscans in Fiesole, just north of Florence, even though he was a lay person. Even though he was never ordained, he established several monasteries.

He died 31 October 1447 in a Franciscan convent at Fonte Palomba near Rieti, at the age of 77.

He was made a saint by Pope Clement XIV in 1771.

His feast day is 31 October to mark his death, but in practice it’s celebrated by butchers on the last Sunday in October. From about 2000 on, a butcher named Dario Cecchini has organized village celebrations in Panzano, Tuscany.

Despite his being the Patron Saint of Butchers, he himself in later life ate only bread, root vegetables, and water.

He is also referred to as Thomas of Florence, Tommaso Bellacci, Tommaso de’ Bellacci, Tommaso da Scarlino, and Beato Tomma.

….. and here is a bit of Italian art from around a hundred years later -

The Butcher's Shop is a painting by the Italian Baroque painter Annibale Carracci. Dating from the 1580s (probably 1583-1585), it is in the Christ Church Picture Gallery, Oxford.

Charlie the Butcher

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Posted in Meat History, Uncategorized

Verjuice – my special ingredient

Posted on September 15, 2010 | 1 Comment

OK- time for me to share a little secret with you ! It might well be the next big thing !

Verjuice (from Middle French vertjus “green juice”) is a very acidic juice made by pressing unripe grapes. Sometimes lemon or sorrel juice, herbs or spices are added to change the flavour. In the Middle Ages, it was widely used all over Western Europe as an ingredient in sauces, as a condiment, or to deglaze.

Picking green grapes for making verjuice. Tacuinum Sanitatis (1474). Paris Bibliothèque Nationale.

It was once used where modern cooks would use either wine or some variety of vinegar, but has become much less widely used as wines and variously flavoured vinegars became more accessible. Nonetheless, it is still used in a number of French dishes as well as recipes from other European and Middle Eastern cuisines.

The South Australian cook Maggie Beer has popularised the use of verjuice in her cooking, and it is being used increasingly in South Australian restaurants. Take a look at her website.

Maggie Beer's verjuice

Verjuice is first and foremost a flavour enhancer, adding richness and flavourful complexity to all your cooking with its balance of gentle acidity and sweetness.

Verjuice is also an elegant, delicate alternative to both vinegar and lemon juice and can be used in larger quantities than either of these in cooking. It adds zest to your food, avoiding the sharpness of both vinegar and lemon juice and therefore, does not mask flavours but rather enhances them.

It heightens the flavours of any fish, chicken, game, red meat, vegetable and fruit dishes. It is ideal for deglazing, dressings, syrups, sauces, marinades, gravies and reductions. It has an affinity with nut oils, e.g., walnut, hazelnut and peanut oil and emulsifies well with olive oil.

Range of verjuices from Verjuice UK

It isn’t always easy to get hold of but it is stocked in Harvey Nicholls Food Halls and after a bit of persuading I think that some Waitrose stores may have it on their shelves. An alternative is to order it direct from Verjuice UK, new on-line supplier of South African sourced verjuice.

For all my meat fans I will suggest a seasonal recipe but the real deal is …….

Deglazing with Verjuice

Set aside your roast/fries/grills and any vegetables that you have cooked with the meat.
Remove excess fat from the pan, leaving approximately 1 teaspoonful. Over a medium heat, add 225 ml verjuice and using a wooden spoon, scrape up the brown bits, incorporating them into the verjuice.

Bring to the boil and reduce until jus begins to coat the spoon. Add stock or water to thin if necessary and stir in a knob of butter for richness and shine.

Tip: Resist thickening the jus.

Now, thanks to Maggie Beer, here is a recipe for you that uses verjuice to deglaze. It will be just right for the autumn.

Pheasant with grapes and verjuice

Ingredients (serve six)
3 young pheasants
1 lemon
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
100g chilled, unsalted butter
250 ml verjuice
250 ml chicken stock
2 handfuls of grapes

Method

Step 1
Preheat the oven to 240C. Remove the second joint and wing tip from the pheasant and cut through the skin around the thigh to free the legs a little but do not remove them completely.

Step 2
Squeeze a little lemon juice into the cavity of each bird and season with the salt and pepper. Melt a little of the butter in a frying pan and brown the birds gently on all sides until golden brown

Step 3
Arrange the birds in a baking dish allowing the legs to spread. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove from the oven and turn over, then cover and rest in a warm place for 15 minutes.

Step 4
Deglaze the baking dish with the verjuice and boil vigorously. Add the stock and cook until reduced by half, then beat in the remaining butter to finish the sauce.

Step 5
Less than a minute before serving add the grapes to the sauce. Carve the breasts and legs, pour over the sauce and serve immediately.

Charlie the Butcher

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Posted in Game, Little extras, Meat History, Poultry

The glorious 12th – start of the grouse season

Posted on August 11, 2010 | 3 Comments

The Glorious Twelfth is usually used to refer to 12th August, the start of the shooting season for Red Grouse (Lagopus Lagopus Scoticus) and to a lesser extent the Ptarmigan (Lagopus Muta) in the United Kingdom. This is one of the busiest days in the shooting season, with large amounts of game being shot. It is also a significant boost to the rural economy in moorland areas. The date itself is traditional, the current legislation enshrining it is the Game Act 1831 (and in Northern Ireland, the Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985). Not all game (as defined by the Game Act 1831) have the same start to their open seasons – most begin on September 1, with October 1 for Woodcock and Pheasant.

Red Grouse

Since UK law says that the start of the season cannot begin on a Sunday, it is sometimes postponed to 13 August, as in 2001 and 2007. Because grouse are not and never have been reared to any extent for shooting, their numbers fluctuate naturally from year to year. In recent years, the Glorious Twelfth has also been hit by hunt saboteurs, the 2001 Foot and Mouth crisis (which further postponed the date in affected areas) and the effect of sheep tick, heather beetle, the gut parasite Trichostrongylus Tenuis and severe flooding and bad weather. In some seasons where certain moors are hit by low numbers of grouse, shooting may not occur at all or be over by September.

A day’s shoot is as much a social event as a sporting one and the more traditional shoots will picnic in style at lunchtime, before resuming in the afternoon. The birds “bagged” are always counted in “brace” (twos) and in a good day’s shooting an amazing number of birds can be killed: the Duke of Westminster’s Littledale and Abbeystead estates in the Forest of Bowland still hold the British record for the largest numbers of grouse shot on a single day. On the 12th August 1915, no less than 2929 grouse were shot by 8 guns, that’s 1464-and-a-half brace if you want to use the jargon.

The Duke of Westminster's estate

Choose the best
As grouse are wild birds, rather than farmed, they should all be of pretty good quality, though the way in which they’re treated after shooting does have an impact. Look for birds that are plump, with unblemished, fresh-looking deep red skin – avoid any that seem dry, or smell ‘off’. The younger the bird, the better the flesh – a pliable breast bone, feet and legs and sharp claws all indicate that a grouse isn’t mature.

Prepare it
First, you need to remove the wishbone. Pull back the skin from the neck cavity to expose the entrance, cut round it with a small, sharp knife and snip the bone free at the bottom. Then cut the grouse’s wings and legs at the second joint – this makes for a neater-looking bird. Using kitchen paper, wipe the outside of the bird and inside the cavity. Season inside with salt and pepper, then push in some flavourings – try some sage leaves or sprigs of thyme or slices of lemon or apple. Tie the legs together with string and season the skin all over, brushing with soft butter or oil. You can also wrap the breast with pancetta or Parma ham to prevent it from drying out.

Store it
Keep the grouse in the fridge, on a tray, covered with foil or greaseproof paper for up to two days. Make sure it’s on the bottom shelf so that any juices don’t contaminate any other food; it’s particularly important to keep the grouse away from any other cooked meats in the fridge.

Cook it
Ingredients

brace of grouse suitably tied (trussed), plucked and drawn
2oz butter
6 rashers streaky bacon
2 slices of white bread
2 tablespoons redcurrant jelly
seasoning (salt & pepper)
giblets from grouse (for sauce)

Method

Step 1
Preheat oven to 400F. In order to maintain moistness, rub a little of the butter into the inside of the grouse (making sure the bird is well washed and dried before starting). Spoon the redcurrant jelly into the cavities of the bird then season the outside of the bird and cover with the rashers of bacon.

Step 2
Place these in a roasting tin and cover with foil. In order to roast thoroughly allow 15 minutes per pound weight of bird. Then add an extra 15 minutes to the overall time.

Step 3
Toast the bread, remove the crusts. Place the giblets in a saucepan, cover with water and simmer until tender. Strain but keep the liquid to make the stock. Remove the giblets and mash them along with some butter, salt & pepper and spread on the toast.

Step 4
Place the toast under each bird for the last 15 minutes of cooking time. Use the stock to either pour over the bird or use to make a bread sauce. Serve the grouse (with the toast still underneath) along with unsalted crisps or game chips as you will now call them.

Charlie the butcher

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Posted in Game, Meat History

Monkey Gland Sauce

Posted on June 21, 2010 | 5 Comments

With the World Cup in full swing I was reminded that my visit to South Africa earlier in the year gave me a little useful knowledge of the local food.

My most memorable meal was at Nelson’s Eye Steak House. If you are ever in Cape Town it’s a must. It’s a proper steak house. It is said that the legendary Monkey Gland Sauce was first made in a Cape Town hotel and it was at the “Eye” that I first had Monkey Gland Sauce.

First I was wondering is it the real thing ?! But it’s not so don’t worry.

No monkeys or their glands are involved at any stage.

It is, however, different from your standard pepper or blue cheese sauce.

Monkey Gland Sauce is a kind of sweet and sour chutney style, sticky sauce that tastes quite fruity. If you want to get in the World Cup spirit and fancy something different give it ago.

Ingredients

1 tbsp butter
1 chopped onion
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp mustard
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 bottle of South African beer or Windhoek.
1 tbsp beef stock
salt and pepper
half a cup of fruit chutney is sometimes added
10ml grated ginger root is sometimes added

Step 1
Melt the butter and over a medium heat add the onion until pale in colour.

Step 2
Add the ketchup, Worcestershire, mustard and sugar.

Step 3
Simmer to thicken it.

Step 4
Add the beer and stock.

Step 5
Simmer to thicken the sauce will take about 10 mins.

Step 6
Enjoy with a nice aged steak or springbok if you can find it. It’s a lovely meat and if you ever see it give it ago!

Charlie the Butcher.

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Posted in Beef, Meat History

Panko scotch egg

Posted on May 5, 2010 | 1 Comment

I love scotch eggs. They bring back fond memories of my childhood at mate’s birthdays, motorway service stations and pub gardens in the summer. But it’s a very un-cool food to admit to liking. It is deep fried and not that healthy for you. But as a treat food you can’t beat them, and with the English summer here or around the corner it’s the ideal picnic snack or cricket tea filler.

What is it ? and who first made them ? well………………

With my usual detective hat on, my work is complete and my results are :

A scotch egg is simple. A hard-boiled egg with a sausage meat casing covered in breadcrumbs and deep fried.

History. Well it does have a nice little story behind it. Once upon a time at Fortnum and Mason in Picadilly, London they made the first scotch egg to sell in the amazing food hall they have there. For all the record books that was back in 1738.

There are a couple of different ways to make them some people use quail eggs, duck, goose or even an ostrich egg has been used. So get yourself an egg and make a scotch egg.

Ingredients

Five free range eggs
A pack Panko bread crumbs, the best crumbs to use, trust me.
Flour
One egg for coating
Sausage meat about 1kg
Smoked bacon bits 200g
Salt and pepper

Step 1
Take a pan of salted cold water and place the eggs in. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 9 minutes.

Step 2
Collect all the ingredients, sausage meat and bacon bits in a mixing bowl, egg wash in another, flour and panko crumbs in the others.

Step 3
Get the oil on, use a deep fat fryer and heat to 180.C

Step 4
Peel the eggs under cold running water.

Step 5
Flour the eggs, you do this so that the sausage meat does not stick to the egg.

Step 6
Wet your hands, it’s easier to control the sausage meat. Place the egg in your hand a work a sausage meat covering all around the egg, make sure you cover it all.

Step 7
Wash the egg with the egg wash.

Step 8
Rub on the panko bread crumbs, make sure you cover all of the egg. This is what gives the egg the crunch.

Step 9
Place into the oil, and cook for 9-10 minutes at 180.C

Step 10
Take out, let them cool down and enjoy with salad cream or bbq sauce.

Panko bread crumbs are available in any good Chinese supermarket. If you can’t find them pulse stale bread in the food mixer for a good homemade style crumb.

Enjoy.

Charlie the Butcher.

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Posted in Charcuterie, Fat, Health, Meat History, Pork, Sausages

T bone

Posted on April 26, 2010 | 5 Comments

The summer is on its way to South East London, the barbecues are being dusted down and B & Q stores are piled high to the ceiling with them. But the question on people’s lips in the butchers shop in the past couple of weeks has been “What’s the best on the bone steak for the BBQ mate ?”.

Well you have a number of on the bone steak options :

Sirloin (I have already written about this cut …. click on Beef in my side bar)
Dorchester Rib
Fillet
T bone steak

….. and this time it is the T bone steak that I’m going to do a little research into.

Well, it contains both the sirloin (strip loin …. left hand side of the vertical bone in my photo above) and the fillet (tenderloin …. right hand side of the vertical bone in my photo above). For the preparation of a T bone joint, firstly the butcher will remove the rump with the fillet head left on the rump and the wing rib taken off. Leaving you the T bone joint. It’s at this point that the desired size of steak can be cut.

But why the name T bone you may ask ? It is because the steak is cut across the joint and appears to be two bones, both of which when they are cut through look like the letter T. The cut itself is actually just one bone which is called the Lumbar Vertebra which has been cut through.

History shows that the T bone has been around since the early 19th century. One shady story talks about the steak being born at the Porter House Hotel in Massachusetts, USA. Some steak fans can swear that the T bone ticks all of the boxes with the sirloin and fillet both present in a steak and the buttery fat covering on the sirloin. But my favourite cuts are the rib eye and the rump, but the jury is still out.

I’m going to let you into a little secret of mine, I’ve cut hundreds of T bone steaks in my life but I’ve never actually had one. The reason being I’m waiting for the first days trading of my own butchers shop and as a reward for the hard work that is going to be my celebration meal. Fingers crossed this happens one day, and it is before the comb over hair and beer belly!

Charlie the Butcher.

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Posted in Beef, Fat, Meat History

Category Archives: Meat History

How about a goose ?

Thanksgiving – Turkey Day

Today is …..

Verjuice – my special ingredient

The glorious 12th – start of the grouse season

Monkey Gland Sauce

Panko scotch egg

T bone

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