OK, What's For Lunch or Tea Today?

I’m still not buying supermarket meat, and trying to be as ethical as I can, like choosing the pheasant at the pub on Sunday, which will likely have been shot locally. (Didn’t impress the kids though as their school motif is a pheasant!)

The chicken at the farm shop is gorgeous but ridiculously expensive, so we’re eating less of it. I use one chicken breast a week - they’re huge, weigh about a pound and a half. Using more veggies in say a curry, I can stretch the chicken over four meals, so even though £12 is a lot for a chicken breast it’s not that bad spread out. Hardly a drop of water comes out of it when you cook it too, so unlike supermarket meat you’re r paying for pure bird not the water they use to exaggerate the weight...

I was veggie for about 5 years, but don’t think I could cope with going vegan - I would miss eggs and cheese too much.

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Originally Posted by Alex_UK

I’m still not buying supermarket meat, and trying to be as ethical as I can, like choosing the pheasant at the pub on Sunday, which will likely have been shot locally. (Didn’t impress the kids though as their school motif is a pheasant!)

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Good stuff, mate. And keep it up, although *some* supermarket meat can be very good, particularly if any of your nearest branches support local producers, which smaller supermarkets, such as Aldi and Lidl often do.

That said, if you can buy your meat straight from a farm or quality independent butchers, so much the better, as regardless of anything else you're helping support small businesses, rather than huge multinationals. Chickens, however, are a different ball game, and there is a *massive* difference in quality between supermarket poultry, even the free-range variety, and the stuff you're buying.

As you correctly say:

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The chicken at the farm shop is gorgeous but ridiculously expensive, so we’re eating less of it. I use one chicken breast a week - they’re huge, weigh about a pound and a half. Using more veggies in say a curry, I can stretch the chicken over four meals, so even though £12 is a lot for a chicken breast it’s not that bad spread out. Hardly a drop of water comes out of it when you cook it too, so unlike supermarket meat you’re r paying for pure bird not the water they use to exaggerate the weight...

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Yeah, those big 'plump' birds in the supermarket look great, don't they? Superb value!:D

Aye, if you like chicken pumped full of water... The KEY thing though with buying any quality whole chicken is to use EVERY part of it, and not waste half of it like the lazy/fussy pretenders do who eat chicken and only treat the breast seriously!:doh:

When we buy a chicken, the WHOLE BIRD is used, right down to the carcass, for making stock - *nothing* is wasted, and that's how it should be. Oh, and btw, if you think that the chickens you're buying are expensive, check out the price of the 'king' of all chickens, Poulet de Bresse: https://www.frenchclick.co.uk/p-3982...e-10-20kg.aspx

:eek::eyebrows: It is really fantastic though, and nothing like you'll have tasted before. Worth it for a special occasion!

Marco.

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Originally Posted by Marco

Good stuff, mate. And keep it up, although *some* supermarket meat can be very good, particularly if any of your nearest branches support local producers, which smaller supermarkets, such as Aldi and Lidl often do.

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I agree, it's not so bad with larger animals, as you can't get away with bringing a cow up in a shed like you can a bird, but that said, the local butcher in Debenham is fantastic - Palfrey & Hall - outstanding quality and all local. If Hog & Hen don't have what I want they will. (They supply them with their beef, venison etc. and vice versa for the chicken.)

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Originally Posted by Marco

They KEY thing though with buying any quality whole chicken is to use EVERY part of it, and not waste half of it like the lazy/fussy pretenders do who eat chicken and only treat the breast seriously!:doh:

When we buy a chicken, the WHOLE BIRD is used, right down to the carcass, for making stock - *nothing* is wasted, and that's how it should be. Oh, and btw, if you think that the chickens you're buying are expensive, check out the price of the 'king' of all chickens, Poulet de Bresse: https://www.frenchclick.co.uk/p-3982...e-10-20kg.aspx

:eek::eyebrows: It is really fantastic though, and nothing like you'll have tasted before. Worth it for a special occasion!

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Main reason for using breast in things like curry is the health aspect of it - I would much rather have more of the brown meat but not all the time. We also use everything from the chicken, we've only bought a whole one twice from the farm, but nothing gets wasted especially at their prices! Mind you, that's nothing compared to that Poulet de Bresse :stalks: - but it does sound good!

I was just about to ask which shops you used, so thanks for that.
A few of us ride through Debenham on a day out (and grab some fish'n'chips on the way) so i'll try Palfrey and Hall.

Also,
Rump steak with a light soy, worcestershire sauce, garlic and olive oil marinade.
After pre cooking in the oven it came out a bit of an odd shape to cook perfectly in the griddle pan (hence the overdone looking bits), but it was melt in the mouth and super tasty..


https://i.imgur.com/CWSjn49.jpg

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Originally Posted by Alex_UK

I agree, it's not so bad with larger animals, as you can't get away with bringing a cow up in a shed like you can a bird, but that said, the local butcher in Debenham is fantastic - Palfrey & Hall - outstanding quality and all local. If Hog & Hen don't have what I want they will. (They supply them with their beef, venison etc. and vice versa for the chicken.)

Main reason for using breast in things like curry is the health aspect of it - I would much rather have more of the brown meat but not all the time. We also use everything from the chicken, we've only bought a whole one twice from the farm, but nothing gets wasted especially at their prices! Mind you, that's nothing compared to that Poulet de Bresse :stalks: - but it does sound good!

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Good stuff, mate. Brown meat isn't unhealthy, though. It depends on how it's cooked, and of course how much of it you eat! As you know, moderation is key, and also varying your diet, so you can use other foods to balance things out:)

Marco.

Steak looks good, Jon!

We have some good biking roads around here. Debenham chippy is pretty good, Stowupland Fish & Chips just edges it IMHO, and not just because the (outer) wrapping is real newspaper!

Living out of freezer so this is a 28day lidl Ribeye with chips

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...2570acc495.jpg

Just knocked up a Chicken 'Spunjabba'

Chicken breast chopped up, Peppers, Broccolli, Arbagene,Chopped Onion, Rice, Stock, Seasoning, Tumeric. Stick the lot in an oven tray & just cook, turning half way thru.. Quick and easy & healthy.

Dont waste you bits of grub knocking about in the fridge, used em.

https://i.imgur.com/pujsDmJ.jpg

Chicken curry

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...866b5d9c_k.jpg