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Where does all the 'Prime' meat go?


rotuts

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In France the difference in price between supermarket meat and a similar cut from a butcher is huge. I lived there for 7 years up to 2007 and it was very seldom that I had sufficient funds to buy meat from a butcher. In fact I ate very little meat because the stuff I could afford in the supermarket was generally poor. As I was living alone I would sometimes go to the traiteur and buy paupiettes or boundins or other stuff with some meat content and beautifully made, it was cheaper than buying ingredients to make these things myself. Sadly when the Traiteur attempted to sell his business to retire there were no takers. It was a great place, there were always queues outside the shop. The place is now a chain clothes shop and the town is the worse for it. Only one Traiteur remains in the centre, there were 4 a decade ago.

The town also managed to support 5 independent butchers despite their prices. I recall going into one with my neighbour who was better placed financially than I. She bought a rôti de bœuf which would have fed 5 or 6 people. It cost around 50€. It has to be said that any roasting joint in France will be beautifully prepared (whether from supermarket or independent), there will be no work for the cook save to manage cooking heat and time. I've never seen such well prepared meat on sale in England.

For around the 50€ that my neighbour spent on that one joint in France we bought a range of stuff from our local butcher here in North Yorkshire last Saturday. We got 2 generous rib eye steaks, rack of lamb (trimmed while we waited) and 1.5kg good stewing steak. Butchers here display a board indicating the farm the animals came from and their tag numbers.

While I no longer live in France I visit often and I've noticed a new trend in meat supply. Rather than the small town centre butcher shops there is a move towards taking a large unit on a trading estate where there is perhaps already a supermarket. I'm not sure how these places fit in respect quality and price. The supermarkets can't be too happy. I'm going over at the end of the week and I intend to have a look at one such place that now shares a car park with the second supermarket to a smallish town.

Back in England both supermarkets and independents tend to trade on the fact that their meat is British. We get some Irish beef in supermarkets from time to time and New Zealand lamb when our own is out of season. The only time I recall reference to Argentinian beef was during the BSE crisis. There was still a butcher in our village in those days, he said that he had bought some Argentinian beef and he found it excellent. He didn't offer it for sale because he thought it was a bit too adventurous for his customers!

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I dont really know what a trading estate is. if you are able to travel there and can take some pictures to post here Id be very interested in seeing them

I follow Great British Menu and several other chef based cooking shows from GB including all the Heston stuff. they talk regularly about local humanely raised meat and some of the butcher shops they go to look fabulous. Heston in the past has lamented the GB grading system for beef.

the ecology of Beef and indeed all meat is one thing and an important one. but knowing more about what you will actually buy is still interesting and important.

in my town there is a CSA for grass fed beef. Id tried a few of their sirloin steaks. it takes a while to appreciate that taste, which I now like. but their cattle are very poorly butchered and not in anyway uniform in thickness etc.

todays NYTimes has an article buy Mark Bittman on Meat. he doesnt really say anything new in it, just eat less but better.

Edited by rotuts (log)
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Hi Rotuts,

I'll certainly take some pictures when I'm in France next week.

By trading estate I mean an area on the edge of town where usually there is a supermarket plus other retail outlets of the 'shed' variety. Perhaps a garden centre, Toys R Us type shop, furnishings, do it yourself supplies. Nearly always chains or franchises. Maybe a Macdonalds and the like.

These new style butchers seem to be independents but I'll attempt to find out more next week.

In England, and I think in Europe generally, all animals for food must be slaughtered at a registered abattoir. No matter the welfare arrangements on the farm the last hours of the animal's life will comprise transport to the abattoir.

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I feel like prime ground beef sounds almost like a gimmick. What essentially separates a prime cut from a choice cut is merely the marbling. If you grind it then you're just getting a fattier ground beef, which is easily achieved by adding your own fat to whatever you're grinding.

It's a logical argument. Many places buy sides of beef and only buy prime. The cuts that aren't going to be sold as steaks are ground for tartare and hamburgers. So, yes, USDA prime hamburger. It would be easier to simply add fat. But if you have half a cow already -- make the most of it.

Who cares how time advances? I am drinking ale today. -- Edgar Allan Poe

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  • 5 weeks later...

a sort of follow- up:

I had several 'prime' blade-roasts from the RocheBros butcher that I carefully trimmed out the central tendon and had for each roast 4 'steaks'

those that were thinner got rolled up and the thicker 'as is'

I SV'd them all at 130 for 6 hrs with just a little Sauer's Prime Rib seasoning, a favorite of mine.

as its now hotter, ive pulled these out of the freezer and used them for sandwiches. I keep them in the refrig until thawed perhaps overnight, then bring them to room temp for the sandwiches.

they are delicious. I cant in truth say that the 'prime' helped. but it might have

how ever, the jus in the bag was to die for. I do have the complete MC books and Ive looked with envy on the MC 'jus'

I have not made this but the Jus that came out of these bags was in its own league . by far.

Edited by rotuts (log)
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