In Quest of good mutton

[sandgaw]

Hi folks,

I have been dying to eat nice home made mutton curry but haven't found a good shop so far. Recently located to Northern Virginia (Reston area) and was wondering if anyone knows of a good butcher shop. Halaal, non halaal doesn't matter. Though I do suspect that I'll have to go to a Halaal shop. I am sure that this topic has come up before and I scoured the forums but was unable to find any relevant post.

BTW, this is an amazing forum and, after having lurked around for a few days, I am already in awe of almost all the members here.

S

edit: Got mixed up with my Virginias :)

Edited June 29, 2004 by sandgaw (log)

[Edward]

Hello,

When you say "mutton" do you mean fresh goat meat or mature lamb?

[jw46]

I have been dying to eat nice home made mutton curry but haven't found a good shop so far.  Recently located to West Virginia and was wondering if anyone knows of a good butcher shop.  Halaal, non halaal doesn't matter.  Though I do suspect that I'll have to go to a Halaal shop.  I am sure that this topic has come up before and I scoured the forums but was unable to find any relevant post.

My suggestion, look in newspapers in the more rural areas, and find an animal of your liking..buy it live.,..bring to a private spot (some towns frown on butchering livestock in your front yard)...Dispatch same, gut, skin and cut into proper parts for cooking...A connection to the food we eat...or perhaps more vegetarians...

Or,perhaps the person that raised the animal would do the butchering...relieving you from the more gruesome tasks...

The meat would be the freshest possible...

[sandgaw]

Hello,

When you say "mutton" do you mean fresh goat meat or mature lamb?

Hi Edward,

I really meant goat meat. I am guessing that I have been eating mature lamb for the past few years at most of the Indian restaurants I've been to.

[Pan]

Halal butcher shops tend to have goat on sale.

[mrbigjas]

As do Latino butchers--especially Mexican--in my experience.

[Edward]

You sure did mix up your Virginias!

I, too, live in the Reston area. One place you can get goat meat is at Madina Market on Elden st. It is an Afghani store and halal butcher. They also have a decent selection of Afghani, Persian and South Asian groceries. This place is in the K-Mart shopping center right after Baron Cameron becomes Elden st.

There is also an Indian grocery there, Indo-Pak. it is my everyday Desi store. The owners and staff are very friendly.

If you need any other tips on local shopping just ask.

Edward

[sandgaw]

You sure did mix up your Virginias!

I'll blame it on my lack of geographical sense and the fact that I just moved four days ago. West Virginia has kinda been on the ignore list of my consciousness (no offense to W. VA. denizens). Its quite confusing for a SF Bay Areaite who hasn't stayed elsewhere in the US. Not to mention the fact that Indian spices and groceries (daals, pickles, etc.) cost atleast twice as much as the same stuff one would get in any average bay area store.

I, too, live in the Reston area. One place you can get goat meat is at Madina Market on Elden st. It is an Afghani store and halal butcher. They also have a decent selection of Afghani, Persian and South Asian groceries. This place is in the K-Mart shopping center right after Baron Cameron becomes Elden st.

There is also an Indian grocery there, Indo-Pak. it is my everyday Desi store. The owners and staff are very friendly.

Elden St is probably a mile or so from my place so this place is gonna work great for me! Next stop is at Madina Market. I've also heard that there is a decent Indian spice store in Falls Church which I plan to visit in a day or two. As an aside, I dined at the SupperClub in Worldgate Mall the day I arrived here (after reading Monica Bhide's review somewhere on the net). The non-veg thali is highly recommended.

If you need any other tips on local shopping just ask.

Edward

Appreciate your offer. May I take the liberty of PMing you in case I have similar questions?

Sandeep

[Monica Bhide]

Sandeep - glad you enjoyed SupperClub. If I can be of any assitance on your trip here do send me a PM

[easyguru]

http://www.zabihah.com/

This is one good source for finding halal grocers and restaurants.

[deliad]

Sandeep,

Welcome to the forum. In addition to Madina Market, there is also Star Groceries in that area. It is, I think on Grant St, just one street behind Elden. The store is not directly visible from main Elden st, so it may be hard to locate. Just do a Google for address. I have found their mutton to be better on most occasions. Their prices are also a bit cheaper that others.

I have seen another one in Sterling, on the road that connects Herndon and Sterling, but have not tried yet.

Hope this helps.

Cheers

[sandgaw]

Sandeep - glad you enjoyed SupperClub. If I can be of any assitance on your trip here do send me a PM

Sandeep - glad you enjoyed SupperClub.

SupperClub was awesome. We had a very different eggplant preparation mixed with gur. The naans were served hot and fluffy and the chicken was great. Lamb curry was very well made but lamb itself tasted very much like, well, lamb :)

If I can be of any assitance on your trip here do send me a PM

Thanks much. We are entertaining some friends (well 10-12 people) on the July 4th weekend and mutton curry was sort of a unanimous demand. So the curry and kheer are my contributions to the get-to-gether party. Though I am slightly hindered by lack of kitchen appliances like blender etc (this being a temp corporate housing and all). All I have to do now is find a simple to make recipe. I do have a leeway in screwing up, however, as most of us would be sufficiently inebriated to gloss over minor mistakes

I am certain I saw several recipes on the forum so a simple search should help.

[Edward]

Sandeep,

Welcome to the forum. In addition to Madina Market, there is also Star Groceries in that area. It is, I think on Grant St, just one street behind Elden. The store is not directly visible from main Elden st, so it may be hard to locate. Just do a Google for address. I have found their mutton to be better on most occasions. Their prices are also a bit cheaper that others.

I have seen another one in Sterling, on the road that connects Herndon and Sterling, but have not tried yet.

Hope this helps.

Cheers

Oh yes, I forgot about that one. They just moved to that space in the last year. Glad you mentioned it to Sandgaw.

[sandgaw]

Sandeep,

Welcome to the forum. In addition to Madina Market, there is also Star Groceries in that area. It is, I think on Grant St, just one street behind Elden. The store is not directly visible from main Elden st, so it may be hard to locate. Just do a Google for address. I have found their mutton to be better on most occasions. Their prices are also a bit cheaper that others.

I have seen another one in Sterling, on the road that connects Herndon and Sterling, but have not tried yet.

Hope this helps.

Cheers

Thanks deliad, for the welcome as well as the store info.