One of the biggest benefits that comes with shopping at a local butcher shop is the depth of knowledge that you can tap into by talking to your butcher. Because of their years of experience in the field, butchers are uniquely qualified to answer any questions on their product that you might have. Here are five questions to ask your butcher when buying meat.
What Do You Recommend?
This open-ended question is one that butchers receive on a daily basis. This is a question that you should ask if you already have a specific recipe in mind that you want to try. A good butcher can tell you what cuts will work the best and are the most budget friendly.
How Do I Cook This?
A common question for many who are new in the kitchen, asking how to cook and prepare a certain cut will help reduce the learning curve. This is also a question that is often asked to butchers by customers who are trying a cut of meat that they haven’t worked with in the past. Whatever your reason, the person behind the meat counter can help ease some of the worry that comes with trying something different.
What Do You Make In-House?
In many meat markets, there are specialty items that are made in-house. These items are often the freshest because they aren’t prepared until they get to the shop. Some examples of items that can be prepared by the butcher include sausages, burger patties, pre-seasoned cuts, and party trays.
Will You ______ For Me?
There are certain parts of cooking that not everybody can do. Fortunately, many butchers are amicable to special requests that will make your preparation process much easier. Asking your butcher for things like cubing, deboning, and grinding will get you out the door with exactly what you need for your meal.
Where Do You Get Your Meat From?
The last helpful question to ask your butcher when buying meat is where they get their supply from. Ideally, your meat market will get their inventory from local suppliers. This is good for the customer because it keeps preservatives out of the meat. This will also let you know that you are getting the freshest, tastiest meat possible.
If you are looking for advice on how to prepare your next meal, as well as the best place to buy bacon in The Bronx, come check out the experts at Vincent’s Meat Market. We have everything from chicken, beef, and sausage to whole quails and ducks.
