Topic: Where do YOU source the meat for your curries?

[sp]

As you all know a penny saved is a penny earned in business, and I'm sure an indian restaurant is no exception.  Long ago as a naive 17 year old I worked in one of the big supermarket chains and was always intrigued by the number of people of Chinese origin who stocked up on special-offer frozen chips and such like, figuring (probably wrongly) that they may be running takeaways to need that many and that they knew a bargain when they saw one.

Anyway, to the point... to my palette the supermarket frozen beef is definately not as tender as the even the cheapest equivalent fresh variety, but is it worth the not-insignificant extra outlay when the local BIR probably don't bother?

Maybe I'm missing a trick and side-stepping my "local friendly butcher", perhaps wrongly assuming that they are naturally more expensive?  I can't find fresh or frozen lamb at any sensible price in the supermarkets (Asda/Tesco/Sainsburys - no Waitrose up here!)

Your thoughts please...

[976bar]

Hi Stephen,

Whereabouts are you placed?

I have a Makro Cash & Carry near me, which happily stock fresh Halal Mutton legs (Sheep) at around

[sp]

Hiya, I'm Fochabers in Moray, Scotland (famous for Baxters soup, and that Ken Bruce sometimes mentions on his Radio 2 show http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fochabers), nearest Makro is in Aberdeen, but next time I'm through that way I'll definately stock up if they have any (hope my card is still valid!) - thanks for the tip 

[976bar]

Long Drive, but as you say if you are passing through well worth the visit

And it being fresh not frozen will keep until you get home to prepare the meat then freeze as you wish

[sp]

Great idea, long drives aren't a problem for a hobby - you're conversing with a man who did a 90-mile round trip attempting to source Kashmiri Masala paste, ended up ordering online and paying

[curryhell]

There are some advantages to living in a less pleasant part of the country down south then, if only the convenience of having so many places to shop :.  I get my chicken and mutton for curry from my local halal butchers at a

[Unclefrank]

976bar your local butchers meat can be traced to what farm, how old, where born and what farmer raised the animal, my local butcher had a customer that purchased a whole leg of lamb, then about 2-3 weeks later received another visit from the food inspectors and his meat products all passed, you see butchers can sell "cheap" meat if they wish to do so but many of them tend to sell meat that can be traced to give the customer a better cut of meat and quality of meat.

I buy in bulk chicken breasts from my butcher and i get each chicken breast (which serves two people) for around the 1.25 GBP each all depends on how many i buy.

Keep well clear of Farmfoods frozen cubed chicken, bland, even in a curry, just no taste what so ever.

I also get my lamb mince from Halal butcher at Sandhars in Dudley 4.99 GBP for 1kg, perfect for kebabs and keema recipes and chicken thighs 3.50 GBP for 1kg perfect for tikka and kebab recipes.

[Malc.]

I've always used the local supermarkets but I am now starting to source from butchers and local farms. I've been quite surprised how competitive they are now, or is that, how rip off the supermarkets have become! Do you have any local markets that have butchers, often a really good bargain to be had there too.

[sp]

"farmers markets" seem very trendy and popular, we even had one in the old assembly hall of the school where i work (i'm the it tech there), but no bargains to be had sadly, maybe just the ones i've looked round but the prices are very high in comparison and seem to appeal to the well heeled and organic/eco folk - reassuringly expensive, as the makers of Stella Artois used to say...

[RubyDoo]

Direct from Smithfield Market for me but only as it is reasonably accessible even if you do have to get up early. Half the price of supermarkets and even bigger savings than local butcher who gets it from same place.