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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd9gevvwjywo
That's the problem with TV chefs recommending hte old fashioned cuts that no one wanted for years because they were the "cheap" or "poor" cuts. But, extra tasty. Soon as the TV chefs started reminding people of this the price went through the roof cos they are no longer for poor peoplegremlin wrote: Fri Mar 06, 2026 9:50 am Just reading that the average UK household in 1980 purchased 128g of sheep meat per person, per week.
That's now 23g per person, per week.
I love a bit of lamb and have a butcher near me who also sells hoggett and mutton to order. In fact, we're having a lamb shank curry for dinner on Saturday. Mind you, four very average-sized shanks were nigh-on £30. They used to be virtually giveaway. To use the neck fillet the recipe suggested worked out nearer £80.![]()
Add in the vegetableists and no wonder everybody is buying cheap chickens from Tesco.
I suspect most UK* restaurant businesses think the TV chefs are a bloody nuisance if that's what they're doing 'cos it kicked off with restaurants trying to increase their margins by selling dishes of pimped up cheaper ingredients (+ the ubiquitous liver n' bacon menu item in lesser establishments). Add in the public health difficulties regarding anything in spinal proximity, so 'scrag end' and 'best end' are replaced by 'neck fillet' at £Noggin wrote: Fri Mar 06, 2026 9:57 am
That's the problem with TV chefs recommending hte old fashioned cuts that no one wanted for years because they were the "cheap" or "poor" cuts. But, extra tasty. Soon as the TV chefs started reminding people of this the price went through the roof cos they are no longer for poor people
Local butcher here wanted six quid each for very average bones for the dogs. Needless to say he was told to catch himself on.Noggin wrote: Fri Mar 06, 2026 9:57 amThat's the problem with TV chefs recommending hte old fashioned cuts that no one wanted for years because they were the "cheap" or "poor" cuts. But, extra tasty. Soon as the TV chefs started reminding people of this the price went through the roof cos they are no longer for poor peoplegremlin wrote: Fri Mar 06, 2026 9:50 am Just reading that the average UK household in 1980 purchased 128g of sheep meat per person, per week.
That's now 23g per person, per week.
I love a bit of lamb and have a butcher near me who also sells hoggett and mutton to order. In fact, we're having a lamb shank curry for dinner on Saturday. Mind you, four very average-sized shanks were nigh-on £30. They used to be virtually giveaway. To use the neck fillet the recipe suggested worked out nearer £80.![]()
Add in the vegetableists and no wonder everybody is buying cheap chickens from Tesco.
I wanted to get oxtail the other week from the local butcher - apparently I have to "order" it!!!![]()
And they don't give away bones any more (butchers are/were apparently charged for bone disposal so they gave bones away) - now more people understands the benefits of bone broth or using it as stock, butchers can make money on something that used to cost them!!
I don't begrudge them making money in the slightest, just that I'm very behind on these things and now I want to try all these cheap cuts, they are bastard expensive !!!!!
When I were a lad, well, 50 years ago anyway, my Mum would feed the dogs on tripe and hearts. My job was cutting it up after it had all been boiled and feeding them. Back then I would happily have a few chunks myself. Can’t remember the taste but buggered if I would eat it nowadays.
As an aside, my favourite Terry Pratchett line.
Funny how smells stay with you. I remember sometimes in the early 80s my gran bred dogs. Westies, dozens of them she had. They used to get fed in these tubes of frozen tripe, like a giant savaloy 4" in diameter and a foot long, crimped at both ends. She used to leave them out overnight to defrost until the day she got a microwave. She popped one in on defrost for 30 min...only she didn't select defrost. The kitchen was soon filled with the acrid smoke from burning tripe...636mick wrote: Sun Mar 08, 2026 9:26 amWhen I were a lad, well, 50 years ago anyway, my Mum would feed the dogs on tripe and hearts. My job was cutting it up after it had all been boiled and feeding them. Back then I would happily have a few chunks myself. Can’t remember the taste but buggered if I would eat it nowadays.
I feel one’s palate has improved somewhat
Mick
Most TV chefs have restaurants! Whether they did before they started recomending (no longer) cheap cuts I don't know!! But they've been doing it a looooong time!!Count Steer wrote: Fri Mar 06, 2026 1:57 pmI suspect most UK* restaurant businesses think the TV chefs are a bloody nuisance if that's what they're doing 'cos it kicked off with restaurants trying to increase their margins by selling dishes of pimped up cheaper ingredients (+ the ubiquitous liver n' bacon menu item in lesser establishments). Add in the public health difficulties regarding anything in spinal proximity, so 'scrag end' and 'best end' are replaced by 'neck fillet' at £Noggin wrote: Fri Mar 06, 2026 9:57 am
That's the problem with TV chefs recommending hte old fashioned cuts that no one wanted for years because they were the "cheap" or "poor" cuts. But, extra tasty. Soon as the TV chefs started reminding people of this the price went through the roof cos they are no longer for poor people
/lb.
Fortunately it doesn't seem to have created hyper-inflation for lamb hearts yet.![]()
* the French love of 'autopsy meat' cuts has seen stuff like andouillette on the menu like, forever. Oddly enough, it appears one of the few things that got cheaper to make as they were banned from using the expensive ingredient - veal. (Smells and tastes like pig's toilet paper, with or without).