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Cheaper Cuts of Meat

Listlad

Listlad

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There are an increasing number of threads on the likelihood of having to cut back on meat consumption. A lot of it is speculation. However should meat availability contract across the planet and the UK included, perhaps these times of plentiful meat will become a thing of the past.

In many countries of the world and historically in the UK too, the cheaper cuts, the offal and the off cuts might well be what we can acquire or what we can afford or both. In many countries of the world, the entire pig is eaten and not just the leanest cuts. Maybe some of us will be glad of tripe and onions, grilled chicken intestines, etc etc if and when meat availability becomes scarce.
 
If you live in the country you could trap rabbits? My 89 year old father used to provide meat for his family during ww2 and post ww2 rationing by shooting them, but am guessing gun laws in the UK make that more difficult now....
 
I am sure that the Chinese are looking for a way to use the pig's squeak, they use everything else.

Not sure I can deal with tripe or intestines (unless they are wrapping sausages), but if the cheapeer cuts of meat are cooked correctly, slow or IP, they are often more tasty than the more expensive "lean" cuts.
 
EllieM said:
If you live in the country you could trap rabbits? My 89 year old father used to provide meat for his family during ww2 and post ww2 rationing by shooting them, but am guessing gun laws in the UK make that more difficult now....
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I know from experience, you need a licence. Once classed as vermin, sadly no longr.
 
xfieldok said:
I am sure that the Chinese are looking for a way to use the pig's squeak, they use everything else.

Not sure I can deal with tripe or intestines (unless they are wrapping sausages), but if the cheapeer cuts of meat are cooked correctly, slow or IP, they are often more tasty than the more expensive "lean" cuts.
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I think you are right. Often more tasty. My other half always says that.
 
EllieM said:
If you live in the country you could trap rabbits? My 89 year old father used to provide meat for his family during ww2 and post ww2 rationing by shooting them, but am guessing gun laws in the UK make that more difficult now....
Click to expand...
And then there is something along the lines of Danny’s father in Danny the Champion of the World...
 
Listlad said:
There are an increasing number of threads on the likelihood of having to cut back on meat consumption. A lot of it is speculation. However should meat availability contract across the planet and the UK included, perhaps these times of plentiful meat will become a thing of the past.

In many countries of the world and historically in the UK too, the cheaper cuts, the offal and the off cuts might well be what we can acquire or what we can afford or both. In many countries of the world, the entire pig is eaten and not just the leanest cuts. Maybe some of us will be glad of tripe and onions, grilled chicken intestines, etc etc if and when meat availability becomes scarce.
Click to expand...
As during WW2 there will be a flourishing black market. If meat does get scarce, it will always be available to those with money, but what worries me is that if it becomes too scarce then other sources will be used instead. I am thinking siege mentality where cats, dogs, rats, frogs, birdies and even horses will be rustled into service. There is precedence I believe. Indeed parts of Asia already cope with such shortages among poor communities. My local chippy in Leeds got done for offering sweet and sour cat balls - in Vietnam where thay originated this was common and legal practice.

When I was a kid we often dined out on brawn, lights, sweetmeats, and other awful offal. Pigs trotter anyone?
 
Listlad said:
However should meat availability contract across the planet and the UK included, perhaps these times of plentiful meat will become a thing of the past.
Click to expand...
It's not going to happen here in Australia and New Zealand, or the other meat producing countries as there is to much export revenue involved.

The peace loving Saudi's love our live sheep which they buy the ship load, as do Indonesia with shiploads of cattle justto name a couple of customers. China exports have gone down the past week due to closing of ports because of Corona virus, but that will eventually come good.

I have got a couple of live pigs and five goats that will eventually end up in our freezers...
 
xfieldok said:
I know from experience, you need a licence. Once classed as vermin, sadly no longr.
Click to expand...
They are vermin here in Australia, but the rabbit calicivirus keeps the numbers down when the government have a controlled poisoning campaign.
 
@Tipetoo Australia is definitely the place to be for meat lovers. You guys pretty much have the stuff on tap. I have spent a fair amount of time in WA and love it. I would move over there in a heartbeat if it weren't for three things;
  1. Ridiculously Policed speed limits.
  2. You have to be a particle physicist in order to to be accepted.
  3. ~40c
 
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Jim Lahey said:
@Tipetoo Australia is definitely the place to be for meat lovers. You guys pretty much have the stuff on tap. I have spent a fair amount of time in WA and love it. I would move over there in a heartbeat if weren't for three things;
  1. Ridiculously Policed speed limits.
  2. You have to be a particle physicist in order to to be accepted.
  3. ~40c
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It's getting tough to get in now, but they seem to have a list of what trades / skill that are needed for migration purposes.

You think WA has bad traffic laws, in Queensland starting yesterday 01.02.2020 if you get caught using a mobile phone while in control of a motor vehicle: 4 demerit points off your licence and a $1000.00 fine.

I was on holiday at Geraldton WA at xmas / new year period plenty of meat / fish to eat.

Edit: Clarity
 
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Oldvatr said:
As during WW2 there will be a flourishing black market. If meat does get scarce, it will always be available to those with money, but what worries me is that if it becomes too scarce then other sources will be used instead. I am thinking siege mentality where cats, dogs, rats, frogs, birdies and even horses will be rustled into service.
Click to expand...

During WW2 (and the few years after) meat was heavily rationed but people in the country were fine (and they weren't eating rats or dogs). They had plenty of rabbits to catch and kept chickens to provide eggs.

Horse meat is eaten in many parts of the world and in the New Forest (where my Dad lives) the ponies mostly end up in an abattoir - they are bred to pull traps and there's not much demand for that now....
 
Easy enough to get a few male chicks if you have a garden - the big egg farms dump them. Not so good to eat if you let them grow into adult cockerels but ok when young. Let them have a coop that you can move round the lawn, and onto the veg patches when you've finished a crop so they can clean up the weeds.
Pity our urban pigeons are full of nasty bugs and very unhealthy from eating chips.
 
Oldvatr said:
As during WW2 there will be a flourishing black market. If meat does get scarce, it will always be available to those with money, but what worries me is that if it becomes too scarce then other sources will be used instead. I am thinking siege mentality where cats, dogs, rats, frogs, birdies and even horses will be rustled into service. There is precedence I believe. Indeed parts of Asia already cope with such shortages among poor communities. My local chippy in Leeds got done for offering sweet and sour cat balls - in Vietnam where thay originated this was common and legal practice.

When I was a kid we often dined out on brawn, lights, sweetmeats, and other awful offal. Pigs trotter anyone?
Click to expand...
Yes, in some parts of the world, anything that moves..
 
Listlad said:
There is quite a lot of meat to be had from a pigs head, I believe.
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Depends how big the pig head is, I have had dubious honour years ago carving the meat off a roasted boars head, it did not feed every one there.

I rip the cheeks and the fat bit at the top off to put in the sausage mix, the rest gets buried deep with the guts.
 
Jim Lahey said:
@Tipetoo Australia is definitely the place to be for meat lovers. You guys pretty much have the stuff on tap. I have spent a fair amount of time in WA and love it. I would move over there in a heartbeat if it weren't for three things;
  1. Ridiculously Policed speed limits.
  2. You have to be a particle physicist in order to to be accepted.
  3. ~40c
Click to expand...

-40C seems a bit chilly :wideyed:;)
 
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