Befriending the Butcher
A few weeks ago at a Haymarket Butcher Shop, I watched as a gentleman requested marrow bones. The staff fulfilled the request with no hesitation, pulling a bone from the back room, stripping, then cutting it.
I made the same request. The response was, "I don't know if we can do that. You'll have to ask the owner."
More envious than angry, I post here looking for tips on getting to know your butcher on a first name basis and having him fulfill odd requests (I'm always in the market for odd cuts, i.e. offal, pig's head, spleen, marrow bones, etc.). What's the secret? Spending large amounts of money on a regular basis? Or, is there a butcher that is naturally friendly and accommodating?
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I concur with all of the above, especially with the buying consistently (you can be a regular customer without being extravagant or going beyond your means). I've found that helps when I've bought something and want some quick advice on how to best cook it, or have some weird bony bits quickly cut away that I'm not sure how to do myself. However, if I tried to have a long lingering discussion about pork shoulder during the weekday lunchtime or straight-after-work rush, that probably wouldn't fly.
Sometimes I wonder whether all the foodie writers/TV show exhortations to have deep and meaningful discussions with food purveyors has been taken too literally, to the detriment of both customer and provider. One of the best things I've ever seen was in the Adelaide Central Market on Christmas Eve. Mayhem was ensuing. The queue was metres long, everyone was slightly tense and doing their best to be as efficient as possible. A man went up to the counter. If you contacted Central Casting and requested a man to play an upper-middle-class looking foodie in a market scene, you would have got this man. He beamed at the shop assistant and said in the kind of booming fruity voice you think you only hear on television:
"Now, young lady. Tell me everything you know about cheese."
She handled it very well, as did her fellow shop assistant who directed everyone in the queue: "Ladies and gentlemen, anybody who has cheese in hand and is ready to purchase, please start a new line over here."
It meant that I got served quickly, and didn't get to hear the rest of the conversation which was disappointing.
But it really wasn't the time.
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johnb
Jan 24, 2010 04:54 PM
The advice above is good. And BTW, even if you're in a place like I am now where there is no real butcher, just the meat dept. of the local supermarket, getting to know the guys and showing some respect can especially pay off. They may not have much access to the super special cuts, but you'll be amazed at how you can get quality items that the normal customers don't even know about.
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jfood
Jan 24, 2010 08:36 AM
SHMOOZE!!!
Butcher spend their days over dead animals and cutting them up. The smiles jfood sees from saying "Hey Tony, howya doing?" each and every time he shops makes for a start. First learn their names. Then tell him that you loved the pork loin last week. Ask him what looks good this week. Seek his advice and give him feedback. Over time you will be amazed at the service. Try asking a stranger to bone 15 cornish hens. For jfood Tony's response was "no biggie."
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re: jfood
GirlyQ
Jan 24, 2010 05:39 PM
Being friendly can grease so many more gears than money. I am not a big spender. I am pretty poor, honestly. But I am always cheerful and engaging with the meat guys at my market, and in turn, they let me know what really good for the dollar, and ESPECIALLY when lamb is going on special, since they know how much I love it. Kindness costs nothing and gets you everything.
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re: GirlyQ
Scrapironchef
Jan 24, 2010 09:30 PM
Being friendly works, Roger, my local butcher, knows he's not going to get rich off the small amounts I buy for my wife and I. I seldom spend more than about $10 on my total purchase at the store but he does know I'm going to be in the store at least 4 days a week.. This pays off when I do need something special at the holidays like letting me brine my turkey in his cooler or dry aging my prime rib for me.
We talk every time I'm in and I've loaned him cookbooks, given him a bag of persimmons off my tree and spotted him some bulk spices when he ran short. Right now he's got 4 lamb breasts in the freezer for me, I told them I'd take them as soon as it stopped raining long enough to fire up the grill.
He treats my in-laws like royalty when they go in and gets a huge kick out of my 1 year old. What more could you want?
How did this all start? I asked his name the first time I was there and talked meat with him for a while. I told him what I like and had trouble getting and gave him honest feedback on what he sold me.
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re: TommyJay
Scrapironchef
Jan 25, 2010 04:37 PM
The single females in my tree are way to high maintenance for me to inflict on you....
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ipsedixit
Jan 23, 2010 07:34 PM
If you want to make friends with your butcher, then you have to express an appreciation and understanding of his craft.
Read this as a starting point: http://food.theatlantic.com/artisans/...
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alanbarnes
Jan 23, 2010 07:15 PM
I bemoan the fact that I don't have a good butcher nearby any more. But when I did, I was amazed at the fact that he cared less about how much people spent than how much they shared his interest in his craft.
It started with "wow, that's a good-looking steak." I bought it, returned, and raved about it. Asked questions, followed advice. From there, a request for stew meat led to the dissection of a chuck roast despite the fact that there was "stew meat" in the case. Then came unsolicited information regarding the composition of the current crop of ground beef (all tenderloin from holiday roasts) and little freebies (the butt end of a veal tenderloin). Eventually, Brian would sometimes wave me off the steaks in the case and go cut one off a particularly attractive primal hanging in the back.
There were lots of folks who came in and bought far more expensive stuff than I did without batting an eye. And although I occasionally splurged on a hideously expensive rib roast or a beautiful whole leg of lamb, more of my purchases were things like whole Amish chickens and cheaper cuts of beef and pork. But the fact that I was interested in what the butcher was doing and appreciated the effort he made put me in good stead.
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shaogo
Jan 23, 2010 05:42 PM
Lately I've been fickle with butchers so I no longer enjoy the perks that come with being a regular customer.
When I did have a relationship with a butcher years ago, I bought all of my meat and poultry there. I didn't always focus on purchasing what was on sale for the week, either. Even though I was single, my orders added up because I'm quite the carnivore, and also entertain often.
When they'd make me a crown roast or other fancy cut (even frenching lamb racks and giving me paper chop holders) I'd tip generously. They got bottles of booze for Christmas.
In return for my regular business and the little gratuities, they were always sure to pick out the most perfectly marbelized steaks, the freshest chicken, etc. for me every time I visited. They knew that I loved to do things with breast of veal, and would present me with the choicest examples of that cut on an every-few-weeks basis. They presented me with all sorts of specialty roasts, larded and/or tied up using fancy technique. Needless to say I served some memorable meat-centric meals in those days.
And I like what the other posters mentioned about listening to your butcher. If a butcher doesn't want to bend your ear a bit about a particular cut of meat, if he's not passionate about what he does, then run to another butcher! You know you've got someone good if they offer up wisdom and advice in a matter-of-fact fashion.
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lulubelle
Jan 23, 2010 09:39 AM
Anthony Bourdain talks about this in the Les Halles cookbook. Develop a relationship over time, ask questions--the guy's job is meat, I bet he can give you some good advice--special order a few things....
I went to a new in the neighborhood butcher/deli/sausage maker over the holidays with a friend. We were swooning over the gorgeous displays and asked the butcher which of the many sausages was his favorite. That got us tastes of at least 6 different items and suggestions for serving. Then he started talking about some particular smoked pork product, so we bought some. When we went back in a week later he asked us how we had liked everything.....Be friendly, be interested, take his suggestions.
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re: lulubelle
mrbigshotno.1
Jan 23, 2010 03:36 PM
And most of all buy, buy, buy, you'll get the best of service that way.
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re: mrbigshotno.1
i agree that will get you prompt and attentive service, but maybe not the level of interaction tommyjay is looking for. showing an appreciation for the craft, showing up on a regular schedule, taking some guidance in unusual cuts along with the occasional prime roast or 2-inch ribeye will go farther than a standing order of tenderloin, imho.
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i think it's about showing up weekly. having a few things in mind (say a 3-pound tri tip and a pound of italian sausage or a hen). compliment something gorgeous in the case. ask what they like that day and go with the suggestion on occasion.
be friendly and interested without hogging time. and tell them when something worked out particularly well.
