I have been thinking about applying the Butchery course at the Ginger pig, London for a long time but the cost, £150 seems very expensive.
Well, last Christmas my son, John gave me a gift voucher in Ginger Pig as a Christmas present, how nice!!
Well, last Christmas my son, John gave me a gift voucher in Ginger Pig as a Christmas present, how nice!!
Ginger Pig's Meat storage room
I choose beef butchery class ( they are offering, beef, pork, lamb, sausage making), it was warm sunny Sunday, when I arrived in Marylebone Moxon street, Ginger pig butcher shop.
I can see huge butcher's block and a lots of pale brown butcher's coat.
Finally all of our class members were arrived ( 16 of us) only 3 ladies , it shows how modern men in UK are interesting in food.
The teacher Mr B telling us how meats are cured, dry cure and wet cure ( like in supermarket), and shows us a beautiful a piece of 40 day dry cured fillet steak ( thickest part), we will be tasting this beautiful steak in a short time.
As I looked around Meat storage room, they are mostly beef ( expensive cuts, on the shelf , Prime rib) and half of pig were hanging or stored in shelves. they look seriously good, dry, well marvelled beef cuts are ready for cook . Mostly expensive joint .
We all have to wear light brown butcher's coat, and all stood around this magnificent butcher's block, of course after washing our hands, health and safety first!!
Mr B brought half of cow's loin on the table, he showed us names of prime cuts and where to belong. I know all the names of cuts and where to place on cow.
Fore rib ( Rib-eye steaks part). Wing rib ( Sir loin steak), End rib ( T bone steak) , he cut Fore Rib part with a sharp knife and a big meat saw cut through the bone and French trimmed the bone part, looks so easy, I volunteered to do last one, it was amazingly easy to cut up to the bone, took a scary
looking saw to cut through the bone. It was not a easy job, try to make smooth side of bone , needs strong arm muscle, finally I 've done, Mr B seemed impressed by my effort!!
Mean time we tasted grilled fillet steak which we saw, it was tender but still milder than expected, for 40 days cured meat, has nutty flavour so delicious.
Finally we got to learn, French trim of the bone ( cutting all the meats on the bone and expose clean two bones, as often see at the butcher's) butcher's knot, looks simple but difficult to master, it is a very useful skill to have in the kitchen, hope I remember.
with Mr B
We were given two boned Fore Rib joint to do French trim and butcher's knot to take home. French trim was easy for me, but butcher's knot was not easy. eventually Mr B helped me.
My Fore Rib joint ( French trimmed and butcher's knot by me at the class)
About 6:00 PM, the other butcher brought a huge roast of beef( prime rib) to taste. it was perfectly medium rare pink. Served with green salad, and potatoes . Meats was melt in my mouth, wonderfully tender as I expected .
I really enjoyed this butchery class and I am looking forward to roasting my 2 boned fore rib joint at home, even I was given 3 sheets of bones from trimmings, which are so good for the my beef stock.
Roast fore rib of beef at the Ginger Pig
I am glad that I have done this butchery class but I do wish they showed us more cheaper cuts as well, such as short rib, my favourite slow cooking cut, oxtail, cheek , shin beef so on.
Well, expensive cust need only timing has to be right , not to cook too much but cheaper one needs not only time to cook slowly but also knowledge and cooking skill .
Having said that, I might do pork butchery course sometime next year .
I roasted my fore rib on 27th, and it was perfect, we had grilled asparagus, roast potatoes ( roasted in goose fat) , gravy was one of best I 've made. We had 2 meals of cold beef and salad after this.
Even I managed to make spicy beef & leek soup with rib bones and top cap meat ( top of joint meat).
Our roast of fore rib at home ( Ginger pig, beef)
Roast potatoes& grilled asparagus
Yukgaejang (spicy beef & leek Korean soup)
