'why I would never ski..'

A friend recently once asked me why I would never go skiing. And I said it had never appealed to me for several reasons: 1. most people come back with a broken something, 2. it is cold, and 3. I can't get my head around attaching yourself to some sticks and hurling yourself down a mountain. She then responded with 'yes, but don't you want the adrenaline?' No. I bloody don't need adrenaline darling. A butchery is a dangerous environment. Band saws, hand saws, mincers, grinders, cleavers, knives, knives and more knives. Ironically enough I tend to insure myself on wet floors and bones and lugging ribs and loins around more than anything else. 

And of course there is the thrill of talking to customers and making a sale. As I am still so new to this game I still get a rush of adrenaline when I do something right. When I cut a chop accurately or a steak to exactly 200g. When I get every scrap of meat off the bone. Ridiculous. But it's the little things that make this job worth while. 

And of course there is the natural nerves and excitement that come with starting a new job. Loved every butcher I have worked with so far - and very happy to start working with the talented high class butchers at Lidgate's in Holland Park. 

But I think when I do holiday it will be sun, sea and sand for me.

gb

'a tedious steak post..'

Been thinking a lot lately about raw meat. Why you can have beef practically still alive but chicken has to be cooked to death and people are still very fussy about pork. One reason why beef is less likely to carry bacteria is because lots of bacteria spreads near the bones, so if the meat is closer to the bone it is incredibly handy if not convenient for the bacteria to spread throughout the whole carcass. According to some sources our stomach 'can handle' the bacteria found in beef, whereas the salmonella in chicken is obviously incompatible to our constitutions, and naturally, if one is pregnant one avoids all fun like booze, blue cheese and rare steak. Many people think that leaving a steak rare gives it more flavour. I'm not sure, I would have thought it added to the texture. And as for this argument about which steak is the best. Well, firstly there is no best. It's all on what you like. Don't be fooled by a TV chef or even your local butcher (OMG?!). For me I love onglet - skirt steak, quick and easy and the flavour is phenomenal. The taste and satisfaction of steak is in the chew. Chewing is what draws out anything from the sense. But I will say this, which of the steaks has the least amount of chew...what's that? oh, yeah - the most expensive...fillet.

gb