SC - Long -- Re Bone Marrow, Butchers, etc.

[Philip & Susan Troy]

The Noble Lord Stefan Li Rous wrote:
> << does anyone have any
>  suggestion on getting bone marrow? Or even suet? >>

and the Noble Lord Ras responded:
 > Bone marrow is usually not available by itself. However, any good
supermarket
> usually has marrow bones for sale from the marrow can be extracted. Also a
> quick glance through your yellow pages will probably show several butcher
> and/or meat shops. 

<additional extremely useful material snipped for space and to avoid
repetition>

and Adamantius (that's me) writes:

I'd been planning to actually compose something coherent on the subject
of finding a good butcher who actually seems to care about whether your
meal is a success. However, this seems like as good a time as any to
jump in with a bit of pontific--ahem--information.

Let's say you are Lord Joe, or Lady Jane, Feastcook. You will, at some
point, probably be buying meat for your local group's famous annual
"Bruise by Day, Cruise by Night" event.

Where do you go? There's always the supermarket, where you can either go
the day before the event, and pick up, say, 60 individually wrapped
chickens and 15 pork loin halves in the little plastic trays, or you can
order these things in advance, which will probably mean there is less
packaging to wade through and dispose of, you will be reasonably sure
that the market will have what you need when you need it, and there may
well be a bulk discount (especially if you ask about it).

So, there you are with 15 half pork loins or 7 1/2 whole ones. Ever try
to carve one of those puppies? The rib bones are attached quite well to
the bones that once did duty as the spinal column. They haven't been
chined. So say goodbye to separating the loins into chops, unless you
are skilled enough to bone them out without slicing off your thumb or
wasting half the meat, or plan to spend half your day hacking away with
a cleaver, and the previous clause about thumbs and waste still apply.

In the mean time, you still have those 300 marzipan roses to make...

You could ask the supermarket butcher to chine them. He may or may not
want to do that; he's a busy man. He has plenty of customers, and he
probably doesn't know you from Adam. If you can persuade him to do that,
or to cut up the chickens, or whatever he can do to make your life
easier, then well and good, and more power to you. You might consider
offering to waive the bulk discount (if any) in return for this service.
The chances are quite good that he'll say something like, "Look, do you
want this meat or not? I've got 600 pounds of hamburger to grind."
Ultimately not very helpful.

Now, suppose we try something similar with a butcher shop. Butcher shops
that cater to various European ethnic groups are especially helpful,
because they are more likely to carry the kind of weird stuff that many
SCAdian feasts thrive on. They probably won't look askance when you ask
them for suckling pig, or suet, or marrow bones. 

The first things you'll notice are that the quality of the meat (and the
overall level of service), are higher, as are the prices. Probably
significantly so, in most cases. Try shopping there once a week or so.
Be friendly. Not usually a problem for SCAdians. You don't have to break
your budget too seriously to pick up a couple of pounds of stew meat or
a chicken every so often. Your goal is face recognition. Do this for a
while, maybe a couple of months. Try to learn some names of employees,
discreetly.

Then you strike. Start with something simple. Get those 60 chickens from
the butcher. Show up at a time when they're not busy (find out in
advance when that would be). Explain to them that you'd prefer to do
business with people, not a corporation, and that you prefer to support
local small businesses. Explain that you are cooking for a non-profit
function for your club that researches and teaches history. Kind of like
a church supper. Tell them you'd like to get 60 chickens from them, if
your budget can handle it, and would prefer to get all your meat from
them, if you can afford to. So, would they also throw in a couple of top
rounds? (Remember we're keeping it simple.) Ask for a ballpark estimate
of the price. The chances are good that you will be given a discount for
quantity purchase. The butcher will be getting in that meat above and
beyond his usual stock. He probably won't be relying on the profits from
that sale (especially since you're a poor teacher and all ;  )  ) to go
to Bermuda with. As long as he sells whatever he gets in, in addition to
his usual stock, it's almost as if you are getting it directly from his
supplier. Anyway, if you get the meat at a discount, this should bring
his prices down to something vaguely comparable to the price at the
supermarket. Even if it works out to a bit more than the supermarket,
you can console yourself with the knowledge that the product will be
better and you will be building a working relationshiop with the butcher
that will ultimately be to your extreme advantage.

Soon you'll get to the point where he'll ask you if you want things
boned, or the chickens cut up, or whatever.

As this relationship improves, you'll probably find that the butcher is
willing to do a lot more for you. Today, chining the pork loins.
Tomorrow, the world, as the saying goes. Seriously, though, the more he
does for you, the more time you'll have for other stuff (such as 300
marzipan roses). My butcher, as I think I've mentioned, will not only
throw marrow bones and/or suet or pork fat, or caul fat for wrapping, in
with an order (usually for free), but he will custom cut the meat almost
any way I ask him to. Even better is the fact that I can bring him a
measured amount of spices, salt, wine, etc., and ask him to mix those
with 20 pounds of pork butt, 5 pounds of pork belly, and 25 pounds of
venison, grind them, and stuff them into sausage casings. He does this
for the cost of the meat, and he might have a glass of the wine if
there's any extra. I think that's fair.

I'm hoping this last half hour helps SOMEONE...

Adamantius
______________________________________
Phil & Susan Troy
troy at asan.com
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