# Help in the Butcher Shop, please.



## brocher (Mar 21, 2011)

There's a very friendly butcher just up the street from my daughter, who has made some effort to make her feel welcome, but so far she has only really bought wine and water from him, as it's easier to avoid the language problem and buy pre-packaged from the supermarket. It's a very traditional butcher with only huge lumps of meat on display. 

So can anyone help with the correct phrases to give him some trade, please.

For example, how do we ask for good steak mince, burgers, sausages, (think he just minces things to order) thin pork loin and steaks for the plancha, casserole beef, etc.

How would I ask for lamb mince that isn't too lean, as I find very lean lamb mince isn't so good.

Any lighter, easy supper suggestions, would be good, too, as usual freezer fillers like chilli are a bit heavy in the sun! No oven is a bit of an adjustment, too.


----------



## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Mince = carne picada
Beef = ternera
Hence
Carne picada de ternera
Personally, I wouldn't get the burgers ready made, but I'd use the mince meat from the butchers to make them. They often ask if you want to mix in a little pork (cerdo) with the beef mince.


----------



## brocher (Mar 21, 2011)

Thanks, but do I need to bother trying to ask for "lean" or "steak" mince?


----------



## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

brocher said:


> Thanks, but do I need to bother trying to ask for "lean" or "steak" mince?


Well, my butcher, who is a very nice person too, will always ask me which piece of meat I want minced. He points and says what about this one? You could try saying más (more) or menos (less) grasa. I'm sure there's a more professional way to do it, but I'm pretty sure he'll understand you.
The same when I ask for a steak (filete - de ternera). He'll ask me which "lump" I want it off. Then you can ask for pequeños or grandes and gordos (thick) o finos (thin). 
Don't forget that the cuts of meat can be different (they are between Madrid and Bilbao) to what you're used to and the way of cutting/ preparing may be different too, for example chops are usually much thinner. The butcher will try to give you what you want.
We often get cinta de lomo fresco (no herbs or marinade). It's just a roll of pork loin; stuff it in the oven with roast carrots and pots. YUM!! Baldilocks stuffs it with apricot and goodness knows what. Where's that recipe Baldilocks?


----------



## Guest (Sep 22, 2011)

Without the pork (incl. fat) a decent burger ain´t gonna get produced! 

Finely chop shallots/onion and soften in a little oil for about five mins (depends on qty and pan). Add a little white cooking white, add some fresh parsley (finely chopped) and let the wine get absorbed.

In a big bowl, mix your beef and pork. Season to your tastes with salt, pepper and a dash of preferred spice, if at all. Add the onions and get yer fingers in and give it a good old mix.

When making the patties, don´t press them about too much or make them too thick. Tis all personal choice re size.

Don´t use the horrible burger buns from most supermarkets, they fall apart like brioche. Try using a decent ciabatta type bread instead. Makes a huge difference.

Halve the bread and lightly toast in the frying pan (dry) before cooking burgers.

Cook burgers on medium heat in lightly oiled pan. Don´t fiddle with them too much, or they´ll fall apart quicker than this weeks darling Hollywood couple. I tend to turn them after about four mins, but all depends on thickness etc.

Dollop of ketchup on bread-base. Mayo on top "bun". Salad on top of ketchup (stops burger sliding around - ditto mayo). Garnish with your preferred doofers - I like the Full Monty on occasion, with mushrooms, bacon and a little dolcelatte.

For good potato-based lovliness (without oven!), cut some potato (with skins) into nice, chunky wedges. Bring a pan of salted water to boil and then add wedges. Turn down to a simmer and let them par-boil for about 8 mins. They should still be quite firm, with slightly soft edges. 

Fry in a large saute pan, with some olive oil and butter (butter adds to flavour, oil stops butter burning). Turn occasionaly and get ém nice and crisp. You can add a little paprika or cayenne at the end, to give them a lift.

Serve with a dip - ketchup, mayo or homemade aioli


Chicken=Pollo
chicken thigh = muslo de pollo
leg = pata de pollo (My OH (from Cantabria) uses contramuslos for chicken leg)
chicken breast = pechuga de pollo
wings = alas (or alitas)
whole chicken = pollo entero
Pork=Cerdo
Pork Fillets = Filletes de Cerdo
Lamb=Cordero
Lamb Chops =chuletas
Sausages=salchiches
Duck=pato


Hope this helps!

Y


I do the apricot thing as well with rolled lamb joint. Blend up dried apricots with oil, garlic, parsley and rosemary. Bish bosh


----------



## Maimee (Jun 23, 2011)

brocher said:


> There's a very friendly butcher just up the street from my daughter, who has made some effort to make her feel welcome, but so far she has only really bought wine and water from him, as it's easier to avoid the language problem and buy pre-packaged from the supermarket. It's a very traditional butcher with only huge lumps of meat on display.
> 
> So can anyone help with the correct phrases to give him some trade, please.
> 
> ...


When I first moved here I decided that I would use our local butcher and I was too nervous to use more than basics so for beef for casserole I always asked for ternera por estofado, pork loin is just lomo and she can use her finger and thumb to give him the thickness and use her fingers for the number needed and say lonchas. Sausages are salchichas, again it is probably easier for her to say how many rather than ask for a certain weight.


----------



## brocher (Mar 21, 2011)

Thanks, hugely helpful, to have the extra words to ask for mince, chops, tick, thin etc - just what I need!

Can't do the roasts - no oven - but it was Baldilocks roast recipe that made me think to ask this question here!

I have a very good recipe for saute potatoes - a variation on patatas bravas. Parboil, then saute with a chopped pepper and a little paste of wine vinegar, garlic, smoked pepper, chilli powder and cumin. When done pour over a little dark ale and boil off - not sure the ale makes much difference, but the rest of the bottle tastes good eaten with the potatoes.


----------



## Guest (Sep 22, 2011)

mmmm...potatoes...ale


----------



## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

brocher said:


> Thanks, hugely helpful, to have the extra words to ask for mince, chops, tick, thin etc - just what I need!
> 
> Can't do the roasts - no oven - but it was Baldilocks roast recipe that made me think to ask this question here!
> 
> I have a very good recipe for saute potatoes - a variation on patatas bravas. Parboil, then saute with a chopped pepper and a little paste of wine vinegar, garlic, smoked pepper, chilli powder and cumin. When done pour over a little dark ale and boil off - not sure the ale makes much difference, but the rest of the bottle tastes good eaten with the potatoes.


Sounds good!


----------



## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

brocher said:


> Thanks, hugely helpful, to have the extra words to ask for mince, chops, tick, thin etc - just what I need!
> 
> Can't do the roasts - no oven - but it was Baldilocks roast recipe that made me think to ask this question here!
> 
> I have a very good recipe for saute potatoes - a variation on patatas bravas. Parboil, then saute with a chopped pepper and a little paste of wine vinegar, garlic, smoked pepper, chilli powder and cumin. When done pour over a little dark ale and boil off - not sure the ale makes much difference, but the rest of the bottle tastes good eaten with the potatoes.


If you've got a BBQ then you can use that as an oven, not exactly the same as the air mnovement is null and void. However, take you cut of meat and wrap it in several layers of tin foil. Place it on the BBQ, about 15 cms from the coals if possible and turn it over frequently. Cooking times will be a bit quicker than in a hot oven.

Unless you've minced your own meat, always make sure that your burgers are cooke thoroughly, ie no pink in the middle. Reason for this is that pre-minced meat will have been exposed to bacteria and they will survive in the middle of the burger unless it is cooked through. When you make your own mince you can wash the meat prpoerly before mincing then you are safe having a nice pink burger!! I know a lot of people will say they have often used pre-preepared mince to make burgers and have had no problems, and in fact that's me too, but it is a warning given out in cookery schools to budding chefs because we try hard not to kill the customers. Those never return.

Here is a recipe from one of the two front men from Masterchef for burgers. It is absolutely delicious so have a go:

Ingredients
FOR THE SPICY TOMATO RELISH
1 tbsp olive oil 
2 tsp ground cumin 
1 bay leaf 
2 garlic cloves , crushed 
2 small shallots , chopped 
1 red chilli , chopped 
1 celery stick, chopped 
500g very ripe tomatoes , roughly chopped 
FOR THE BURGER
2 egg yolks 
50g oyster sauce 
6 slices bread , made into crumbs, then soaked in a little water 
1kg good-quality beef mince, not lean 
TO SERVE
8 slices Gruyère (optional) 
4 burger buns , warmed 
little butter 
4 tbsp good-quality mayonnaise 
squeezy mustard 
1 beef tomato , sliced 
few cooked rashers streaky bacon 
Little Gem lettuce leaves 
guacamole , see 'goes well with' 
few gherkins 
Method
First make the relish: heat oil in a large frying pan and add the cumin. Let it cook for a moment, then throw in the bay, garlic, shallots and chilli. Cook for 2 mins until soft but not coloured, then add the celery and tomatoes. Sweat everything down gently for 20-30 mins until the tomatoes lose their shape. Remove from the heat, season and leave to cool. This can be made a few days in advance and kept in the fridge.
To make the burgers, mix the egg yolks in a large bowl with the oyster sauce and soaked breadcrumbs. Season with lots of fresh, black pepper then add the meat, breaking it up a little. Mix everything, trying not to overwork the mixture or the burger will become heavy.
Take the mix and divide in half, then into half and half again so you end up with 8 even pieces. Roll each one into a ball and place a 10 x 10cm square of greaseproof paper on the bottom and top. Put in the fridge for 15 mins to firm.
Heat a griddle pan. Take 4 burger balls from the fridge and push them down so they become discs about the size of a burger bun, about 2cm thick, between the 2 pieces of greaseproof. Peel the paper off one side and slap down in the pan with no oil or seasoning. Peel the top layer of paper off and cook on a very high heat for a couple of mins. In total, a burger this size will take about 5-10 mins to cook, but you need a bit of colour and texture, so exactly how long is up to you. I turn my burgers after 2 mins, but I cook on a very high heat, and I like them a little pink. Keep warm in a low oven while you cook the rest, topping with the cheese slices, if you like, for the final few mins so they melt a little.
Lay the 2 halves of the warm bun in front of you and butter them lightly. Spread the mayo on both sides followed by a little mustard on the top bun and tomato relish on the bottom. Place a slice of tomato on the bottom bun followed by the first burger with the cheese, then some bacon, then the next burger, more relish, lettuce and finally the guacamole. Top with the bun and eat with the gherkins on the side. 
PER SERVING 
994 kcalories, protein 71g, carbohydrate 33g, fat 65 g, saturated fat 30g, fibre 2g, sugar 7g, salt 3.25 g


----------



## Brangus (May 1, 2010)

Yossa said:


> Without the pork (incl. fat) a decent burger ain´t gonna get produced!


_Pork_ in a burger?
Never.


----------



## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

Brangus said:


> _Pork_ in a burger?
> Never.


In fact, many top restaurants in London, who have burgers on their lunchtime menu, include some pork because of the fat content and added flavour. They are supposed to say so on the menu but.....

In all cuts of meat it is the fat that gives the flavour. Most of it renders off during cooking but leaves the flavour behind. That's why fillet of beef has far less flavour than any other cut, but is tender because the muscle does little work, unlike rump.


----------



## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

I've copied those yummy sounding recipes to http://www.expatforum.com/expats/la-tasca/77273-recipe-swap.html

which is now 'stuck' in La Tasca

if you have any more, please post them there


----------



## Guest (Sep 23, 2011)

Silly question, but is there a thread for recipes? Had a deek and can´t find one 

Would be an excellent sticky in La Tasca for those of us who like to cook.

Can any Mod oblige please? Pretty please with, er, spicy tomato relish on top...


----------



## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

brocher said:


> There's a very friendly butcher just up the street from my daughter, who has made some effort to make her feel welcome, but so far she has only really bought wine and water from him, as it's easier to avoid the language problem and buy pre-packaged from the supermarket. It's a very traditional butcher with only huge lumps of meat on display.
> 
> So can anyone help with the correct phrases to give him some trade, please.
> 
> ...


Does he sell lamb (_cordero_)? It's almost impossible to get here, apart from frozen legs. I find _cerdo iberico _(high quality pork) is very good for any recipe that I would have used lamb for, e.g. chops (chuletas) or cubed (troceado) for stews and curries. 

So _"medio kilo de cerdo iberico troceado_" will make you a nice hotpot which you can cook on top of the stove in a casserole dish (not long now till temperatures will suddenly drop!)

Also try _pechuga filetada_ - thinly sliced chicken breast - on the plancha. It's wonderful to watch them being prepared.

Albóndigas (meatballs) are an alternative to sausages and each butcher has his own recipe. They can be made with chicken, pork, beef or combinations.

If your carne picada is too lean, fry off a bit of _tocino_ first (pork fat) first. Adds loads of flavour too.


----------



## Guest (Sep 23, 2011)

xabiachica said:


> I've copied those yummy sounding recipes to http://www.expatforum.com/expats/la-tasca/77273-recipe-swap.html
> 
> which is now 'stuck' in La Tasca
> 
> if you have any more, please post them there


Wow - great minds think alike! We were obviously typing at the same time!

Many thanks for that.


----------



## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

We can get frozen lamb from Merkydonna sometimes but it's now always available in Eroski. However, there is a new butcher (new to us) not far from here so we are going to check him out to see what he is like.


----------



## Guest (Sep 23, 2011)

Thing I´ve found about buying fresh lamb mince from our butcher is cost. They will trim the meat of the bone and charge you the weight of the bone as well. Came across this a few times at different butchers in my area. It is effectively a "service charge" for taking the meat of the bone. Odd, eh?

Might not be the same elsewhere, but it seems standard practice in this part of Andalucia.


----------



## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Yossa said:


> Thing I´ve found about buying fresh lamb mince from our butcher is cost. They will trim the meat of the bone and charge you the weight of the bone as well. Came across this a few times at different butchers in my area. It is effectively a "service charge" for taking the meat of the bone. Odd, eh?
> 
> Might not be the same elsewhere, but it seems standard practice in this part of Andalucia.


same here

before the days of being able to buy a 'clean' chicken ready prepared in the supermarket, they would weigh the bird, head, feet, insides and all, to get the price, and then clean it for you

I guess they at least plucked them first...


----------



## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

xabiachica said:


> same here
> 
> before the days of being able to buy a 'clean' chicken ready prepared in the supermarket, they would weigh the bird, head, feet, insides and all, to get the price, and then clean it for you
> 
> I guess they at least plucked them first...


Yes, but you can take all those bits away with you, as many a Spanish housewife will do, and make stuff with it.


----------



## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Yes, but you can take all those bits away with you, as many a Spanish housewife will do, and make stuff with it.


oh I did.................well, not the head & feet - was never quite sure what you could do with those

in fact, before I learned how to ask for a 'clean' chicken, I re-learned how to clean one myself


----------



## Guest (Sep 23, 2011)

Agreed, but I made some Lamb Kofta´s for a bunch of friends a few months back and the bone came in at around 450g, so cost around 4 euros. Sure, I made some excellent stock, all packed away in ice cube trays, but not the cheapest stock I´ve ever made.


----------



## dunmovin (Dec 19, 2008)

thrax said:


> If you've got a BBQ then you can use that as an oven, not exactly the same as the air mnovement is null and void. However, take you cut of meat and wrap it in several layers of tin foil. Place it on the BBQ, about 15 cms from the coals if possible and turn it over frequently. Cooking times will be a bit quicker than in a hot oven.
> 
> Unless you've minced your own meat, always make sure that your burgers are cooke thoroughly, ie no pink in the middle. Reason for this is that pre-minced meat will have been exposed to bacteria and they will survive in the middle of the burger unless it is cooked through. When you make your own mince you can wash the meat prpoerly before mincing then you are safe having a nice pink burger!! I know a lot of people will say they have often used pre-preepared mince to make burgers and have had no problems, and in fact that's me too, but it is a warning given out in cookery schools to budding chefs because we try hard not to kill the customers. Those never return.
> 
> ...


WAY TOO COMPLEX......take two cups of breadcrumbs 1 kilo of beef mince, 1chopped onion, grate in some nut meg, some fresh ground pepper, a beaten egg and some flour, shape it , grill, fry or bbq it......done.... 1/4pouder up and ready to eat


burgers are ...... simple food....fast easy and without all the faff. Done correctly, it's healthy food and not the muck in chain restaurants.................... overdo the relish and whatever...... you spoil the taste of the main


----------



## siobhanwf (Mar 20, 2009)

BEST BURGERS EVER 

http://www.expatforum.com/expats/welcome-inn/33815-recipes-only-10.html

Recipe 97


----------



## brocher (Mar 21, 2011)

Yossa said:


> Agreed, but I made some Lamb Kofta´s for a bunch of friends a few months back and the bone came in at around 450g, so cost around 4 euros. Sure, I made some excellent stock, all packed away in ice cube trays, but not the cheapest stock I´ve ever made.


Thanks everyone, this is great, we should be well fed without paying over the odds for best steak to put in a stew!

I'll stick to the supermarket for lamb, though! Once I had to buy lamb mince from the butcher here in Scotland, as there was none in the supermarket. It cost me a fortune, but the taste of the dish really suffered as there was not enough fat for flavour - and I didn't even get the bone!

Off to have a look at the recipes - glad it's been resurrected.


----------



## siobhanwf (Mar 20, 2009)

brocher said:


> Thanks everyone, this is great, we should be well fed without paying over the odds for best steak to put in a stew!
> 
> I'll stick to the supermarket for lamb, though! Once I had to buy lamb mince from the butcher here in Scotland, as there was none in the supermarket. It cost me a fortune, but the taste of the dish really suffered as there was not enough fat for flavour - and I didn't even get the bone!
> 
> Off to have a look at the recipes - glad it's been resurrected.




There just under 500 on that link now...so happy cooking


----------



## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

sireedisson said:


> Google Translator is always a good tool when it comes to things like this. You can create a full list of all the different meat names.


it really wouldn't help, since the actual_ cuts_ of meat are often very different


----------

