The Nest

Friday, August 24, 2007 11:25 AM

Cutting Meat

Did anyone watch Top Chef Wednesday night? I cannot believe Tre got booted. I was so rooting for him to win. I’m still in shock.

Aside from that travesty of justice, watching Hung hack those chickens apart in the Quickfire Challenge made me think of my love-hate relationship with meat…love to eat it, not so crazy about touching it in its raw state.

Since it’s still prime barbecue season, I’ve had to deal with my phobia more than usual. I love to make pulled pork, but the thought of cutting away the skin from an untrimmed pork shoulder (a.k.a. Boston butt) makes me a little dizzy. (I also hate admitting this culinary quirk, because it seems like such a lame, girlie issue for someone who loves to cook as much as I do.)

Fortunately for me, there’s Alberta, my favorite butcher in our local grocery store. She’s my go-to when I’m not down with cutting up a chicken or prepping pork. We’re practically family now. She calls me Ms. Pork. Coming from anyone else it would sound offensive, but I know it’s a term of endearment from her.

A box of disposable rubber gloves helps when Alberta isn’t around, but I highly recommend getting chummy with the butchers behind the counter in the grocery store you shop. Drop by and introduce yourself. Remember their names. Cruise the counter and ask, “What looks good this week?” You might think the meat that lands in the refrigerated section at the supermarket simply shows up in plastic-wrapped foam trays, but the store butchers cut and package most of it.

When a whole beef loin is on sale, but you don’t want to cut it into steaks yourself, guess who will? If you want to buy a whole chicken to make soup, but the thought of hacking it into soup-sized pieces makes you queasy, who’s your new best friend? Instead of buying pre-cubed stew meat (which stores charge a premium for), you’re better off buying a lean, tough and inexpensive cut (think: bottom round or sirloin or a chuck roast) and having the butcher trim and cube it for you.

The best part is, it’s FREE. I’ve never encountered a store that charges extra for the service, and some even offer free marinades.

I also love the fact that getting to know the butchers (and the friendly guys in the produce department) makes me feel like a “local” in my grocery store, despite the fact that I live in Chicago and hundreds of people pass through the store on a daily basis.

Does anyone else have grocery store tips—for saving dough, or choosing melons, or finding out when deliveries happen so you get the fresh stuff? Any confessions about your own food/cooking phobias?

Or, are you still mourning Tre, too?