July Butchers' Specials

July Butchers' Specials

As a whole-carcass butcher, we work nose to tail, offering every part of the animal rather than focusing only on prime or fashionable cuts. Achieving a consistent rate of sale across the carcass, known as carcass balance, sits at the heart of our whole-animal approach.

That balance is closely tied to the rhythm of the seasons. By July, summer is in full swing and the way we cook shifts with it. There is more time spent outdoors, more cooking over fire, and more appetite for food that suits long evenings, weekend gatherings and relaxed summer eating. At the same time, low-and-slow barbecue cooking and summer braises come into their own, and demand for certain cuts changes again.

By shopping our monthly specials, you help us maintain that balance. Every purchase supports our heritage breed farmers and helps ensure each animal is valued in full. This month’s selection brings together cuts that suit the season particularly well, from slow-smoked showstoppers and generous braises to easy, deeply savoury midweek cooking.

12 products

July Specials: Summer Smoking, Fresh Pasta and Proper Braises

Long evenings, hazy light, long grass meadows, World Cup football and properly charred sausages. July is a lovely moment in the British summer, before the hordes head to the Mediterranean and we all remember how good these shores can be. It is a month for cooking, entertaining and celebrating. Al fresco eating, beautiful summer produce and expertly reared, farmed and butchered meat. It does not get much better than that.

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A couple of options for the slow-smoking barbecue community to kick things off. Either our Thor’s Hammer whole beef shin or the chuck eye roll are ideal for a long smoke. Whether you are a purist or naturally tempted towards experimentation, the rub is crucial to the success of the end result, ideally applied the night before so the flavour has time to work its way into the meat. Then smoke low and slow, maintaining a temperature of around 110°C for many hours. Start uncovered, then wrap later in barbecue paper for optimum moisture. Bake some cornbread, make a trough of mac and cheese, and put together a bright slaw of summer vegetables.

Do not be afraid to braise in summer. We seem oddly reluctant to do so in this country, but a glance at our European neighbours tells a different story: hot weather need not get in the way of a great braise. This lamb breast recipe is a very good place to start, with the cooking liquor offering an incredible base to which you could add any number of summer vegetables. Peas, broad beans and courgettes from the garden might be just the ticket. Finish with a little mint to lift it.

Fresh pasta is a totally engrossing, borderline therapeutic kitchen project, and one we heartily encourage everyone to try. To do justice to those silky yellow ribbons you are feeling so proud of, you need an extraordinary sauce. We offer two suggestions, both ragùs, both unctuous and delicious. First, our pork and fennel sausages, pushed out of their skins and browned in a pan. Add a couple of chopped fresh tomatoes, a diced onion and a bay leaf, then simmer with a splash of white wine until it reaches just the right consistency. Second, brown our pork mince in a pan with plenty of garlic, then add sage, a couple of strips of lemon zest and a glug of milk, again simmering until saucy and ready for a good grating of parmesan to thicken it. Toss either through your pasta and enjoy with a huge sense of satisfaction. And lastly, just because we love it, why not make some crispy chilli beef? My goodness, it is good.

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