Ten Amazing Dishes that Require Butchering Skills

The suburban butcher at home is a growing phenomenon that many people are enjoying. The previously untrained and uneducated in the field of butchery are suddenly developing an intense passion for crafting large-scale dishes that require the use of the art of butchering. Here are 10 of the best dishes that can be created with the use of well-earned butchery skills.

Venison

Some people may baulk at the thought of eating deer or ‘Bambi’ as younger diners may identify it, but when prepared correctly, venison is one of the richest and most tender meats available on the market. Cooked until only a slight pink is left in the middle, large steaks of venison can be removed from the joint with a butcher knife. Serve with roasted root veg.

Hog Roast

Hog roast is quickly becoming a favourite at weddings, parties, gatherings and get-togethers due to its simplistic and warming taste. After a hog is slow roasted for hours, use your butchery skills to flake away the meat and serve it inside a bun with stuffing and apple sauce.

Chilli Con Carne

Utilising one of the staple tools of the butcher’s trade: the mincer, chilli con carne is a simplistic crowd-pleaser. Mince fresh beef to add a touch of authenticity and extra flavour to the dish. Choose the rump steak for the excellent distribution of marbling tones in the meat.

Barbecued Tandoori Lamb

Part of the skillset of the butcher is ensuring that cuts of meat are flavoured and seasoned correctly, this is particularly important for barbecued tandoori lamb. After dicing this lamb into 2cm cubes, this dish should be left to marinate overnight in yoghurt, mustard, garlic, salt, paprika, coriander, cumin, ginger and tomato puree. After marinating, grill until cooked through.

Pulled Root Veg Risotto

It can sometimes be difficult to include a vegetarian dish in a butchery conversation but this risotto requires the steady knife hand of a butcher. Part boil the sweet potato, turnip and carrots and use a sharp butcher knife to peel thin strands of the vegetables’ flesh away to add to the creamy risotto.

Chateaubriand

Chateaubriand is one of the world’s most enduringly popular cuts of meat; the rich taste and tender texture have wowed generations of foodies for years. The cut is so fine that it requires an excellent knife and a steady hand to extract.

Hearty Beef and Vegetable Stew

The preparation of this dish is incredibly simple but requires the skill of an experienced butcher to chop the meat and vegetables into even chunks. Simply throw everything together in a stock of beef, Henderson’s relish, Guinness and rosemary.

Partridge

One of the more archaic and traditionalist entries on this list; partridge is a dish more commonly found in the pages of a Dickens novel than on the table of a modern home. However, its preparation required the fiddly and steady-handed precision of a butcher to remove all of the undesirable innards.

Duck L’Orange

A favourite of the French, a nation particularly fussy when it comes to food. It is just as important to cut and carve the duck to get the most out of the bird as it is to season and flavour correctly.

Christmas Turkey

Carving the turkey is a big responsibility, usually reserved for the head of the household. Limited carving and butchery skills can reduce the bird to a messy pulp. A steady-handed approach and a sharp knife can help produce fine neat cuts and help not ruin Christmas. [smartads]