Now that we are told that we must tighten our belts this Winter, I am already trying to spend less and budget more. I have scanned the pages of my well-worn WI Wartime Cookery Book for economical recipes and am already prepared for a Winter of powdered eggs, thin gruel, and stale bread (if we can find any).
Regular readers will know that I am a big fan of Breast of Lamb. It must be the tastiest cut of Lamb, and it is also probably the cheapest. Yesterday I bought this whole (halal) Breast below, which cost just £3.99 from my favourite shop 'Taj'.
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I have already cut it into three pieces, and they are now in the freezer. Within the next few weeks we shall eat an Irish Stew, a Lamb Tajine with Couscous, and probably BBQ some as 'chops' with a few Merguez sausages.
Each dish will be reliant on plenty of vegs, appropriate spices, and a desire to make something delicious out of very few cheap ingredients. All proof that with some care one can eat very well for very little.
It's just over two weeks since we returned to England, and my freezer is already well stocked. We shall not starve.
I don't think I have ever seen Breast of Lamb available here in Australia. We have legs, shanks, shoulders and chops.
ReplyDeleteAsk your butcher. Often they roll and stuff them to make more money.
DeleteThat seems extremely cheap. 3.99 in pounds for all of that. You should go out and fill your freezer.....and hope you don't have power cuts during the winter.
ReplyDeleteLamb, or goat, here is never less than 8euros a kilo.
I'm sure last year they were over £5 each. You're right, I must go back and buy a few more. I love them cut into 'chops', BBQ'd, and sprinkled with cumin. Eaten with fingers of course.
DeleteIt is indeed very cheap. Here it is very difficult to find it in the usual stores.
ReplyDeleteThe only place I can find it is in my nearby Asian/Middle Eastern store. Their butchery dep't is wonderful, although I'm not really a fan of 'halal'.
DeleteThat sounds cheap. It is known as flap here.
ReplyDeleteI think I prefer our name for it. Yes it was cheap, I shall buy more.
DeleteYou'll need that warming protein for when you have to shut the heating off.
ReplyDeleteOh, Susan says what I know it as, flap. You didn't really get a bargain then.
Oh yes I did. It's by far the tastiest cut of Lamb.
DeleteRumour has it that you are not just a fan of breasts of lamb but in fact any breasts.
ReplyDeleteThe was supposed to be classified information, but you've now let the cat out of its bag!
DeleteIt was my father's favourite too Cro - my mother used to cook it gently and serve it in a white sauce with onions. It was delicious.
ReplyDeleteMy mother used to stuff it, roll it, and roast it. It was always one of my favourite dishes.
DeleteIt's really hard to find breast of lamb. I do cook shoulder but it's a lot more expensive than breast ! I think we are all going to have to tighten our belts ..... I shall have to do some breast of lamb research ! XXXX
ReplyDeleteI can buy it in France. Here I've found it in Sainsbury's rolled into a tight tube, but it didn't taste right.
DeleteI've never cooked lamb. My preference is eating lamb at a Greek restaurant. I love the way they prepare lamb. The spices and sauce is outstanding. Having to tighten our lifestyles a bit and pivot is okay. I'm not concerned.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a fanatical spender of money. I keep within my limits, and only splash-out every so often. A bit of frugality won't change my lifestyle too much.
DeleteIn spite of the name (flap) I agree it is a tasty cut. Still prefer shoulder though.
ReplyDeleteI think the least tasty, and the most expensive, is the leg. I like it, but the flavour isn't there.
DeleteWe are doing the same here. I've got a good supply of meat put aside. We shop on Saturday night, when the meat is clearanced out. I bring it home and break it down into 2-person servings and put it in the freezer. This week we skipped meat shopping, our freezer being stocked. It will hold us until the venison comes in. We're very fortunate.
ReplyDeleteI'm almost ashamed to say that, at my advanced age, I've still not eaten Venison (or Wild Boar). The hunters around my home in France shoot huge amounts each Winter, but have so far failed to offer me some of their spoils.
DeleteI had wild boar at Spokesay castle...in Reading Pennsylvania, not YOUR Spokesay castle. It was served with a wild berry sauce and was very good.
ReplyDeleteVenison provides the back bone of our meat here. Tim usually gets 2 or 3 during the season, which is adequate for the two of us for the year.
Stokesay. Honest to pete.
ReplyDelete