Nose-to-tail eating delights

‘I’m a big fan of lamb kidneys and chicken feet make a stock that can’t be beaten’

WHEN did you last chat to your butcher?

I sat with Andy Fenner in the Woodstock, Cape Town, headquarters of Frankie Fenner Meat Merchants (FFMM).

This facility is where they receive carcasses and do the actual butchering, some of which is sold from the premises, the rest from a branch in Palmyra Junction, Claremont, and in July, from a brand new store in Gardens Centre.

FFMM is all about “proper meat” and is dedicated to supplying only free-range and grass-fed meat.

They source from small, independent farmers who raise their animals humanely.

So we sit chatting, with an array of carcasses hanging in a cold room as a backdrop to our conversation.

The high standards and meticulous sourcing of the FFMM meat means it is not a cheap buy.

But Andy and FFMM have a mantra: eat less, but better, meat – and I for one have no argument with that, the better meat aspect that is, not the frequency.

With meat prices being high, I asked Andy about some of the less expensive cuts he offers:

“Some of my favourite cuts are the most affordable. Beef shin comes to mind.

“For me, it remains my favourite braising cut on the entire carcass and it is the cheapest thing we sell.

“Short ribs are right up there too. Beef tongue is an amazing thing when prepared properly (I like to poach it, peel off the membrane and then cook it like a steak).

Beef heart is incredible when grilled and sliced finely, and contains the essence of “beefiness” without being overly intense. It has a robust flavour that allows it to stand up to strong backing flavours.

“Asian ingredients like soy sauce, spring onion and fish sauce all work with it. I’m a big fan of lamb kidneys pan-fried and served on toast, and chicken feet make a stock that can’t be beaten.” And offal? “I find people’s aversion to certain offal but acceptance of others a bit strange.

“People will eat chicken liver, for example, but not chicken hearts. That strikes me as weird.

“I also find that a lot of people have a preconceived idea about offal without actually trying it. If I trimmed off some beef heart and grilled it for people to try in a blind tasting, I am convinced they would all call it out as being a fantastic, beefy steak. However, if I asked for volunteers to eat a slice of beef heart… well… I wouldn’t expect too many takers.”

“If people are looking for natural, healthy food they should check out offal. It is the true embodiment of nose-to-tail eating. Exploring adventurous cuts is a start, sure, but to really embrace utilising an entire carcass we have to consider offal.”

I noticed fat being removed from some of the carcasses and saw bags of bones for sale, Andy?

“Bones and fat are really what will make or break a butcher (assuming said butcher is buying whole carcasses).

“Basically, as you break down a carcass two piles build up. One will be bones, one will be fat and trimmings. We value these “scraps” as much as things like ribeye and fillet.

“The trimmings form the backbone of our sausages. It’s important to note that our sausages are as basic as meat, fat and spices.

“No MSG, no cereals or grains. In fact, I could talk for years about sausages. I think they are so, so underrated. In Europe, for example, they are treated like luxury items.

“Lamb Merguez, French Toulouse, etc. I wish we would open our eyes locally and realise that there’s more to life than boerewors. “The bones are so valuable too. “We roast them off and make buckets of stock.

“A tub of stock in your freezer is one of the handiest things to have lying around. I cook ramen at least once week and this is my building block for flavour.”

As I asked when I started this, when last did you talk to a butcher? It could add tremendous value to your dinner table.