Why nose to tail?

Two generations ago the idea of eating the whole animal was nothing unusual. Anyone who has eaten granny’s crumbed brains will no doubt remember. Then it went out of fashion. In 2004 London restaurateur Fergus Henderson OBE famously said, “if you’re going to kill the animal, it seems only polite to use the whole thing.” He got us thinking again, about the value of eating the whole animal.

At Forage Farms we sell meat boxes, not individual cuts. It’s about honouring the animal and minimising waste. We don’t slaughter our animals on a large scale and ship portion sized loins or legs off to the big supermarkets in plastic wrap. We raise whole animals, not bacon so we don’t like to throw away the imperfectly formed cuts and leftovers. It’s all meat, and it only takes a little creativity to use things like hocks or lamb neck chops.

When you purchase a box of meat from us there will generally be some shoulder, some mid-section and some leg. Some of the animal is turned into mince and sausages that even the most novice of cooks can turn into a tasty meal. If you are feeling more adventurous you could try turning your hand to some pork belly or hocks.

Eating the same cut of meat all the time is simply dull and narrows our food experience. If you are looking for inspiration do some quick research into cultures around the world. Many have been using the cheaper cuts of meat for centuries.

The general rule for secondary meat cuts is to marinate and cook slowly. The longer you marinate, and slow, low cooking will help to break down the meat fibres, so it falls off the bone.

The other benefit of buying our meat boxes is that by purchasing in bulk you are saving money. All meat comes vac sealed and ready for the freezer. If you don’t think you can eat it all find a friend and share a box. 

Click here to purchase one of our premium no nasties, no nonsense meat boxes.