James Whelan Butchers: Feargal Quinn’s Retail Therapy

Posted on Thursday, July 14th, 2011 by Pat Whelan in Good Food, Press | No Comments »

Feargal Quinn's Retail TherapyI recently featured as a mentor to a butcher shop in Drogheda on Feargal Quinn’s TV show, Retail Therapy. In the series Feargal Quinn uses his vast knowledge and experience of the retail trade to help reinvigorate sales and keep small businesses afloat during these hard times of recession. It was a real pleasure to meet and work with such an accomplished retailer as Feargal Quinn. He is a man of great integrity and someone who I greatly admire. His knowledge of retail trade seems endless and he has probably forgotten more than I will ever learn in my lifetime.

This episode featured Sampsons Butchers, a second generation traditional butcher shop in Drogheda that was struggling to survive with competition from larger supermarkets.

From looking at the shop window, Feargal Quinn recognized a lack of consistency in signage and no mention of traceability. In the shop itself, all of the products were displayed in their raw state with no ready-to-cook meals for customers to buy.

Having surveyed the business Feargal decided to bring John Sampson to my shop in Clonmel, Co. Tipperary to see what changes he could implement in his own shop to draw more customers into his shop. I advised him that creating a brand that customers could associate with quality would inevitably create sustainable relationships with his customers.

I visited Sampsons shop in Drogheda and demonstrated to John how to prepare a number of ready-to-cook meals for his shop display. Taking out preparation time and providing customers with a dish not just an ingredient, makes them far more likely to return in the future.

Over a short period of time, Sampsons butchers undertook a complete revamp of the shop interior, exterior and brand, resulting in a shop that catered to customers needs while still maintaining it’s traditional charm and farm to fork philosophy. Sampsons butchers has now reopened and I’d like to wish them good luck and continued success in the future.

We hope you enjoyed reading this post by Pat Whelan of James Whelan Butchers. Pat is a 5th generation butcher, cook book author and the director of  James Whelan Butchers with shops in Clonmel, the Avoca Handweavers Rathcoole and Kilmacanogue, Dunnes Stores Cornelscourt, Rathmines and Swords in Dublin. Sign up to our newsletter for more updates from James Whelan Butchers

James Whelan Butchers: Lina’s Brawn

Posted on Monday, July 11th, 2011 by Pat Whelan in Bacon & Ham Recipes, Pork Recipes, Recipes | No Comments »

Linas BrawnMy wife has Lithuanian heritage and has introduced me to a whole new world of flavours, meats, vegetables and cooking methods. Brawn is enjoyed in all countries with a strong rural background, since no part of an animal would be wasted. This recipe is adapted from an eastern European version which, I believe, adds an interesting twist.

Linas Brawn – Printer Friendly Download

Ingredients

  • 3 crubeens (preferably already cooked)
  • 1 ham shank (preferably already cooked)
  • 2 chicken legs
  • 500 g/1 lb corned beef, cut into 2.5 cm/1 inch cubes
  • 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 bay leaf

Serves 6

To Cook

Put everything into a big saucepan and cover it with water. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 1½ hours. (If you do not have a cooked ham shank or crubeens, you will have to cook them first for three hours and then add the remaining meat.) After it is cooked, the meat should come away from the bone quite easily. Chop all the meat finely. Drain the liquid and set it aside. Put the chopped meat back in the saucepan and add enough cooking liquid to just cover the meat. (Too much liquid will make the brawn very gilatinous.) Bring it to the boil and simmer for a few minutes. Pour the mixture into a loaf tin or terrine and leave it to cool. Once cool, put it into the fridge to set. Serve sliced.

We hope you enjoyed reading this post by Pat Whelan of James Whelan Butchers. Pat is a 5th generation butcher, cook book author and the director of  James Whelan Butchers with shops in Clonmel, the Avoca Handweavers Rathcoole and Kilmacanogue, Dunnes Stores Cornelscourt, Rathmines and Swords in Dublin. Sign up to our newsletter for more updates from James Whelan Butchers

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James Whelan Butchers: Terrines and Pâtés

Posted on Monday, July 11th, 2011 by Pat Whelan in Foodie Articles | No Comments »

With the summer upon us we have moved to eating most of our meals outside once again. It is also the time of year when you never know who’s going to drop by. The long bright evenings encourage weekday visits from family and friends. While most people will phone ahead if they are dropping by at mealtimes, those calling in the afternoon or at suppertime need to be catered for too. For that reason at this time of year I always have terrines or pâtés on hand. A glass of wine, some crackers, toast, cheese, salad, pate or terrine slice can be a veritable feast and provide a warm and nourishing Tipperary welcome for any visitor.

Terrines are usually prepared in a loaf shaped tin and while similar to a pâté, they use more coarsely chopped ingredients. Ingredients are often carefully laid into a terrine before cooking so that when sliced they look like magnificent jeweled kaleidoscopic designs. Pâtés have been the staple of French chefs for years. They are delicate and fine and usually consist of finely ground livers of chicken, pigs, ducks, geese, and calves, flavoured with herbs, spices, wild mushrooms, wine, brandy, and in some instances, with very expensive and rare black truffles. While in France they are considered fine and exquisite specialities that require great culinary skill and passion (and it has to be said that the French offerings often meet that criteria) I believe that a very tasty, simple country pâté can be mastered by most. A nice pâté is also a very acceptable home cooked gift.

The other benefit with pâtés and terrines is their ‘make ahead’ value and versatility. They are an ideal starter, can be bulked out with salad for a simple lunch, work as part of a buffet or on a cracker as just a simple snack or accompaniment to a glass of wine as outlined above. If you are serving a pate dish for a lunch one thing that always bugs me in restaurants is that there is never enough toast. I’m probably being a little unfair in such a general sweeping statement, but honestly the toast to pate ratio has only been right in about two restaurants ever! Big slices of toast are also unappetising but a pal of mine always cuts her toast for pâté with cookie cutters. While it might be a little girlie for me, (I just cut mine into fingers or soldiers) it is cute to be served duck liver pate with duck shaped toasted bread – always a conversation piece. Her cookie cutter collection is quite something and so these days you never quite know what you’ll get.

Lettuce and general salad vegetables can decorate a plate of pâté, but personally I see garnish as a waste unless it can be eaten and is complementary to the dish. I quite like rocket or chopped scallions with pâté but also enjoy servings of cranberry or other flavoured jellies and jams to go with it. Finally if you do want to make your own my main tips are only use the freshest and best of ingredients. Pate uses quite a considerable amount of butter and so good quality butter is imperative to the success of the dish. Get the freshest liver possible and always make sure that any sinew or odd bits are chopped off the livers.

If you are a little nervous of pâté or terrines drop by JWB in the Oakville Shopping Centre any time as we always carry a great range of home cooked versions and, trust me, our chicken liver pâté is quite addictive. Talking of good pâtés a few weeks ago I was in Cork and managed to catch the Mahon Point Farmers Market where I picked up a pate from Barrie Tyner. It was the creamiest pâté I’ve had in a while and the velvety softness really felt luxurious and decadent on the tongue.

Like most of the food and recipes that I enjoy creating, pâtés and terrines are about getting a basic recipe and then adapting it to your own tastes and preferences. They are art rather than science and as long as you follow a few basic rules, anything goes. I do suggest though that you somehow log what you do if you are deviating from a specific recipe. When I cook for my own pleasure at home I will often experiment but then forget to note what I did. If you do happen across or create a great pâté combination let me know and I’ll try it. If it’s as good as you make out we might even try it for the shop and give it your name. If Brussels Pâté can go all over the world why can’t Pâté McGrath, Pâté Louise or Pâté Frank become a worldwide hit also I welcome your feedback to [email protected]

We hope you enjoyed reading this post by Pat Whelan of James Whelan Butchers. Pat is a 5th generation butcher, cook book author and the director of  James Whelan Butchers with shops in Clonmel, the Avoca Handweavers Rathcoole and Kilmacanogue, Dunnes Stores Cornelscourt, Rathmines and Swords in Dublin. Sign up to our newsletter for more updates from James Whelan Butchers

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James Whelan Butchers: Totally Tipperary Seomra Bia Blog

Posted on Saturday, June 25th, 2011 by Pat Whelan in Good Food | No Comments »

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Sarah Baker

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Barbara Russell

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French Chefs part 1 – Maurice Alexis from the Elysee Palace, Didier Coupeau and Mr Joel Reynaud

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French Chefs part 2 – Maurice Alexis from the Elysee Palace, Didier Coupeau and Mr Joel Reynaud

We hope you enjoyed reading this post by Pat Whelan of James Whelan Butchers. Pat is a 5th generation butcher, cook book author and the director of  James Whelan Butchers with shops in Clonmel, the Avoca Handweavers Rathcoole and Kilmacanogue, Dunnes Stores Cornelscourt, Rathmines and Swords in Dublin. Sign up to our newsletter for more updates from James Whelan Butchers

James Whelan Butchers: Summer’s Here

Posted on Wednesday, June 22nd, 2011 by Pat Whelan in Foodie Articles | No Comments »

 

Back in April I was sure the summer had arrived until May came along and appeared to plunge us back into winter. Despite the lighter evenings, those wet days, particularly in the latter half of the month, made me feel like putting the barbeque up for sale on ‘Done Deal’ rather than preparing it for use. Thankfully a change is in the air and I think we might be good to go for a little al fresco dining and summery outdoor food.

However in my hankering after the great outdoors, or my back garden to be more accurate, it suddenly struck me that while we always feel that barbecues are weather dependent, all barbecue recipes can be just as easily cooked on an indoor grill, griddle pan or even in the oven if it comes to it. Anyone who has grown up in this country is long past the notion of planning a barbecue. You plan to have some friends around and then let the weather do its own thing; plan A – eat outside, plan B – eat inside. If it does rain you will often find some lone ranger having to stand outside under an umbrella and flip the burgers while the guests wave out from the kitchen. Why do they do this when you can just as easily use your indoor cooking facilities? Of course the overall ambiance is different. Rain or shine it seems quite acceptable to stand in the garden with a can of beer or a glass of wine in one hand and a long handled tool in the other poking the ingredients over a bed of hot coals. Were you to stand in your kitchen in the same pose people would think you were quite strange. There just isn’t the same sense of adventure, or indeed danger from four safe plates on the hob; you don’t even need the long handled tools!

While there is also a taste difference, you won’t notice it as much if you do use an indoor grill or griddle pan. So whether you are cooking indoors or out it can still feel like a summer feast. Barbecue recipes are always a failsafe idea for casual entertaining and they evoke a sense of fun. For some reason a barbecue presents so much less pressure for the host and guests than a formal dinner party.

Marinate, marinate, marinate! When it comes to summer food I can’t stress that enough. Marinades, bought or homemade, are a great way of flavouring your meat or fish and also tenderising it. In my own mind I split marinades into three groups that I call American, Eastern and Mediterranean. This is purely for my own recall and so I see the American group as the more traditional barbecue sauce that seems to be common on ribs, chicken and sausages. While tasty, these are usually mild. The group from the east always involve some chilli or cayenne pepper, giving a little spicy kick to fish or chicken. If I’ve chosen beef or lamb I tend to opt for a more Mediterranean mix of wine and herbs which always calls for some added garlic. It is also an easy way to focus your evening and tailor it to guests. The marinades determine the style of food, and so the food will determine the salads and accompaniments.

If you are serving burgers don’t forget the little extras such as relish, salsa and chutneys. While anyone can cook a burger, these little extras can really make it special. Again there are plenty of good quality artisan versions around but you can of course make your own. Relish is just a chunky cooked vegetable or fruit based condiment that usually has a kick. Salsa is just a Mexican style uncooked fruit or vegetable condiment usually with chillies, while chutneys are made with sugar and sometimes vinegar and cooked to a sticky consistency and can be mild or spicy. A word of caution though if you are fond of hot food and think nothing of eating a raw chilli just remember that not everyone may have worked themselves up to your level of tolerance. Always warn guests about what’s hot and what’s not and perhaps even provide a mild alternative where possible.

Kebabs are another easy way to create a wow factor and all of the hard work and clear up can be done ahead, which leaves you to enjoy the party. Wooden skewers are ideal and at this time of year the jewel bright colours of peppers and little sweet tomatoes make creating interesting kebabs a doddle. Chicken and tender beef or lamb work well on a kebab. Just make sure that all the meat is roughly the same size as this helps it to cook evenly. It’s always good to soak the skewers in water before use to prevent them burning over the heat. Don’t forget to try fish on a kebab as well. I find cod easy to work with. I also like the idea of wrapping the kebab in a meat mixture using lamb, pork or beef mince or all three. These meaty sticks are always a hit and many butchers do their own versions ready to go. Indeed most butchers these days do a good range of barbecue foods at this time of year. They have taken the time to marinate, have taken the time to find the best marinade and have even done up those skewers and meat sticks for you. If it is a local butcher then you can be guaranteed that the meat and any vegetables used are fresh and also usually local, but do check. If you want to be the ultimate cheat I would suggest you don’t give away your secret and let everyone think you’ve been slaving for at least 72 hours preparing the feast! On the other hand you can tell your friends so they can also have great food when it is their turn to throw the party.

Barbecues or grills are largely about the people and the food. Don’t get so hung up about the weather. Invite your friends around and let me assure you that happy taste buds and full bellies really don’t care if they are indoors or out. On the other hand the most beautiful evening can leave a nasty memory if the food is awful or people leave hungry. This summer get your priorities right. Break out the barbecue grub regardless of the elements and if the sun shines see it as a bonus. For more barbecue ideas or ready to go barbecue food drop in to James Whelan Butchers in the Oakville Shopping Centre at any time or check us out online at www.jameswhelanbutchers.com.

We hope you enjoyed reading this post by Pat Whelan of James Whelan Butchers. Pat is a 5th generation butcher, cook book author and the director of  James Whelan Butchers with shops in Clonmel, the Avoca Handweavers Rathcoole and Kilmacanogue, Dunnes Stores Cornelscourt, Rathmines and Swords in Dublin. Sign up to our newsletter for more updates from James Whelan Butchers

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James Whelan Butchers: Lighter Days

Posted on Thursday, June 16th, 2011 by Pat Whelan in Foodie Articles | No Comments »

 

Regardless of the weather I always find that I just enjoy lighter food in the summer months. It may be simple conditioning or it could be my body wanting to shed all that was packed into it in the cold winter. For me this time of year always calls for lighter
meals and with the abundance of salad vegetables around there is plenty to choose from. However as a meat and fish eater I have no intention of eating like a rabbit and sometimes find it hard to get my head around making salads exciting.

Like everything it is only a matter of application. Once you take the time to think about it a myriad of possibilities enter the picture. You will find yourself looking forward to dinner and not just putting up with a little limp lettuce and a hard half of tomato with lashings of mayonnaise and fooling your brain into thinking you are eating something healthy and tasty. Ireland has really grown up when it comes to salad. No longer are we confined to potato salad with slices of cold corned beef, ham or chicken always accompanied by that limp lettuce and the hard halved tomato as mentioned above. Today we have great choice and taste. Crunchy romaine lettuce, soft lambs leaf lettuce, rocket and spinach leaves are all tasty alternatives in the green department. I am currently addicted to rocket leaves, and not just rocket, but a mixture of rocket and fresh coriander; it is nothing short of a revelation. You no longer have to put up with those un-ripened tomatoes that ricocheted around the plate when you tried to stab them with a fork; today the choice is immense. Choose from tiny baby tomatoes, delicious tomatoes on the vine, ordinary tomatoes or even sun dried are all readily available. Avocados, celery, red, white and green onions,
peppers of every hue and an abundance of nuts and seeds have all transformed the humble salad into a plate of natural goodness that can be enjoyed rather than endured. Thankfully the cucumber was vindicated in the recent European E-coli scare and despite the fact that we didn’t have any of the suspects on our Irish shop shelves, I know several people who were alarmed. The panic is now over and the cucumber was proven innocent of any wrong doing and is free to sit proudly in the salad bowls of Europe once more.

When it comes to meat I really want to encourage you to try cuts of hot meat with a decent salad and not just as a side dish; actually replace the spuds and cooked vegetables with something lighter. For a handy weekday meal try grilled pork chops with avocado and melon. (The recipe is below). Warm chicken salad couldn’t be easier and chicken works particularly well in the classic Caesar Salad, warm or cold. You can also try topping the meat with salad and this works particularly well with
steak and rocket leaves. Indeed a good steak, rocket, homemade salsa and a baguette gives you the chance to create a hearty steak sandwich. Topping cuts of meat with salad is seen as particularly ‘chefy’ looking and it’s a style that is quite popular at the minute in food magazines and restaurants. Make sure you let grilled meats stand for about five minutes before topping with any salad mixture and serving.

Skewers of grilled meat and fish also work really well on a bed of leaves and salad vegetables. You can add a Mediterranean feel by incorporating some fruit such as slices of orange or lemon. Don’t forget the old combination of apples, raisins and celery is still tasty today. There are also plenty of pickles and chutneys you can make ahead and add for taste value such as pickled cucumber which I eat with just about everything at this time of year or beetroot.

Cheese is another great addition to a salad. Greek feta cheese, grated parmesan or some grated cheddar can elevate the taste. Some people like to add a little knob of butter to a steak but why not substitute it for a little knob of cream cheese and lettuce
leaves or the classic stilton cheese with a little rocket on the top. Indeed a goat’s cheese, tomato and ham tartlet topped with rocket and coriander is a terrific starter.

Experiment with dressings, dips, temperatures and different combinations and if you come up with a particularly good one don’t forget to share it. You can contact me anytime on twitter.com/Pat_Whelan or email me [email protected]

We hope you enjoyed reading this post by Pat Whelan of James Whelan Butchers. Pat is a 5th generation butcher, cook book author and the director of  James Whelan Butchers with shops in Clonmel, the Avoca Handweavers Rathcoole and Kilmacanogue, Dunnes Stores Cornelscourt, Rathmines and Swords in Dublin. Sign up to our newsletter for more updates from James Whelan Butchers

James Whelan Butchers: Barbequed Lamb Cutlets with Summer Vegetables

Posted on Thursday, June 9th, 2011 by Pat Whelan in BBQ Recipes, Lamb Recipes | No Comments »

bbq lamb cutlets with summer vegCooked in minutes either on the barbecue or under the grill!

BBQ Lamb Cutlets and Summer Vegetables – Printer Friendly Download

Ingredients

 

  • 8 lamb cutlets, well trimmed
  • Juice and zest of one lemon
  • 1 tablesp. olive oil
  • Salt and black pepper

Summer vegetables of your choice

  • 100g Green beans
  • 100g Mangetout
  • 100g Broad beans
  • 100g Cherry vine tomatoes
  • 1 Teasp Fresh Thyme leaves
  • 25g Butter

Serves 4

To Cook

Cooking time 8 mins

 

Mix together the oil, garlic, black pepper, lemon juice and zest in a bowl large enough to hold the lamb cutlets and marinade for at least one hour, then season with salt. Cook on a pre-heated barbeque or grill pan for three minutes on each side. Boil water in a saucepan then add the beans and cook for three minutes, add the Mangetout and broad beans and boil for a further two minutes, strain the vegetables, add the knob of butter and thyme to the pan and toss the vegetables with the cherry vine tomatoes and season with a little salt and pepper. Serve with the lamb cutlets.

We hope you enjoyed reading this post by Pat Whelan of James Whelan Butchers. Pat is a 5th generation butcher, cook book author and the director of  James Whelan Butchers with shops in Clonmel, the Avoca Handweavers Rathcoole and Kilmacanogue, Dunnes Stores Cornelscourt, Rathmines and Swords in Dublin. Sign up to our newsletter for more updates from James Whelan Butchers

James Whelan Butchers: What Ireland’s Eating Now

Posted on Wednesday, June 8th, 2011 by Pat Whelan in Foodie Articles | 2 Comments »

 

The recent RTE documentary by Philip Boucher Hayes was eye opening to say the least. As part of the Heart/Land series of programmes screened in May the premise was to rejoice in the land and landscape and explore life in the 21st Century. If I’m honest at the start of the programme I felt we had little to rejoice about. In this documentary Journalist Philip Boucher Hayes took a look inside Ireland’s shopping basket. Armed with information from a national nutrition survey and data from 3,000 households’ food shopping receipts, he argued that we are damaging our health, our economy and our society by what we eat and the way we shop.

In the programme he asserted that a lot of the food the average family eats today is far removed from its origins. It is highly processed and globally produced and this is neither healthy nor economic good sense. He delved into a number of Ireland’s most popular foodstuffs, from chicken to processed pork, and revealed some very unpalatable truths about where they come from and what they’re doing to our health. He went on to discuss how we have been weaned on to a diet of cheap food and the competition between retailers to hold market share is putting serious pressure on many of those that supply our food. It was all very thought provoking indeed.

Some of the facts that emerged were that 43% of the contents of the average Irish shopping basket are made up of highly processed foods. Sausages and sliced ham were considered offenders along with breaded fish. Statistics show that for every €1 spent on fruit and vegetables we spend €1.50 on processed foods. The great Irish staple, the humble spud, has seen consumption drop by 50% over the past 10 years while carbonated drinks consumption has increased dramatically. With these figures it is no wonder that the problem with obesity and related illnesses is getting out of control.

We love salt apparently. So much so that even though it is no longer necessary for preservation, given the advances in refrigeration, processors still inject bacon and ham with brine to maintain the salty taste we have become used to. Of course they are not doing it purely to pander to our tastes, but because it can add 20% to the weight and increase the shelf life; in other words while it makes little health sense it makes lots of euro cents! Studies have shown that consumption of processed meats can increase the risk of bowel cancer; the second highest form of cancer in Ireland.

However outside of the processed food argument I think what was more depressing was the fact that food imports have practically doubled in a short few years. Sadly we are importing foods that can be produced here. The bottom line is money and these items are purchased more cheaply thousands of miles away and flown in. It is a massive hurdle to climb and one that is a constant battle for consumers. A friend of mine recently quoted a simple case of trying to buy Irish scallions in her local supermarket. She was faced with the choice of paying €1.39 for the Irish bunch or €1.09 for the foreign imports. Her conscience plumped for the more expensive Irish ones, but the reality is that not everyone is in a financial position to choose. Cost, value and taste are the constant juggling factors for all retailers and producers. Keeping those three balls in the air satisfactorily can be next to impossible.

Overall the picture was quite distressing but rather than see it as prophetic and full of doom I like to think it was a wake up call to us all. Education is key and the irony is that with all our modern knowledge and information we have been left very, very confused. It’s time to simplify and get back to basics; my cry from this column since it started. Rather than getting bogged down in what we shouldn’t be doing let’s look instead at what we should be doing; simply eating real food! Of course the difficulty lies in the statement and the word ‘real’. Just because it is edible and fit for consumption doesn’t make it real.

Probably one of the better books I have read on the subject was a small slim tome entitled Food Rules by Michael Pollan published by Penguin. This little manual for eating is rich in food wisdom, full of humour and is very unassuming. There are 64 rules that will help you navigate the stormy seas of crazy diets and conflicting health advice. It brings clarity and simplicity to our daily decisions about food and gives us easy guidelines for eating and shopping; putting the pleasure back into food once more. For example: Rule 19 is “If it came from a plant eat it, if it was made in a plant don’t”. Rule 10 “Avoid foods that are pretending to be something they are not” Imitation butter and artificial sweeteners fall into this category. Rule 8 “Avoid food products that make health claims”. Michael Pollan’s wisdom behind this is that for a product to carry a health claim on its packaging it must first have a package, making it more likely to have been processed. Much of the best food in a supermarket, the fresh produce, doesn’t come in packages. Rule 27, “Eat animals that have themselves eaten well”. You can’t expect an unhealthy animal to produce healthy meat. I can’t speak for everyone but I can stand over the food I produce and sell. All our beef is grass fed and, I’m happy to say, some of our customers have to travel further than the meat does to our shop!

We certainly need to rethink our position on food but we have to educate ourselves and our children about food. We are an intelligent and progressive people so it won’t be hard. Well done to Philip Boucher Hayes for highlighting the problem but now let’s learn and turn from our obvious folly. I welcome your feedback to [email protected]

We hope you enjoyed reading this post by Pat Whelan of James Whelan Butchers. Pat is a 5th generation butcher, cook book author and the director of  James Whelan Butchers with shops in Clonmel, the Avoca Handweavers Rathcoole and Kilmacanogue, Dunnes Stores Cornelscourt, Rathmines and Swords in Dublin. Sign up to our newsletter for more updates from James Whelan Butchers

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James Whelan Butchers: Win Meat for a Month!

Posted on Wednesday, June 8th, 2011 by Pat Whelan in Good Food | 4 Comments »

Meat for a Month Twitter CompetitionThis June, we’re treating one of  our lucky customers to a fantastic prize of ‘Meat for a Month’. This pack contains a variety of easy-to-cook family favourites and comes complete with a range of recipes to try out at home. The Meat for a Month pack contains the following products:-

  • Diced Lamb
  • Round Steak
  • 2 Unstuffed Pork Steaks
  • 4 Chicken Marylands,
  • 9 Chicken Fillets
  • 4 Chicken Pascals
  • 10 Boneless Pork Chops
  • Boned and Rolled Chicken and Ham (A/B)
  • Steak Julienne
  • Diced Pork
  • Round Steak Mince.

To enter our competition see twitter and simply RT @Pat_Whelan and @JWButchers competition tweets and signup to our newsletter by following the link. All existing subscribers to our newsletter will be automatically entered into the draw. The winner of the James Whelan Butchers Meat for a Month competition will be announced next Wednesday at 3pm.

We hope you enjoyed reading this post by Pat Whelan of James Whelan Butchers. Pat is a 5th generation butcher, cook book author and the director of  James Whelan Butchers with shops in Clonmel, the Avoca Handweavers Rathcoole and Kilmacanogue, Dunnes Stores Cornelscourt, Rathmines and Swords in Dublin. Sign up to our newsletter for more updates from James Whelan Butchers

James Whelan Butchers: Name this Beauty!

Posted on Friday, June 3rd, 2011 by Pat Whelan in Good Food | 9 Comments »

Wagyu CalfThis beautiful specimen of Irish Wagyu calf was born on our farm in Garrentemple in late May and has already become as somewhat of a celebrity in the bovine world. This Wagyu calf recently featured in an article written by Claire Murphy of the Evening Herald in which she outlines our innovations in Wagyu breeding. He has become the face of our first Wagyu herd and we are asking you to name him! The winning entry will receive two tickets to the Totally Tipperary Food Festival taking place in the majestic grounds of Cloughjordan House on 25th June and a copy of Pat Whelan’s book, “An Irish Butcher Shop”.

Entering couldn’t be easier. RT our competition tweets (@Pat_Whelan/@JWButchers) and simply enter your name suggestions in the comments below. Get naming that beauty and best of luck!”

We hope you enjoyed reading this post by Pat Whelan of James Whelan Butchers. Pat is a 5th generation butcher, cook book author and the director of  James Whelan Butchers with shops in Clonmel, the Avoca Handweavers Rathcoole and Kilmacanogue, Dunnes Stores Cornelscourt, Rathmines and Swords in Dublin. Sign up to our newsletter for more updates from James Whelan Butchers

James Whelan Butchers: Spicing it Up a Bit

Posted on Wednesday, June 1st, 2011 by Pat Whelan in Foodie Articles | 3 Comments »

Reading an article in the paper recently I found myself nodding in agreement at the sentiment expressed about rude, angry celebrity chefs on television. However I suppose to the viewing public a calm, happy kitchen with a jolly chef makes for a rather dull television experience. I personally enjoy watching the less exciting cookery shows as I always hope to learn something or be inspired to try something new. I can’t be bothered with Hell’s Kitchen type efforts. I see no point in the voyeuristic and ritualistic humiliation of humans by an out of control chef. It’s only food after all.

Shows like Hell’s Kitchen would never have been devised in the first place if it wasn’t for the huge growth in our interest in food. It’s no longer just the domain of the gourmet, but everyone is a stakeholder these days (or perhaps a “steak holder”). Our access to ingredients and our knowledge of the world has made for a literal taste explosion and we are all benefiting. Cookery books have long since shaken off their dull, domestic, science text book looks and have become much sought after with celebrity chefs as prolific as novelists. Although their appeal is a little like women’s shoes; they look lovely, women have to have them but only seem to wear one or two pairs all the time; an eternal mystery to men. Cookery books are about as close as I come to understanding the shoe phenomenon. I was looking at my own collection recently and realised that there are really only two that I consult all the time. The rest I dip in an out of occasionally.

Whether we like the calmer shows or the more frenetic or if we despise all forms of cookery television and the idea of the celebrity chef entirely, we have to credit them with opening up the world of food and the taste experience. Starting with the arrogance of the pioneering, wine swigging Keith Floyd to the gentler presentation style of Rachel Allen today, TV chefs have taken us to culinary places we would never have gone to on our own. Herbs and spices are a good example. Growing up in the 70s and 80s I was blissfully ignorant of the world of exotic spices. Our kitchen boasted a very smart wooden spice rack complete with little glass bottles of dried herbs and spices but I would hazard a guess that there were only about three actually used. The mixed herbs and oregano were relatively popular and at the spice end the paprika pepper got an outing every now and again in a goulash or as a garnish on a prawn cocktail or an egg mayonnaise. My granny used to grow fresh parsley and mint in her garden and that was added to various dishes, but that was the extent of my exposure. Then again I did grow up in the 70s and early 80s when we, as a nation, welcomed the ‘new’ idea of dried food in plastic containers that you poured boiling water on to reconstitute! Looking back it is surprising just how well the Knorr Quick Lunch took off. Fortunately my mother didn’t abandon her apron and embrace convenience but she rarely experimented with hot aromatic spices.

These days the food landscape is constantly changing and herbs and spices no longer live out their lives in little glass jars in wooden spice racks. Instead they are actually used in foods to create new and interesting dishes. Also this new found recreational activity of cooking could also be helpful to our general health. Spices became a form of currency that sent intrepid adventurers onto unknown oceans to find new places, people, and trade routes. The Spice Route to China sucked in Marco Polo and brought the spice trade to Europe. Christopher Columbus set out to find the way to the source of spices and found the New World. The British Raj occupied India to gain its wealth, its spice and tea trade. In some countries spices are sacred, considered aphrodisiacs and are filled with health giving anti oxidants.

The use of herbs and spices in cooking offers the chance to prepare exotic, gourmet dishes, bringing a touch of the Orient here, but it is also a great way to add flavour while cutting calories. Herbs and spices can also be used as a substitute for salt and they can dress up inexpensive meats. A little mustard in place of mayonnaise also cuts the calories. Whole herbs and spices last much longer than crushed or ground forms and tend to have stronger, fresher flavours. Growing herbs is easy and can be done on any kitchen windowsill. Generally speaking crushed and ground forms don’t necessarily ‘go off’ but they do lose their potency after about three to four months.

Definitions of herbs and spices vary somewhat but can be identified as follows: Herbs are leaves of low-growing shrubs; parsley, chives, marjoram, thyme, basil, caraway, dill, oregano, rosemary, savory, sage and celery leaves. These can be used fresh or dried. Dried forms may be whole, crushed, or ground. Spices come from the bark (cinnamon), root (ginger, onion, and garlic), buds (cloves, saffron), seeds (yellow mustard, poppy, and sesame), berry (black pepper), or the fruit (allspice, paprika) of tropical plants and trees.

The health benefits of ginger for example have been known for almost 2,000 years. It is a natural anti-inflammatory which means it could be good for heart disease, Alzheimer’s and arthritis. Tumeric is very respected in India as a potent anti-inflammatory and known to be helpful in fighting bowel diseases including Crohn’s disease and colitis. Parsley is reported to have an ability to fight cancer. Animal studies have shown that it can inhibit tumor formation, particularly in the lungs. Parsley is also a rich source of antioxidants and heart-protective nutrients including vitamin C, beta-carotene and folic acid. This is just the tip of the iceberg

Herbs and spices are now readily available in any good supermarket and there is immense information available in books and online. Apparently in this climate we’re all doing more cooking at home. It’s not rocket science at all it just calls for a spirit of adventure and a decent recipe to start. While there is no doubt that your taste buds will enjoy the experience, it could be good for your overall health as well. I welcome your feedback to [email protected]

We hope you enjoyed reading this post by Pat Whelan of James Whelan Butchers. Pat is a 5th generation butcher, cook book author and the director of  James Whelan Butchers with shops in Clonmel, the Avoca Handweavers Rathcoole and Kilmacanogue, Dunnes Stores Cornelscourt, Rathmines and Swords in Dublin. Sign up to our newsletter for more updates from James Whelan Butchers

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James Whelan Butchers: CityDeal Offer Extended to 31st August

Posted on Tuesday, May 31st, 2011 by Pat Whelan in Good Food | No Comments »

Groupon CityDeal Offer Extended to 31st AugustThis week we have enjoyed huge success with our City Deal partners promoting our products. We have offered 52% discount on all our products delivered to you anywhere in Ireland. This promotion was sent to 600,000 people on Monday morning and the response has been phenomenal. In order for us to deal with this response and maintain our very high standards we have decided to extend the closing date for redemption of this offer by 62 days to the 31st August. This gives you a greater opportunity to experience the wonderful products we create here with our team of butchers in Clonmel and it also gives us a chance to breath! If you have bought a City Deal voucher for James Whelan Butchers, you will also receive an email from City Deal advising you of this independently. We look forward to serving and sharing with you some of our wonderful products that we create by hand everyday. Please bear with us and understand that each order is dealt with individually and thus takes time. We thank you for your understanding and look forward to serving you again in the future.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I buy multiple vouchers?

Yes, you can buy multiple vouchers but only one voucher can be applied per order. Delivery costs €10 per order under €100 and orders over €100 receive free delivery.

What days of the week do you deliver?

We deliver Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Saturday delivery costs €15 regardless of €100 spend. As you can imagine, days are filling up very quickly so order in plenty of time. The website automatically shows the available dates for delivery.

Can I give a specific time for delivery?

We deliver between 9am-5pm daily. You can track and trace your order online by entering your order number and email address that you used to place your order. You can have your order delivered to work and home. With traffic and other conditions it is impossible to determine an exact time for delivery, however if you would like further information you can locate your local depot and contact them directly using DPD’s Depot Finder.

Best Wishes

Pat Whelan

We hope you enjoyed reading this post by Pat Whelan of James Whelan Butchers. Pat is a 5th generation butcher, cook book author and the director of  James Whelan Butchers with shops in Clonmel, the Avoca Handweavers Rathcoole and Kilmacanogue, Dunnes Stores Cornelscourt, Rathmines and Swords in Dublin. Sign up to our newsletter for more updates from James Whelan Butchers

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