# Wagyu



## AJB Temple (29 Aug 2020)

10% off if you order using the code SALE. 

Go on, you know you want to. It will be insanely good. 4kg of joy.


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## billw (29 Aug 2020)

*drool*


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## Steve Maskery (29 Aug 2020)

It's not that much in Aldi


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## lurker (29 Aug 2020)

Don't think that they have a Aldi in tunbridge wells.
Waitrose is down market for them.


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## AJB Temple (29 Aug 2020)

Tunbridge Wells does not have an Aldi. People from Tunbridge Wells have an Audi. 

And, for your information, Tunbridge Wells does not have a Waitrose either.


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## Nigel Burden (29 Aug 2020)

Cough, I've just spilt my coffee.

Its a bit like the Alba truffle which is selling at £1783 to £2229 per lb. half the price of last year.

Nigel.


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## Argus (29 Aug 2020)

Nice and greasy.......eat yer Statins!


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## marcros (29 Aug 2020)

I haven't had wagyu. I have had steaks that I have really enjoyed, both cooked myself and ordered in restaurants. I would be interested to know whether wagyu at several times the price would top the list, and whether it would be in another league.


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## Droogs (29 Aug 2020)

Jonathan Ross must get so disappointed when he orders this stuff


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## AJB Temple (29 Aug 2020)

I don't buy Wagyu in the UK as the price is mad. I have eaten it numerous times in Japan, (Kobe usually being the source) and bought it in butchers there. Typically you eat it in much smaller portions than you would a steak here (and MUCH smaller than in the US). 

The flavour is on another level. Exquisite. Very rich. Even my wife, who is not a steak eater, was blown away. 

Things like Wagyu beef burgers (frequent sold here) are a con.


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## AJB Temple (29 Aug 2020)

The source of the picture was Meat me at Home. They do have some bargains occasionally if you like things such as Iberico pork. Things you cannot readily get in even high end butchers.


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## marcros (29 Aug 2020)

AJB Temple said:


> I don't buy Wagyu in the UK as the price is mad. I have eaten it numerous times in Japan, (Kobe usually being the source) and bought it in butchers there. Typically you eat it in much smaller portions than you would a steak here (and MUCH smaller than in the US).
> 
> The flavour is on another level. Exquisite. Very rich. Even my wife, who is not a steak eater, was blown away.
> 
> Things like Wagyu beef burgers (frequent sold here) are a con.



I saw the burgers in Costco, and came to much the same conclusion!


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## MikeK (29 Aug 2020)

marcros said:


> I haven't had wagyu. I have had steaks that I have really enjoyed, both cooked myself and ordered in restaurants. I would be interested to know whether wagyu at several times the price would top the list, and whether it would be in another league.



I had a wagyu ribeye at Morrie's Steakhouse in Sioux Falls, South Dakota last year. For the cost, I wasn't impressed, as I've had better dry-aged steaks elsewhere. I don't think Morrie's imports the beef from Japan, but buys it from a local rancher who imported some heifers from Japan and grew his own. I have eaten Kobe beef in Okinawa, and it was a taste treat.

I now buy dry-aged ribeye from my local butcher and grill my own.


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## --Tom-- (29 Aug 2020)

My local butcher raises his own beef and has just added some wagyu to his herd. Looking forward to next year, though doubt it’ll reach the levels of marbling you see in Japan


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## Bm101 (30 Aug 2020)

Had a couple of amazing imported wagyu steaks just the once and it was a real eye opener. One for very special occasions.



Steve Maskery said:


> It's not that much in Aldi


Joking aside I reckon Aldi and lidl do the best 28 day rib eye you can buy per pound unless you get up at 3am and go to Smithfield. The larger supermarkets steak is simply inferior in my mind. 
Not saying you can't get better steak of course... just not at that price.

I put take mine out the fridge an hour or 3 before cooking and season. Then I stick it the cold oven and turn it up to 180. The cast griddle goes on the gas. 5 mins it comes out and that thin lidl steak is cooked rare in the middle. Spare bit of oil on the meat not in the pan. In to the griddle to sear both sides for a matter of 30 seconds to a minute top either side out and resting on a warm plate while 'plate up' (sorry) the rest of your dinner. 

A sous vide would be nice but this works well.
Go on. How do you cook yours?


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## andrewgcook (30 Aug 2020)

There is a well established herd of Wagyu cross cattle near Perth, Scotland. Their beef is absolutely the best I have had in the UK! Can’t remember what they are called but I had a fullblood Wagyu Ribeye from them, cooked by me, that was the best steak I have ever had.


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## Sideways (30 Aug 2020)

In South Korea, barbeque steak is a prized meal. Simply cooked at the table on a hot plate so you can eat it as rare as you wish. Their prime marbled steak is the best I've ever eaten and looks very similar to the photo.
Cost is entirely based on the weight and grade of the meat. An array of side dishes including lettuce to wrap bite size pieces of meat in and spicy soy bean paste are all inclusive.
If you are ever lucky enough to visit, I strongly recommend the experience.


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## billw (30 Aug 2020)

This was the first time I had wagyu beef, wok fried with duck liver and spicy sauce. Last August in Hong Kong.


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## Suffolkboy (30 Aug 2020)

Don't buy beef... Buy venison!

Tastes great, Low Cholesterol, high in Omega 3.

The market for UK venison is dire at the moment.

Even in a good year the majority of our wild venison is exported to the continent while the stuff you see in the supermarket is most likely imported from New Zealand. 

The future of woodlands in the UK is dependent on annually culling deer and without an outlet many stalkers simply won't...

Save a tree. Eat a deer.


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## AJB Temple (30 Aug 2020)

Oddly enough, Waitrose where I live has a dry aged beef cabinet. I like to get a BBQ, (green egg) seriously hot, and then sear the oiled steak. I cook straight from the fridge and the steak to be almost still alive. I rest it when seared and that gives me sufficient heat penetration to the core. 

I prefer to buy a piece of ribeye, sirloin or fillet and cut the steak slices myself. I think it improves it greatly when it is much thicker than typically sold. I also adopt pro chef seasoning - by which I mean a lot of seasoning! 

However, I used to eat beef a lot. Now I hardly ever eat it. I think quality is very patchy, including from local butchers and Waitrose (which is the only proper supermarket near the village where I live) and I have had far too many tasteless or tough beef steaks. I also cut back on red meat a lot and forced myself to eat more fish and vegetables. Healthier I think. In winter, slow cooking takes over. 

It is practically impossible to get Venison where I live. Waitrose do sell venison steaks occasionally, and venison burgers. But the absence of fat seems to equate to an absence of flavour.


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## Phil Pascoe (30 Aug 2020)

Lidl used to sell kangaroo steaks which were excellent - I don't know whether they still do.


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## Suffolkboy (30 Aug 2020)

AJB Temple said:


> Oddly enough, Waitrose where I live has a dry aged beef cabinet. I like to get a BBQ, (green egg) seriously hot, and then sear the oiled steak. I cook straight from the fridge and the steak to be almost still alive. I rest it when seared and that gives me sufficient heat penetration to the core.
> 
> I prefer to buy a piece of ribeye, sirloin or fillet and cut the steak slices myself. I think it improves it greatly when it is much thicker than typically sold. I also adopt pro chef seasoning - by which I mean a lot of seasoning!
> 
> ...



Or that lack of flavour may be that the venison in Waitrose is farmed from NZ.

Even some of the burgers etc that say UK venison will have a proportion of imported meat.


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## AJB Temple (30 Aug 2020)

This is what Waitrose say: 
*Where does Waitrose venison come from?*
Our venison comes from red deer aged 12-27 months, which are reared on British and New Zealand farms. Raised naturally, with minimal interference, the deer thrive on a grass-based diet, producing tender, well-flavoured meat. All our venison can be traced back to the farms and estates where it was raised.

I had no idea. I assumed that as deer is plentiful here and farmed, it must be UK sourced. I suppose they will say the UK economy needs trade deals with New Zealand


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## Droogs (30 Aug 2020)

I greet the deer I bump into when out on the estate with a bow
read that which ever way you like, 
But is has been nigh on impossible to get decent venison recently and the salami making has really suffered. I have 9Kg of boar in the freezer waiting to meet some tender bambi


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## Phil Pascoe (30 Aug 2020)

Venison's probably cheaper here than in the Land of the Long White Cloud. My sister is a naturalised Kiwi, and when she comes back she always comments that NZ lamb is cheaper here than it is there.


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## Bm101 (30 Aug 2020)

Camping breakfast this morning.

Another acceptable way to eat steak. 
Prepare it before you go. Shallots, garlic, basil, par boiled spuds cut small and rib eye. 
Made up for the rain last night! What a weekend to go camping.
*' I've paid for it we're blood* going!'


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## Bm101 (30 Aug 2020)

Bm101 said:


> Camping breakfast this morning.
> 
> Another acceptable way to eat steak.
> Prepare it before you go. Shallots, garlic, basil, par boiled spuds cut small and rib eye.
> ...


You can nick the threaded rod idea!


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## Rorschach (30 Aug 2020)

Not had wagyu, maybe one day when my wallet is heavier. I can heartily recommend an immersion circulator for sous vide cooking of meats. Totally transformed my steaks etc, even a cheap thin cut is vastly improved.


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## Droogs (30 Aug 2020)

In an emergency I have found the little vacuum bag machine for sous vide makes an excellent small parts veneer press


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## woodhutt (30 Aug 2020)

152 GBP per kg is a heck of a price! We pay NZ$120 /kg (about GBP60/kg) for chilled grass fed Wagyu with a marble score of 3 - 4.
Pete


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## AJB Temple (30 Aug 2020)

Yes. Very expensive. Genuine Japanese and the supplier has a reputation for quality though. 

I need to try sous vide. I have a vacuum drawer in the new kitchen, but no Sous Vide machine or immersion unit. A US friend of mine, who is a but of a nutty professor (maths - he is an actual professor), went on and on about sous vide a couple of years ago, though I didn't bite. But he has now moved on. The latest "in thing" is to get a dry aged effect on the cheap by finely grinding a special rice, which still has all the bacteria in it (available on line) and rubbing it into the meat and leaving for a coupe of days. Allegedly turns ordinary beef into as good as dry aged. 

No 1 offspring and I are trying it separately. If it works out I will post up details.


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## Rorschach (30 Aug 2020)

Koji is the rice you are looking for, a type of moulded rice, miraculous properties I am told.

An immersion circulator is definitely worth it, ours is only a £50 Aldi version but it's great.


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## AJB Temple (30 Aug 2020)

Thanks for the reminder. Koji. Yes. We ordered some off Amazon, but it came in bags in liquid form, which was not what I was expecting. Tried it anyway, and it definitely changed the flavour for the better, but was not the authentic process. We will be trying again. 

Do you reckon that an immersion heater is as good as a proper sous vide bath? I balked at the latter because they are such big ugly lumps and quite expensive if I don't use it much. I will keep my eye out for the Aldi one.


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## Bm101 (30 Aug 2020)

Is the Aldi one a small unit you put on the side of pan not a dedicated machine Rorshach? I think I saw that once in there with a small shrink wrapping unit but it I held off it as an impulse purchase (right or wrong). I'm looking at doing the kitchen next year and I only hear good things about sous vide from a couple of mates who are really into their cooking. I know this is a slight swerve from topic but make hay while the sun shines.... sorry Ajb. Any advice on machines guys?


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## Rorschach (30 Aug 2020)

Yes ours clips onto the side of a container. You can use a saucepan or similar. What you want is something that is deep enough to submerge the sous vide cooker and food, but not so massive that you are heating gallons of water.
I went to a discount hardware shop and found a small plastic storage box with lid, it's big enough to do a couple of steaks or chicken breats, holds a couple of litres of water and has the lid to hold in the heat and stem. I made a cut out to fit around the immersion circulator. Works a treat.

To use it I pour water from the kettle into the container and have a jug of cold water as well. The IC tells you the water temp on it's screen so I try my best to approximate it by mixing. Hot tap water would work for some recipes too as that is almost hot enough for a rare steak. You then set the temp you want it starts moving the water around and heating it up. Once you get the right temp you put in your meat and set a timer. Time is not critical, I cook chicken breasts for 1.5 hours but you could leave them for 3 or 4 hours no problem. You will never get a juicier piece of chicken then from a sous vide, makes the best chicken salad as well.


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## AJB Temple (30 Aug 2020)

Once new kitchen is commissioned I will give it a try.


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## Suffolkboy (30 Aug 2020)

*e*


AJB Temple said:


> This is what Waitrose say:
> *Where does Waitrose venison come from?*
> Our venison comes from red deer aged 12-27 months, which are reared on British and New Zealand farms. Raised naturally, with minimal interference, the deer thrive on a grass-based diet, producing tender, well-flavoured meat. All our venison can be traced back to the farms and estates where it was raised.
> 
> I had no idea. I assumed that as deer is plentiful here and farmed, it must be UK sourced. I suppose they will say the UK economy needs trade deals with New Zealand



All the supermarkets use NZ venison. Often branded as UK but it won't be 100% from the UK. 

The Supermarkets all need a product that is uniform in size, colour, flavour and texture which you just don't get from wild deer which is why, the majority of deer culled in the UK end up on the continent. 

Crazy. 

Anyway In my opinion red deer has the least flavour wild or farmed of the six species we get in the UK. Farmed has less flavour than wild. 

Muntjac and Sika being my favourite. 

Fallow has a more gamey flavour than the rest 

Roe is kind of a half way house.


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## woodhutt (30 Aug 2020)

Phil Pascoe said:


> Venison's probably cheaper here than in the Land of the Long White Cloud. My sister is a naturalised Kiwi, and when she comes back she always comments that NZ lamb is cheaper here than it is there.


Not sure about venison price comparison as I'm lucky enough to have a neighbour who's a hunter so I get my venison and boar pretty cheap (and fresh).
You're right about the price of lamb though and the quality here is lower. Most NZ quality lamb is exported leaving us the poorer quality meat which IMO is still overpriced. Some of that is due to the declining size of sheep farming here (60 million in the mid 80's down to 30 million now) with a shift towards dairy and beef. Luckily, I am not a lover of lamb so don't miss it.
Pete


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## --Tom-- (30 Aug 2020)

Luckily my butcher has his own herd and 2 dry aging cabinets. Means I can buy what I want and then age it. Aged a big sirloin on the bone last year for my birthday, barbecued on the kamado were easily the best steaks I’ve had.

sous vide works for tender but doesn’t make up for flavour. Koji really ups the umami and can help turn bland into inter

Currently enjoying a lot of rare roast beef. Heavy seat in pan, then into oven at 110c and steam till internal of 57c. Absolutely fanastic

this was last weeks tritip





And if you want a good burger- dry aged rib trim with bone marrow on a coarse grind.


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## Mutley Racers (31 Aug 2020)

AJB Temple said:


> Yes. Very expensive. Genuine Japanese and the supplier has a reputation for quality though.
> 
> I need to try sous vide. I have a vacuum drawer in the new kitchen, but no Sous Vide machine or immersion unit. A US friend of mine, who is a but of a nutty professor (maths - he is an actual professor), went on and on about sous vide a couple of years ago, though I didn't bite. But he has now moved on. The latest "in thing" is to get a dry aged effect on the cheap by finely grinding a special rice, which still has all the bacteria in it (available on line) and rubbing it into the meat and leaving for a coupe of days. Allegedly turns ordinary beef into as good as dry aged.
> 
> No 1 offspring and I are trying it separately. If it works out I will post up details.



Hi. The best way to do this is actually use Asian fish sauce, paint a teaspoon on for every 200gs and seal in a bag for 3 days and leave in the fridge. This will give the umami, nutty flavour you get from a well aged steak.


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## lurker (31 Aug 2020)

When we have steak it’s grilled on a slightly dished oak board that I turned on the lathe.
the board is just given a quick wipe with kitchen roll whilst still hot after use.


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## AJB Temple (31 Aug 2020)

Mutley Racers said:


> Hi. The best way to do this is actually use Asian fish sauce, paint a teaspoon on for every 200gs and seal in a bag for 3 days and leave in the fridge. This will give the umami, nutty flavour you get from a well aged steak.



I will definitely try that. Very cheap idea. 

Tom, I am jealous. Enough said


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## AJB Temple (31 Aug 2020)

--Tom-- said:


> Luckily my butcher has his own herd and 2 dry aging cabinets. Means I can buy what I want and then age it. Aged a big sirloin on the bone last year for my birthday, barbecued on the kamado were easily the best steaks I’ve had.
> 
> sous vide works for tender but doesn’t make up for flavour. Koji really ups the umami and can help turn bland into inter
> 
> ...



Looks Amazing. And I spy a Murray Carter there too. Very nice.


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## RogerS (4 Sep 2020)

billw said:


> This was the first time I had wagyu beef, wok fried with duck liver and spicy sauce. Last August in Hong Kong.
> 
> View attachment 91128


That is 100% sacrilege.


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## RogerS (4 Sep 2020)

Suffolkboy said:


> Don't buy beef... Buy venison!
> 
> Tastes great, Low Cholesterol, high in Omega 3.
> 
> ...


Why buy it when you can kill your own !


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## RogerS (4 Sep 2020)

AJB Temple said:


> ....and Waitrose (which is the only proper supermarket near the village where I live) and I have had far too many tasteless or tough beef steaks. ...


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## RogerS (4 Sep 2020)

Get your fillet steak from M&S. 9 times out of 10, M&S food is miles better than Waitrose.


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## Suffolkboy (4 Sep 2020)

RogerS said:


> Why buy it when you can kill your own !



Well indeed. And I do, kill my own that is. 

We eat venison 3-5 nights a week. As well as rabbits, hares, pigeons other game, fish that I have caught we very very rarely eat bought meat, or anything that wasn't wild. 

That route isn't open to everyone though.


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## Geoff_S (5 Sep 2020)

Suffolkboy said:


> Well indeed. And I do, kill my own that is.
> 
> We eat venison 3-5 nights a week. As well as rabbits, hares, pigeons other game, fish that I have caught we very very rarely eat bought meat, or anything that wasn't wild.
> 
> That route isn't open to everyone though.



Yes, it would be fox, grey squirrel and cat where we are. Think I'll stick with the butcher.


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## Droogs (5 Sep 2020)

grey squirel is great in Squabbit pie, along with a nice pinotage, cloves, shallots, chantrel mushrooms with a peas cabbage and mash

The greys should be compulsary eating in this country to help get rid of them


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## Rorschach (11 Oct 2020)

FYI Aldi have an immersion circulator on sale next week (you can also order online). It's a different model to the one I have but I am sure it works well and is a bargain for the price.









Ambiano Sous Vide Stick


Find Ambiano Sous Vide Stick at ALDI.




www.aldi.co.uk


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## Spectric (11 Oct 2020)

In my opinion f you eat red or processed meat make sure you have a regular colonoscopy and don't let the doctors blame any issues on IBS because bowel cancer is easily treated if caught really early.


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## Steve Maskery (11 Oct 2020)

I've faked sous video before now by vac sealing the piece, dropping it into a pan of water at 80, or whatever, then bunging it in the oven at 80. It works well. 
AJB - Waitrose and Green Eggs - you are _toooo_ posh


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## Rorschach (11 Oct 2020)

Steve Maskery said:


> I've faked sous video before now by vac sealing the piece, dropping it into a pan of water at 80, or whatever, then bunging it in the oven at 80. It works well.
> AJB - Waitrose and Green Eggs - you are _toooo_ posh



You can "fake" it in a slow cooker too for certain recipes, getting precise temperatures is difficult though.

When I make confit duck I do it in vac sealed bags in the slow cooker. Not only is it less messy and easier than the tradtional method, you also don't need gallons of duck fat to it, just a tablespoon or so.


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## Phil Pascoe (11 Oct 2020)

Steve Maskery said:


> I've faked sous video before now by vac sealing the piece, dropping it into a pan of water at 80, or whatever, then bunging it in the oven at 80. It works well.
> AJB - Waitrose and Green Eggs - you are _toooo_ posh


Yes, I did look at them but they're above my limits. I did however get one of these because of it - https://www.biggreenegg.co.uk/shop/...nQnN0xL7bC5nj0JPP9MFJVHVE8pOOuUYaAuoVEALw_wcB

An excellent bit of kit.


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## Spectric (12 Oct 2020)

Spectric said:


> In my opinion f you eat red or processed meat make sure you have a regular colonoscopy and don't let the doctors blame any issues on IBS because bowel cancer is easily treated if caught really early.



Hi all

This was not really my opinion as I am definately not medically trained or qualified but from published guidelines from people who are and having known several people who have been diagnosed, one whom died. 

Quote from Moderate meat eaters at risk of bowel cancer — Nuffield Department of Population Health

Eating even moderate amounts of red and processed meat increases the risk of bowel cancer, according to a study published today in the _International Journal of Epidemiology_. 
The study showed that people eating on average around 76g of red and processed meat a day, which is roughly in line with UK Government recommendations, still had a 20% higher chance of developing bowel cancer than those who only ate on average about 21g a day. 
One in 15 men and 1 in 18 women born after 1960 in the UK will be diagnosed with bowel cancer in their lifetime. This study found that risk rose 19% with every 25g of processed meat (roughly equivalent to a rasher of bacon or slice of ham) people ate per day, and 18% with every 50g of red meat (a thick slice of roast beef or the edible bit of a lamb chop).









Diet | Reduce your risk | About bowel cancer


Find out more about how improving your diet and maintaining a healthy weight can reduce your risk of developing bowel cancer.




www.bowelcanceruk.org.uk





This post was simply to make people aware of the risk, we all take extra precautions with the ones we can see, table saw blades and the like but it is the not so obvious or visable ones that sneak up on you without warning.


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## antdad (12 Oct 2020)

AJB Temple said:


> Oddly enough, Waitrose where I live has a dry aged beef cabinet. I like to get a BBQ, (green egg) seriously hot, and then sear the oiled steak. I cook straight from the fridge and the steak to be almost still alive. I rest it when seared and that gives me sufficient heat penetration to the core.
> 
> I prefer to buy a piece of ribeye, sirloin or fillet and cut the steak slices myself. I think it improves it greatly when it is much thicker than typically sold. I also adopt pro chef seasoning - by which I mean a lot of seasoning!
> 
> ...



Try a different cut like bavette, onglet or even flat iron...believe it or not Morrison's sell bavette for around £10/kg. Seared to fairly rare it's been consistently decent for the years I've been eating it.


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## AJB Temple (12 Oct 2020)

Yes. I am aware of those. Cote (restaurant) have been using Onglet for their minute steak £10 special for years. Lots of flavour but I like thick steaks and those cuts are not suitable. As it happens I have cut down massively on red meat.


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## antdad (12 Oct 2020)

An onglet can be fairly thick say up to an 1 1/2" it's just not a huge cut of meat in area but then as you say you're cutting down.


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## Rorschach (12 Oct 2020)

Interesting about the red meat. I'd like to eat more beef but it's just not really affordable on a regular basis. Luckily one of the cheapest cuts of meat is also one of my favourites and very versatile, chicken thighs, eat a lot of them.


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## Bm101 (17 Oct 2020)

Well cooked. Need sparkle.


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