The Ginger Pig

If I may, I'd like to split this post into two parts: The first depicts a tale of fine wine and slow-cooked spring lamb around a butchers block; the second speaks of pure and unadulterated butchery...

So... For those of you who don't know, The Ginger Pig is regarded as one of the most reputable butchers in London, providing meat for one of the capital's best burger chains - Honest Burgers. So I'm sure you won't be surprised to hear that I jumped at the opportunity to attend a class at the Marylebone branch. 

The schedule for the evening consisted of a two-hour long class on how to butcher a lamb, followed by a meal with our fellow 'trainees' around the butchers block. 

When the class finished we were presented with a large glass of red wine, which was less than sufficient to drown the guilt of the previous two hours. Fortunately however there was wine in abundance, fantastic stuff too.

Whist we were discussing the preceding events, we were then presented with a starter of spiced lamb sausages. Now, I'm one of the many self acclaimed 'sausage connoisseurs' in this country, and I can assure you that these are the real deal. Priced at over £7/kilo they aren't cheap, but in terms of bangers for your buck, you're onto a winner if you find yourself in the area. Perfectly spiced with 90% lamb. Oh yeah!

Now on to the main course. Our meat-related chatter was interrupted by the butcher and his assistant to inform us to gather round the block for service. We obliged and waited for the two of them to present two enormous baking trays, each with two of the most succulent and tender shoulders of lamb I have ever tasted. Cooked for 4 hours prior to our arrival with nothing more than a couple of garlic cloves and sprig of rosemary gave testament to the sheer quality of meat. 

This alongside some homemade Rosemary Jelly and another bottle of the good stuff made me a very happy man. Follow this with a chocolate bread and butter pudding, and you've got me hook line and sinker...

The slow-cooked shoulder of lamb was a dream

...Before the class none of us were too sure what to expect. But when we arrived and were presented with a butcher's cloak, an 8" knife, a 50kg lamb and a chain maille glove, my feelings quickly turned from pure excitement to something that only Gareth Southgate and David Batty could really relate to. 

Jokes aside, the craftsmanship that we were witness to was quite exceptional. The gentleman who took us through the processes of slicing, dicing and de-boning a whole lamb was a man at the very top of his game in his profession. Not only his knife-work but also his knowledge of each section of the lamb and the best cooking methods involved for each cut. This on top of the trade-secrets for why certain methods of butchery result in higher retail prices made it unbelievably insightful and provided us all with tips and tricks to take home to our family and friends. 

A legalised massacre 

Following his butchery we were all told to see how well we had observed him and were asked to de-bone and roll our own shoulders of lamb. This is when I appreciated the extent of his skills... I did a woeful job. 

We did all however get to take the shoulder home, which tied in very nicely with Father's Day. Like in The Ginger Pig a couple of days before, our Sunday roast was a sensation, enjoyed by all of the family. Even the dogs had a great time! 

It was all in all a fantastic experience that I would recommend to anyone who is even the slightest bit interested in the source of their meat. 

P.S. Try their sausage rolls. BIG.