Tip Type: Inspiration & Recipes

The Tradition of St. Patrick’s Day: Corned Beef & Community

our own corned beefSince our first Butcher Boy location opened seventy years ago, we’ve been part of the cultural fabric of the Merrimack Valley and New England, especially when it comes to celebratory holidays like St. Patrick’s Day. Generations of area families have made the trip to our store for our traditional corned beef to enjoy in their corned beef and cabbage boiled dinner, both the red version and the equally delicious, traditional New England grey corned beef. What’s the difference you may ask? Both are brisket, but the curing process makes the difference. To this day, we are one of the very few butcher shops that prepare corned beef in-house, which you can cook at home or pick up as a ready-to-heat prepared meal.

We love celebrating America’s unique take on Ireland’s historic St. Patrick’s Day holiday. It was a band of rowdy Irish-born Redcoats that started our strong New England St. Patrick’s Day traditions in 1762 when they marched to a local tavern to enjoy a St. Patrick’s Day breakfast and some liquid refreshment. For us, the cities and towns of Merrimack Valley offer some great opportunities to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day – including breakfasts, parades, special music, parties, and even cooking classes.

Did you know corned beef and cabbage is really an American dish? Irish immigrants here in America substituted more economical corned beef in their traditional bacon and cabbage recipes. Emerald Isle immigrants new to the USA were likely inspired by the offerings of their local Jewish delis, truly a melting pot story.

To make your own authentically New England St. Patrick’s Day feast, check out our simple “how to” recipe for corned beef boiled dinner. To accompany your meal, one of our longtime customers has shared her grandmother’s Irish Soda Bread recipe direct from County Kerry, Ireland.

konditor meister st. patrick's day cakeAnd what St. Patrick’s Day celebration would be complete without a delicious dessert? Butcher Boy offers some delicious options including beautifully decorated Konditor Meister cakes. Is your mouth watering yet?

Please follow and connect with us on Facebook and Instagram in our year of celebrating!

Highlighting our Fall Favorites

Fall days were meant for comfort food, and what’s more comforting than a perfectly prepared beef, pork, or chicken dish? We’ve got you covered. These cuts lend themselves to a variety of cooking methods including smoking, roasting, and crockpot preparations for those busy days. Don’t miss our latest Fall Favorites Shopping Guide for more information on our customer favorites. And check out our Cooking and Grilling Guides for valuable preparation tips to ensure a perfect result every time. 

Here’s what our customers tell us are their favorites for fall: 

Beef Brisket – Whether you choose a lean flat cut (best for quicker preparation) or a rich full packer, beef brisket is always a delicious crowd pleaser. 

Check out this easy smoked brisket recipe from Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner.

Boneless Pork Butt – Perfect for pulled pork, this cut yields tender and delectable meat that can be used in a variety of recipes.  Just remember “low and slow.” 

Here’s a great smoker recipe from Serious Eats for perfect pulled pork.

Want to come home to delicious pulled pork after a busy day? Let your crockpot do the cooking. (Recipe from The Seasoned Mom)

Bone-In Center Cut Pork Roast – As impressive as a prime rib and just as delectable, this cut is surprisingly easy to prepare. Check out this simple smoker recipe.

Want to savor the smell of roast pork coming from your kitchen? Here’s a top-rated oven recipe from Food and Wine.

Beef Short Ribs – Marinating these succulent cuts of meat in a Korean-inspired perfect mix of sweet, sour, and salty makes for a delicious bite in this grilling recipe from Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner. 

Want a great slow-cooker alternative? These slow-cooker short ribs from Taste of Home are sure to please.

Baby Back Pork Ribs – Classic and delicious, there’s nothing like spice-rubbed pork ribs fresh from the grill and served up with your favorite barbecue sauce. You can’t go wrong with this prize-winning recipe prepared on the grill.

Don’t forget our amazing selection of shanks, roasts, and oven-ready specialties for easy, quick, and delicious meals.

butcher boy oven ready roastsSeasoned & Stuffed Roasts: Choose from delicious options such as Honey Apple Pork, Garlic Pepper Pork, Stuffed Top Sirloin, and Stuffed Pork Roast.

Shanks: Veal Osso Buco is the ultimate comfort food with a hint of extravagance – ask for a veal hind shank at our butcher counter and try this recipe from Giada De Laurentis for a delicious dinner. For another incredible restaurant-inspired meal try braised lamb shanks, slow-cooked and served alongside a creamy risotto. Or, pick up some beef shin bones with meat and try this take on classic beef and barley soup. 

House Specialties: Our stuffed chicken breasts feature a variety of savory stuffings. Beef and pork options include Braciole, Meatloaf, Stuffed Flank Steak, Beef Pinwheels, Stuffed Pork Chops and Pork Pinwheels.

Perfect Sides: Our kitchen prepares delicious vegetables, classic sides, and much more. Don’t miss out on our fresh homemade applesauce, a perfect addition to your fall table.

 

The Luck of the Irish Meets America — All About Corned Beef

Most of us think of two things when we think of St. Patrick’s Day – the wearing of the green and corned beef. What you may not know is that St. Patrick’s Day had been observed in Ireland for about eight centuries before being first celebrated in 1601 in North America in what is now St. Augustine, Florida. That celebration, incidentally, also marked the very first St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Today, St. Patrick’s Day is widely celebrated across the nation. Boston, with its large Irish-American population, is famous for its epic St. Patrick’s Day festivities, and many wouldn’t consider it complete without serving a traditional corned beef and cabbage boiled dinner with delicious root vegetables including parsnips, carrots, potatoes, and turnips.

grey corned beefBut did you know corned beef and cabbage, although close, is not really a traditional Irish dish? It’s all a matter of economics. The traditional dish in Ireland has historically been cabbage and bacon, but Irish immigrants to the U.S. found beef to be a less expensive option at the time, so corned beef and cabbage was created here – traditional but with an American twist.

So, exactly what is corned beef? Simply put, it’s beef brisket that has been cured in a salt solution, a process that helps preserve and tenderize the meat while lending extra flavor through the addition of spices, garlic, and herbs (think pickling spices). More commonly, corned beef is pink because of the use of pink curing salt to preserve it. Corned beef is also a popular deli meat, most known for its deliciousness in the iconic Reuben sandwich.

What you may not know is that there is an equally delicious version from the Boston area using just salt, grey corned beef, named for its characteristic darker color. We are proud to be one of the very few butcher shops that offer this distinctive regional take on traditional corned beef.

And while we’re on the subject of St. Patrick’s Day cuisine, let’s not forget other iconic Irish treats to round out your St. Pat’s Day celebration such as delicious Irish soda bread with raisins or currants. For a delicious version, check out Grandma O’Connor’s Irish Soda Bread, a treasured soda bread recipe, shared with some fascinating family history by one of our amazing customers.

Why limit the deliciousness of corned beef to one day a year or do the same ol’ with your leftovers? There are many delectable recipes out there that take corned beef to a whole new level. For starters, try out Corned Beef Reuben Soup or a Rustic Corned Beef and Potato Bake. And there’s nothing like homemade Corned Beef Hash served with a delicious runny egg on top.

Wishing you all the luck o’ the Irish this St. Patrick’s Day!

Beef & Brews: Pairing Tastes for the Ultimate Meal

Whatever kind of beef is on your lunch or dinner menu – a simple burger, the most tender steak, the juiciest prime rib, the richest stew – one of the best ways to bring out the best flavor is to pair it with an ice-cold beer. The various cuts and textures of beef can be matched with different types of beer so that neither overpowers the other. One big culinary advantage of pairing beer with any meal is that the crisp carbonation serves as a refreshing palate cleanser, allowing you to enjoy every bite. If done correctly, the pairing you choose will allow food and drink to complement each other.

beef and beer pairings
Photo couresty of: https://www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/

Exploring Beer Varieties

What’s your preference when it comes to a good brew? Read on for suggestions on how to choose the best cut of beef to go with your beverage of choice or the right beer that will taste great with the meal you’re preparing.

Pale ales, such as Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and Night Shift Whirlpool, are light-colored beers with just the right bold notes that pair best with a meaty sirloin. The aroma and flavor of those beers are also great for a spicy stir fry or barbeque brisket.

Beer can pair as well as wine with a fancy filet mignon. In fact, filet has subtle flavors compared to other cuts, so light lagers, such as Night Shift Nite Lite, enhance the steak’s flavor instead of overpowering it. Similarly, pilsners, which are a specific type of light lager, are ideal for a marbled New York strip steak.

Golden-colored Hefeweizen beers like Weinstephaner Hefeweizen or Paulaner Hefeweizen are an easy choice to go with lighter meals, such as a salad with steak tips.

Those popular craft IPAs, Indian pale ales, taste more bitter with floral undertones, and they are a perfect match with a good ribeye or t-bone steak. Ribeye demands a beer that can stand up to its richness, and an IPA is just the thing. A smoked brisket is a nice option as well. Try Fiddlehead IPA or Lagunitas IPA.

Brown ales are darker, as the name suggests, with more malt than hops, which make this beer variety a delicious companion for a burger or rack of ribs. Pour yourself a Smuttynose Old Brown Dog or Wormtown Blizzard of ‘78 to balance out the richness and boost the flavor of those cuts of beef.

Falling in the category of the darkest beers with caramel, chocolate, and toffee flavors, are porters and stouts. Generally speaking, the distinction between the two is that a porter, such as the robust version made by Founders Brewing Company, has more hops, while a stout – including the world-famous Guinness – is maltier. You can’t go wrong with either to pair with a slow-cooked prime rib, roast beef, or a hearty stew.

Beer-based Marinades

Cooking with beer is another option for boosting your beef’s flavor. We know that infusing beef with marinades can transform the ordinary into the extraordinary. Using beer adds another layer of flavor profile that can enhance the meal. Marinating with beer adds a depth of flavor to your cooking but also breaks down tough fibers in the meat, making it more tender. Experts suggest marinating for a couple of hours.

A wide selection of the beers featured in this guide, as well as many others, are available at Butcher Boy for your convenience when you’re picking up the meat for your dinner. And if you’re looking for taste without alcohol content, we offer several brands of non-alcoholic varieties, including Blue Moon Wheat Ale N/A, Athletic Brewing Company Whits Peak Belgian Ale N/A, Athletic Extra Dark (similar to a Porter), Sam Adams Just The Haze, and Guinness Stout N/A. Any of these non-alcoholic beers can be used in place of their varietal counterparts for the same meal pairings.

Experiment with combinations of beer and beef to taste how different flavors work together. We’d love to see your results – please share in the comments on Facebook or tag @ButcherBoyMarket on Instagram. Cheers!

Brisket Basics for a Fall Feast

beef brisket recipesA good beef brisket is tender, flavorful, and one of the heartiest ways to satisfy a hungry crowd. The key to success with this cut of beef is to cook it low and slow. The most common methods for preparing brisket are suitable to adapt for just about any recipe featuring this delicious cut.

When selecting a brisket and cooking a brisket, you’ll want a better understanding of some terms you’ll see referenced in cooking instructions and know what to ask for at the meat counter.

Flat vs Packer

Packer brisket is a full brisket containing both the flat and point cut, which is fatter than flat. The flat cut is a long rectangle with the same thickness throughout, and is good for braising, pot roast, or corning. The flat cut is also known as the first cut, and because of its shape, is best for slicing. Packer brisket is best for smoking and for barbecue.

How Much Brisket is the Right Amount?

Brisket will shrink while cooking, which means your finished dinner will weigh less than the piece of beef you purchased. With those factors in mind, buying a cut of brisket that equals about one pound per person is reasonable and accounts for having leftovers. You might need to cook a couple of briskets whose total weight adds up to the number of friends and family coming for dinner.

If you’re unsure of how much you’ll need, or have any questions about the cut of brisket or how to prepare it, our team at the Butcher Boy meat counter is always happy to help.

Brisket Cooked at Least Three Ways

Now let’s get cooking! There are several ways to prepare brisket, and we’re going to highlight the most traditional that will give you the best results. The one you choose depends on preference and how you want to serve it.

Smoked brisket is what most of us think of when we’re talking about Texas-style barbeque. It’s not difficult to do, but it takes a couple of not-so-secret techniques, along with a lot of time and patience.

One of the steps considered critical in barbecue and smoking circles is to wrap the meat in butcher paper during the smoking process. The concept is that the paper, instead of aluminum foil, allows the smoke to continue penetrating the brisket and enhance the flavor while keeping the juices in. The paper you use should be uncoated and food grade. Place the brisket fat side up on the paper and wrap it like a present. Make sure it’s tights and leaves no openings. Then finish smoking your brisket.

Oven braising / Pot Roast provides a kind of set-it-and-forget-it method of preparing brisket and can even be made the day before. You might even think the rich flavor tastes better that way. Braising is also a fool-proof way to guarantee tenderness. The only tool you need is a heavy, oven-safe pot with a tight lid.

Do you have a favorite way to cook brisket? Are you ready to try it a new way? We invite you to share the techniques you’ve discovered for the best flavor with our community on Facebook or tag @ButcherBoyMarket in your Instagram posts. And be sure to connect with us on social media for tips, inspiration, and insight into what’s new in the store.

Check out the sought-after brisket recipe we share with customers in-store here – the flavor step is key to bringing out the flavors.

Don’t forget to shop at Butcher Boy to let us round out your menu with side dishes that include fresh vegetables and seasonings, plus dessert, beverages, and more!

Sizzle & Smoke: Mastering Outdoor Cooking

outdoor cookingFor a lot of people, there’s nothing like outdoor cooking. From the beckoning aroma of food sizzling on the grill to the casual vibe of gathering with friends and family, moving meal prep from the confines of the kitchen just seems to make everything taste better. That’s true, whether you’re using gas, charcoal, or wood smoke. Whether you already are a pro at the basics or you’re looking to perfect your methods, we can provide some reminders and help you take your skills to the next level.

Step Up Your Grilling Techniques

The most common way to grill is through direct heat. That’s when you cook the food directly over the flame. It gives your meat those familiar grill marks, and is the right method for foods that cook quickly, because if you have to keep it on the grill too long to ensure it’s cooked through, it will dry out.

Indirect heat requires grilling adjacent to the heat course. Cooking on the hot grates and letting the heat circulate around the meat is less intense – more of a slow and steady approach. It works best on large cuts of meat, such as whole chickens, roasts, and briskets, that need more time to cook perfectly at lower temperatures.

An experienced grill master knows how to manage two heat zones. Keeping direct heat and indirect heat sides of your grill gives you flexibility to cook various foods at once. For instance, you can sear your veggies or burgers over a flame, then move them to the cooler side so that they stay hot but don’t burn while other items continue cooking.

Have you heard of the reverse sear? Home cooks are discovering this method, and word is slowly spreading that it’s a near perfect way to grill a steak with tender, flavorful results. The trick is the two-zone combination of direct and indirect heat. Start the steak on the indirect side, low and slow, to bring the meat up to temperature and cook evenly to your taste. This technique calls for patience because it will take longer than traditional grilling. The last step is to hit the steak with a high flame on the direct heat side, to give it that charred crust, without burning because you know the inside is already done.

Smoking 101

An alternative to a gas or charcoal grill is a smoker. The main differences between the two are the cooking time required and cooking temperature. But those loyal to smokers know it’s not as simple as that. Smokers use the smoke from burning wood to slowly cook and infuse the meat with flavor.

Choosing the right smoking wood depends on the meat you choose and the flavor profile you’re aiming to match. First, decide on chips versus chunks versus small logs. Wood chips are best for short cooking times, for things like fish and smaller cuts of meat, because they burn up quickly.  Wood chunks and splits are good for hours of cooking time. Larger cuts of meat such as pork shoulder, brisket, and ribs fall into that category.

Fruit woods provide mild, sweet flavor. Choose apple or cherry wood for poultry, pork or fish.

Hard woods add more intense flavor. Hickory gives beef and pork some spice, while maple gives a sweeter smoky flavor best for pork and poultry. Oak is one of the most popular woods and its milder flavor goes with just about anything you want to cook. The most concentrated, bold flavors is mesquite, and works best on large cuts of meat.

Beyond Burgers: Upping Your Culinary Game

outdoor cookingHamburgers and hot dogs are standard summer cookout fare, but you could kick things up a notch with some variety in your grilling menu. Check out our Summer Order Guide for a look at all the marinated beef, chicken, pork, and sausages we offer to please a hungry crowd. When you want to throw steaks on the grill, but aren’t sure which cuts are best for cooking outdoors, we can help you decide!

Don’t forget the power of herbs and spices in the cooking process. Marinades, rubs, and glazes are another way to give your outdoor meal a punch. Marinades are a combination of spices, oil, and some kind of citrus or vinegar. Using them helps tenderize your meat. Butcher Boy has a wide variety of flavors to choose from, conveniently made fresh so you don’t need to mix the ingredients: steakhouse, teriyaki, sweet bourbon, lemon pepper, garlic ginger and cajun are just a few of the options you’ll find here. Like the name implies, dry rubs are made with only dry ingredients. The flavors infuse the meat when it’s rubbed onto the surface.

Do you feel ready to take on the challenge of the grill? Remember that Butcher Boy is your one-stop shop for pre-made side dishes, desserts, and beverages. We’ll help you find the perfect wine, local brew, and non-alcoholic options to go with your menu.

 

grills perfect match

Flavor Your Summer with Marinades

A good marinade can give beef, poultry, fish, and vegetables a kick of flavor. If you’re looking to maximize the benefits of marinating, check out these tips before you fire up the grill.

Marinating helps tenderize the meat and infuse flavor. Some of the best cuts of beef to marinate are flank steak, London broil, kabobs, and sirloin tips. Most recipes for marinating meat and poultry recommend a minimum of six hours or up to 24 hours. Always marinate your meats in the refrigerator. Leaving it at room temperature for long can allow dangerous bacteria to grow and lead to foodborne illness. Recipes will also advise you to discard the used marinade once it has soaked in, but you can brush on a new, bottled sauce or marinade while you’re grilling for added flavor.

Every marinade should include an oil, but make sure it’s one with a high smoke point, such as canola or safflower oils in your marinade if you’re grilling. Oils help the flavors absorb into the meat and high smoke point oils are flame — and grill — friendly. High smoke point oils include peanut, canola, avocado, or sunflower.

marinade

Start with pre-marinated meats and leave all the prep work to us. You can mix your own marinade, or buy the bottled stuff, but Butcher Boy has more than 15 types made in-house for a delicious, fresh homemade taste.

Our most popular flavor is the steakhouse for beef tips. Coming in second is lemon pepper chicken. Italian-style Francesco also is a favorite. Other popular varieties in our butcher case are sweet bourbon, burgundy, teriyaki, and cajun, garlic ginger. And don’t forget buffalo wings! We also offer barbeque baby back ribs. If you’re not sure how long to cook them, follow this guide for grilling time and method.

Add a tossed salad, maybe some sauteed or grilled veggies, and rice or baked potato, and you have an easy meal for summer. Stop by for all of your lunch or dinner menu needs. What are your favorite summer flavors for the grill?

 

grills perfect match

Butcher Boy Makes Our Own Fresh Ground, Hand-Tied Sausages

hand-tied sausages

One of our most popular offerings is sausage. You can serve it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner! Did you know Butcher Boy makes our own? Since our founding nearly 70 years ago, we’ve been making fresh-ground, hand-tied sausages in all your favorite flavors.

Throughout the year, you can find in our butcher case:

  • Sweet Italian Sausage
  • Sweet Fennel Sausage
  • Hot Italian Sausage
  • Tomato & Cheese Sausage
  • Garlic & Cheese Sausage
  • Chicken Sausage
  • Turkey Sausage
  • Tomato Sausage – English Style
  • Breakfast Sausage
  • Steak & Cheese Sausage

We can provide sausage out of the casing, too. Just ask the butcher!

So what’s the best way to prepare sausage? Cooking can be difficult to master using a single technique because grilling or frying can mean the sausage crisps up quickly on the outside, leaving the inside undercooked or dry. One popular way around that challenge is to parboil sausages before throwing them on a grill or into the frying pan. This method ensures that the insides cook more quickly and the casing won’t burn. The result is perfectly crisp, but tender, juicy sausage.

There are two general tips to follow, no matter your cooking method:

  1. Bring the sausages to room temperature. Take them out of the fridge about 20 minutes before you start cooking. This will help them cook evenly, and there’s less chance that the skins will break as they cook.
  2. Don’t pierce your sausages. While some might believe poking a few holes in the meat will keep it from breaking open, it isn’t necessary, and you risk losing a lot of tasty juices in the cooking process.

 

hand tied sausagesWhat are your favorite ways to eat sausage? Sweet or hot Italian links with peppers and onions is a favorite cookout addition to burgers and hot dogs.

Sausage goes great with pasta dishes as well. This recipe with sausage and orecchiette and greens manages to be both quick and light.

Visit us at Butcher Boy to see all the options and ask us for cooking suggestions. Don’t forget you can get just about everything else on your grocery list, from snacks and appetizers to desserts, too.

Get a copy of our Summer Favorites Shopping Guide here.

Butcher Boy Through the Years

Butcher Boy History_Lawrence U Save MarketFrom humble beginnings as the U Save Market at Broadway & Haverhill St. in Lawrence, our family business has been proud to grow with the Merrimack Valley communities where we live, work, and play. 

Take a stroll down memory lane with us in the video below, to our moves into Salem, New Hampshire, and then onto North Andover, where we’ve expanded from a small store in what is now the Pentucket Bank parking lot to our current full-service marketplace. 

Butcher Boy Bake-O-Meter

Do you remember the Butcher Boy Steak House in the 1970’s, with its open hearth and piano bar? How about the 1950’s, back when everything in the meat case was under $1/lb? Was there a Butcher Boy Bake-O-Meter chart on your refrigerator with meat cooking times and temps for gas and electric ovens? 

We’d love to hear your memories from these past decades in the Merrimack Valley – connect with us on Facebook or Instagram or use the hashtag #ButcherBoyHistory to join the conversation.