Meat From The Market

[November Rain]

I have a problem with buying meat from the market. I know that it's my Western thinking that's the problem, but the fact that it's not refrigerated, the market is dirty (and has rats - uuurrggghh!) & there's flies just puts me off. So, I'll go somewhere like Tesco & buy it prepackaged, at a higher cost.

My logical mind, however, realises that I don't know what conditions it's kept in before packing in Tescos, could be exactly the same Also, I'll quite happily eat meat from restaurants (Thai & farang) that has obviously been bought at the market. So, how do I get around my stupid way of thinking & save some money? Are there any tips to making sure it's as fresh as possible? Does it bother anyone else?

[solo siam]

Get their early and watch them kill the animal.

[The Dan Sai Kid]

Get someone to buy meat for you!

Edited March 13, 2007 by The Dan Sai Kid

[Thai-Spy]

You might consider finding out where the Muslims in your area buy their meat.

[rio666uk]

as long as the meat is thoroughly cooked - it shouldnt make too much differenc, as long as its not weeks old etc

ive eaten raw meat (pork and beef) in some issan dishes but wouldnt make a habit of it... this can lead to worms in the gut - particulalry from uncooked pork - but cooking through will remove even these

its a tough one - as you say, theres no guarantees how fussy your average restaurant is about sourcing its food

when im staying back in the village i tend to eat fish that ive seen pulled out of netted areas around the banks of a lake - not the half-dead ones you see flapping around in an inch of water at the market

[farangsay]

I have a problem with buying meat from the market.

Are there any tips to making sure it's as fresh as possible?

I saw a "candid camera" show once , set in a butcher's shop.

When a customer asked for a cut of meat the counter guy

yelled the order to a guy out back. This was followed by the

sound of the appropriate animal bellowing and a chain saw

hard at work. Two minutes later the order was brought in on

a platter. Never noticed the name of the shop.

[tutsiwarrior]

I have a problem with buying meat from the market.

Are there any tips to making sure it's as fresh as possible?

I saw a "candid camera" show once , set in a butcher's shop.

When a customer asked for a cut of meat the counter guy

yelled the order to a guy out back. This was followed by the

sound of the appropriate animal bellowing and a chain saw

hard at work. Two minutes later the order was brought in on

a platter. Never noticed the name of the shop.

haw...a good one ...I've seen guys in British Columbia an' in Oregon takin' a chain saw to deer road kill...don't taste no differnt than if de meat was slaughtered under hygenic conditions...I've been in de crummy goin' up to de show more than once at about 4am an' a deer got inna way; a pickup fulla cutters/fallers would pull up an' riggin' clothed barbarians would emerge an' saw it up on de spot, either that or put de carcass behind a bush an' do it later on de way back inta town...

wid regard to de market, as rio666 mentioned if de meat is thoroughly cooked there should be no bacteria concerns...it does smell an' look funny wid de flies an' all...the meat in de market is usually a lot fresher than the packaged stuff at tescos...probably slaughtered just a few hours before...

Edited March 13, 2007 by tutsiwarrior

[Jet Gorgon]

Agree with fellow posters' comments. If you go about 5am, there are no flies, it's cool and the selection is better. Also, great donuts and coffee for about Bt6. For some reason, early market jaunts also raise villagers' estimation of you. And you can pick up on the night's gossip. I don't know why, but I got more smiles and wais all round once I started shopping really early.

[cathyy]

I still don't do the open air market here, but I did when I lived in the PI. Mostly it's an issue of parking and not wanting to be up that early!

But I want to reinforce what Tutsi said. The meat at the market was a live animal just an hour or two ago. The guy who killed it probably took some care to not get animal feces smeared all over when he killed it and gutted it...unlike at the meat processing plants in the US where the stun bolt causes them to shit at the time they are killed and the inspectors turn a blind eye to a few feces on the meat. It's why E. coli infections are so common in the US. We have some of the filthiest meat procsssing in the world. Basic sanitation at a third world level beats it.

Cooking the meat will kill whatever bacteria the flies left on it. Truthfully, the meat at the market is more likely to be fresh and safe than the meat at the supermarket. I have bought chicken at Lotus that was "off" when I went to cook it a few hours later, and it had been refrigerated since I bought it.

[Jet Gorgon]

It really is better at the market. There was a pig abattoir near one of my homes, and I went to see them slaughter once (yuk). But they knew exactly how to butcher and gut it and then the whole concrete area was hosed down. I never got sick from market meat, but I know plenty of people who complained about Tesco's meat and fish and the lack of "freshness". Also talked to a few farang chefs who wouldn't be caught dead shopping in a supermarket as they claimed the wet markets to be much superior. Just go early. Also, if you pass the market when it's closed, you can see how clean the counters and prep areas are kept. The unpaved ground is another matter. 555

[blue eyes]

My experiance of shopping for meat has always been in the market.But that could also be that we have no Tesco or large stores of that sort around Phi Mai.What I have noticed about the markets are that most of the time when we feel the moo it is cool to the touch if not cold.If you look behind,or close to the stall you will see some type of cooler.They seem to rotate the moo or just put out enough to sell and then add as they need to.We never purchase gai just grab one running around the house that is ours and lunch is served

[Lucifer]

Become a vegetarian. Much safer.

[suegha]

Become a vegetarian. Much safer.

Yo, Morning Star, I can't believe you are a veggie!?!

[Jet Gorgon]

I am turning into a half-vegemite in the West. Cannot eat the poultry here -- even the smell of it cooking puts me off. Beef seems OK. Cathyv probably knows why.

[katana]

I went to one Thai market and wondered why all the meat was black until someone whacked it with a stick and all the flies flew off.

Edited March 17, 2007 by katana

[Chung noi]

While in isaan outside of Khon Kean, I noticed my brother in law would go to a small market right off the road where daily they would butcher one cow. Everyone in the area flocked to the place at 2:00 pm to place their order. Usally including a bag or two of fresh blood and bile. The meat was very fresh. I got a kick out of seeing the hind legs hanging in the stall with wet mud still on the hoof.

They would take it back to the village where some would be put out in the sun to dry. Most was cut up then made into yum. They always fried mine or put it on the grill. Great with beer. The hardest thing for me to get over was the fact they used the same grill to cook rat.

I love my family and the people of our village. They always lookout me and make my sum tom without praaaa or pet. My Sister in law calls it sum tom farang

Chung *j*

[Tony Clifton]

I always buy the meat from Tesco but often have to throw it away within a day or two if left in the fridge, it quickly turns to a slimy and yucky greenish colour. I guess it`s not all that fresh. Has to be frozen the moment we`re home.

Still , I prefer it to the fly covered cuts from the local markets infested with rats and roaches.

Edited March 30, 2007 by Tony Clifton

[jasreeve17]

Agree with fellow posters' comments. If you go about 5am, there are no flies, it's cool and the selection is better. Also, great donuts and coffee for about Bt6. For some reason, early market jaunts also raise villagers' estimation of you. And you can pick up on the night's gossip. I don't know why, but I got more smiles and wais all round once I started shopping really early.

Five AM - are you mad???

[farangsay]

Agree with fellow posters' comments. If you go about 5am, there are no flies, it's cool and the selection is better. Also, great donuts and coffee for about Bt6. For some reason, early market jaunts also raise villagers' estimation of you. And you can pick up on the night's gossip. I don't know why, but I got more smiles and wais all round once I started shopping really early.

Five AM - are you mad???

Have you never done any shopping on the way home from the pub ?

[jasreeve17]

Agree with fellow posters' comments. If you go about 5am, there are no flies, it's cool and the selection is better. Also, great donuts and coffee for about Bt6. For some reason, early market jaunts also raise villagers' estimation of you. And you can pick up on the night's gossip. I don't know why, but I got more smiles and wais all round once I started shopping really early.

Five AM - are you mad???

Have you never done any shopping on the way home from the pub ?

[Jet Gorgon]

I guess you could go at 6 or 6:30am. The donut lady might be gone though.

[jasreeve17]

I guess you could go at 6 or 6:30am. The donut lady might be gone though.

How did you know about my doughnut fettish?

[soic]

We live in a small village in Buri-Ram province. We have to buy meat at the market. I always buy larger cuts, and look for the freshest, you can tell by the color, and the texture of the meat outside layer. As soon as I get it home, I wash it thoroughly, and cut off any hard spots, rinse it again and then cut it into the chunks or cuts that I want and freeze it. When we cook it, we cook it thoroughly, although I've had a medium rare steak or too. I guess I can knock on wood, but I haven't ever been sick.

The best times for our market is mid-morning, right after the meat counters open up. We get pork, beef and even occasionally lamb. We go to the big city once in a while and I've bought some meat from Tesco and Big C, but frankly, it smells worse than the meat from the village, and that's bringing it home in a cooler.

[Jet Gorgon]

I guess you could go at 6 or 6:30am. The donut lady might be gone though.

How did you know about my doughnut fettish?

That's why you gotta go early. They aren't sweet doughnuts; they make them right there -- little bowtie jobbies that they deep fry. And you have real Thai coffee with sweet milk. Tis a treat.

Soic, you are real lucky if you can get lamb, too.

Edited March 31, 2007 by Jet Gorgon

[pumpuiman]

I guess you could go at 6 or 6:30am. The donut lady might be gone though.

How did you know about my doughnut fettish?

That's why you gotta go early. They aren't sweet doughnuts; they make them right there -- little bowtie jobbies that they deep fry. And you have real Thai coffee with sweet milk. Tis a treat.

Soic, you are real lucky if you can get lamb, too.

The donuts are called "patongko" I think.

I too am a fan of the early market visit. The amount of people up at that hour amazes me!

Jet, have you tried "sarapao"? It's the steamed bread like dumpling stuffed with bbq pork, or beans, or egg, or sausage....lots of variety.

I love the bbq pork ones "sarapao moo daeng"

They are about the size of a big dinner roll, and are steamed on a small piece of paper that you have to remove before eating (my brother ate several pieces of paper before I told him)

You find wonderful ones at the morning markets....cheap and satisfying.

They can also be found at 7-11's ....you can usually see them near the checkout, and they will microwave them for you. Not as tasty as the local early market though....but not bad.

[Jet Gorgon]

The donuts are called "patongko" I think.

I too am a fan of the early market visit. The amount of people up at that hour amazes me!

Jet, have you tried "sarapao"? It's the steamed bread like dumpling stuffed with bbq pork, or beans, or egg, or sausage....lots of variety.

Thanks for the Thai names, PMan!

Sarapao...yes I love them, but I was spoiled by the real Chinese ones. I love the bbq pork version, but they put ginger in the Thai ones, and I'm not a big fan. The 7-11 ones? Tried one and the shumai (the little dim sum snacks with the pea on top), but I'd rather have a hot dog.

I love the bbq man, too, and the Bt5 skewers of crispy pork and chicken with that teriyaki-style taste.

Ya, agree, the am market is a bustling place and there are always surprises, like maybe fresh baby asparagus, little potatoes, beet root...

Hope we have convinced NR of the benefits of the wet marketplace.

Feeling better, PMan?

[pumpuiman]

The donuts are called "patongko" I think.

I too am a fan of the early market visit. The amount of people up at that hour amazes me!

Jet, have you tried "sarapao"? It's the steamed bread like dumpling stuffed with bbq pork, or beans, or egg, or sausage....lots of variety.

Thanks for the Thai names, PMan!

Sarapao...yes I love them, but I was spoiled by the real Chinese ones. I love the bbq pork version, but they put ginger in the Thai ones, and I'm not a big fan. The 7-11 ones? Tried one and the shumai (the little dim sum snacks with the pea on top), but I'd rather have a hot dog.

I love the bbq man, too, and the Bt5 skewers of crispy pork and chicken with that teriyaki-style taste.

Ya, agree, the am market is a bustling place and there are always surprises, like maybe fresh baby asparagus, little potatoes, beet root...

Hope we have convinced NR of the benefits of the wet marketplace.

Feeling better, PMan?

The morning market makes me feel as if I'm in on something purely Thai. All the local restaurateurs are there buying their meat and produce, everything smells fresh and alive....and smiles are everywhere.

It's an experience that shouldn't be missed.

I hope this will allay the fears of the OP.....or at least inspire more visits to get the feeling for it.

And yes, I'm on the mend......thanks.

[chanchao]

I usually buy meat from Tesco/Carrefour et al, and vegetables and generally as much as possible either from the market or from the Royal Project store.

[MarkBKK]

While in isaan outside of Khon Kean, I noticed my brother in law would go to a small market right off the road where daily they would butcher one cow. Everyone in the area flocked to the place at 2:00 pm to place their order. Usally including a bag or two of fresh blood and bile. The meat was very fresh. I got a kick out of seeing the hind legs hanging in the stall with wet mud still on the hoof.

They would take it back to the village where some would be put out in the sun to dry. Most was cut up then made into yum. They always fried mine or put it on the grill. Great with beer. The hardest thing for me to get over was the fact they used the same grill to cook rat.

I love my family and the people of our village. They always lookout me and make my sum tom without praaaa or pet. My Sister in law calls it sum tom farang

Chung *j*

... how disgusting. That could explain why quite a lot (but not all) the beef (or meat sold as beef) here is a little, er, tough and tasteless. Even using enzymes it takes a few days before it tastes any good ...

[Choscura]

just buy the meat that is kept on ice with some device to keep the flies away. it's not uncommon, not expensive, slightly more hygenic, and you can buy in bulk and store it in your fridge/freezer (or cook it all at once and then just add it to various dishes, whichever), which solves the 'oh no is my meat hygenic!' phobia, because you're in control of it.