Buying Meat In Bulk From A Farm / Ranch / Butcher?

[cdnmatt]

I'm curious, has anyone done this in Thailand? Back when I was a kid in Canada, we'd have a deep freezer in the basement, and 3 or 4 times a year would goto a ranch and butcher about an 1 hour out of town, and stock up on meat for the next several months. We'd get a hind of beer that included steaks, ground beer, T bones, minute steak, etc... plus maybe a couple pigs sliced up in different ways, say 12 chickens, etc. With the whole family living at the house, it was simply cheaper and more convienient to do that.

Does anyone do that in Thailand? Good experience, or do you prefer just going to the market everyday and getting fresh meat for that night's meal? I've been thinking about doing this lately, but first challenge would be to get a freezer, and I have no idea where to find one of those in Issan. The meat part would be easy, but I'm thinking the family would just continue going to the market everyday instead of pulling meat out of the freezer, since that's what they're used to. Then I'd be stuck eating say 15,000 baht of meat by myself.

Edited April 30, 2011 by cdnmatt

[zzaa09]

I'm sure this possibilities are quite available....but you'd really have to suss it out, as beef {per se} is not taken in quantity here. If not for the Farang market, there probably would be little or no beef consumed. Though there is a minute local market for beef, the quality might differ from what you might be accustomed to. Most Farang tend to purchase overseas/imported beef, if you're a true connoisseur, as local beef is not looked upon as quality. Remember mate, this is not Canada, Australia, nor Argentina.......

[Patronus]

What about lamb ?

I don't see many (any) sheep.

[kerryk]

Meat that you buy from a modern meat packer is flash frozen which keeps it a lot better. So buy an extra freezer and hook up a fan to run through it to freeze the meat quickly. Then of course you have to teach the person thawing the meat to take it out of the freezer and thaw it under refrigeration 24 to 48 hours before use. It you thaw it quickly the ice crystals in the meat burst and the meat gets mushy. This does not make much difference if you are going to stew it.

I don't know if you will have much luck retraining Thais not to shop daily. I like to marinate most of the meat I cook. I have a difficult time getting the lady to think a day ahead to plan a meal. It is not difficult throwing a cut up chicken in some lime juice and spices but most of the time I end up doing it myself.

[zzaa09]

I don't know if you will have much luck retraining Thais not to shop daily.

Retrain? In what manner? Perhaps it's your kind that require the adjustments and tweeking....

Edited April 30, 2011 by zzaa09

[cardholder]

I have a difficult time getting the lady to think a day ahead to plan a meal. It is not difficult throwing a cut up chicken in some lime juice and spices but most of the time I end up doing it myself.

Fortunately, mine is not a retard and is usually able plan one day ahead. Beyond that I have to draw pictures.

[afarang]

Freezers are now easy to find in Thailand. I don't know where you are living, but our local (Ban Kluat) town electrical shop sells them .Also Makro and maybe Big C do too. If you can locate a Singer dealer ,they have , most probably sell the best freezers. I have one Sharp and one Singer. Price Today is approx B12,000.per unit. Wonderful , they are ,as I am 80 kilometres from my nearest Makro, in Buriram. I need go shopping only about once every 3 months and stock -up. Happy as larry!!!!

[meatboy]

freezers seem to be a lot cheaper than they were a few years ago,sat.i saw a double american type for 22,000baht.we stock about every 3months,iam a big meat eater and love my beef,i dont see much diff.in premeim thai beef than ausi only thai is 280-325bht kilo.i buy all my beef from tops,have been for 25years.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Some considerations:

If you often have power cuts then that could cause a disaster for the meat in the freezer.

It only really makes sense for uncommon types of meat, like better beef and game. It makes less sense for some pork and chicken, which is everywhere.

Also of course it makes more sense when you live in the middle of nowhere.. I can get just about any kind of frozen meat from Makro which is a 5 minute drive away.

[Mugg]

Interesting how we think they (Thais) have it all wrong, and we must put clothes on these savages.

If their power bill stays below 300 Baht , the King pays the bill.

Power outages mean very little to them. Gas only needs a lighter.

They spend an average of 10-15 minutes in the market and then home with the family meal. They spend less the 150 baht to feed the average size family.

Meal planning often depends on which aisle they wander down, and what smells good to them.

If the markets were to be shutdown buy a Super Store, jobless rate climbs. Many of these people have little or no formal training, however they are making a honest living every day..

Ask them who AIG, ING, or what does price hedging on fuel mean, and they will probably just keep repeating "10 Baht for steam rice, buy it or move along, beefeater".

Just my 2 bahts worth

[thunder30101]

Who said anything in this thread about the thais having it wrong ???? Why so sensitive about a westerner wanting some food they like instead of the ole same same same that thais eat ??? just my 1 baht worth.

[Mugg]

Who said anything in this thread about the thais having it wrong ???? Why so sensitive about a westerner wanting some food they like instead of the ole same same same that thais eat ??? just my 1 baht worth.

I don't know if you will have much luck retraining Thais not to shop daily

retraining normally means to change the way someone is doing something. Many times these threads have more than one poster.

[kerryk]

Some considerations:

If you often have power cuts then that could cause a disaster for the meat in the freezer.

It only really makes sense for uncommon types of meat, like better beef and game. It makes less sense for some pork and chicken, which is everywhere.

Also of course it makes more sense when you live in the middle of nowhere.. I can get just about any kind of frozen meat from Makro which is a 5 minute drive away.

Depending on all sorts of variables such as outside temp and how frozen the stuff in the freezer is, I would expect meat to stay frozen without power for about 3 days if you don't open up the freezer. It helps if you put a lock on the freezer to keep people from looking into it. It is easy to padlock them and some even come with a lock installed.

[kerryk]

Who said anything in this thread about the thais having it wrong ???? Why so sensitive about a westerner wanting some food they like instead of the ole same same same that thais eat ??? just my 1 baht worth.

I don't know if you will have much luck retraining Thais not to shop daily

retraining normally means to change the way someone is doing something. Many times these threads have more than one poster.

I shouldn't have said retraining although that is what I meant. The word implies that I am smarter than the person being trained when I fact I meant different not better. I cook a lot and am particular about some things that doesn't imply brilliance; only personal habits.

If I freeze meat I like it thawed under refrigeration. To me it tastes better but you can rush it by running cold water over the frozen product.

So that means if I buy a frozen pork roast I have to think a couple of days in advance to thaw the thing. I am now getting a picture in my mind that I am an obsessive compulsive person but I do plan sort of a weekly menu.

My project for this week is pork sauerbraten with potato pancakes, apple sauce and red cabbage. So I have to buy the pork, apples and cabbage at least 3 days in advance and get the spices and things working in a marinade in the refer. My significant other thinks my efforts are a bit silly when we could go out to eat for less money and not have to clean up. She is, of course correct.

I try and retrain myself to use local ingredients like pork roast instead of beef because the pork is good and cheap and I don't like Thai beef much. I have also been retrained about many things since living in Thailand. I look both ways before crossing a one way street and I watch where I walk more carefully and don't touch things. I try and have a sufficient amount of change in my pocket to pay in exact amounts at small shops and such. So forgive my use of the word retraining it was not meant to imply superior wisdom only a different way of doing things.

[tig28]

Hi cdnmatt

Freezers are readily available near us -- in Sisaket -- so I would assume you shall have little trouble finding one in any Issan center. I really doubt that Mrs.Tig would respond well to frozen meat --- as "freshness" is of great importance to her. On the many holy days ... when Buddhists refrain from killing beasts -- she will not buy pork or beef as "it was killed yesterday."

Chickens don't have the same good fortune here so on those holy days we eat poultry dishes. Yes ...... we visit the market every 2 or 3 days and personally I like it that way........ fresh pork , chicken and vegs!!

"Freshness" of pork-- OK -- but 'freshness' of (local) beef provides me with meat only suitable for stir-fry or casserole -- so I don't deal with quality beef.

I do miss quality beef --- and lamb --- but I guess I cant have everything.

[zzaa09]

Interesting how we think they (Thais) have it all wrong, and we must put clothes on these savages.

If their power bill stays below 300 Baht , the King pays the bill.

Power outages mean very little to them. Gas only needs a lighter.

They spend an average of 10-15 minutes in the market and then home with the family meal. They spend less the 150 baht to feed the average size family.

Meal planning often depends on which aisle they wander down, and what smells good to them.

If the markets were to be shutdown buy a Super Store, jobless rate climbs. Many of these people have little or no formal training, however they are making a honest living every day..

Ask them who AIG, ING, or what does price hedging on fuel mean, and they will probably just keep repeating "10 Baht for steam rice, buy it or move along, beefeater".

Just my 2 bahts worth

Come hard times.....who will benefit from an self-sufficiency instinct? Thai or Farang?

[cdnmatt]

Interesting how we think they (Thais) have it all wrong, and we must put clothes on these savages.

Not at all. It's because:

1.) I'm almost 30, and in my old age, have apparently turned into a cheap cun_t. If I can save 20% on the food bill by buying in bulk from a poor farmer instead of a poor market merchant, I'll do just that.

2.) After a year, I'm tired of going to the market 2 or 3 times a day. I'd prefer to just go downstairs.

3.) I want to do something to help the family, and think this would be a good gesture to say I'm here to help take care too. At first I was a little hesitant in agreeing to allow the family to live here, but it's turned out absolutely excellent, and better than I ever thought it would. Mama keeps everyone in line, and keeps this house in top-notch condition at all times. And she's a typical, caring, loving mom, so for example, she's always running up to my office with a plate of food and saying, "geez, you need to eat more. here, I made you some food". She stole a 600 baht water bill and paid it on me, filled up the gas for 300 baht before I even knew it was empty, got the dog vaccinated, and so on. And she doesn't even have any money though. She sells guai-tiao for 30 baht a bowl in the front patio, which impresses me even more.

They spend an average of 10-15 minutes in the market and then home with the family meal. They spend less the 150 baht to feed the average size family.

Exactly, and everyone living here shares that 150 baht/day bill. If I buy a few months worth of beef, chicken, pork, shrimp, etc... that bill drops to 50 baht/day for everyone involved, which I think would be a pretty nice thing for me to do. That's an extra 3000 baht/month people can have for themselves, mainly mama.

I don't know if you will have much luck retraining Thais not to shop daily.

Yeah, that's the thing I don't know about. I've asked them, and of course they agreed and thought it was a great idea! But I've lived here long enough to know there's a decent chance they were just being polite and respectful.

Anyway, thanks for the tips of the freezers, and good to know they're easy to find. I think in past year I've been to a department store like Makro maybe 3 times, even though there is one 5 minutes down the road. Good to know they're in stock though. Maybe have to pick one up, and hunt down a farmer. I'm sure that won't be hard though. I'm sure the family knows some people who would be happy to sell a bunch of meat.

iIf not for the Farang market, there probably would be little or no beef consumed ... Though there is a minute local market for beef, the quality might differ from what you might be accustomed to.

Think I have to disagree on that one. There's almost no farangs where I live (I see one at the market maybe once a week), and loads of beef being sold. There's three roadside stalls close to here that I know of, plus the evening market has a large stall that sells strictly beef.

If I buy in bulk, then definitely, because I won't get to choose the cuts. Otherwise, if I'm just buying a kilo or something, I think it's great, because Thais don't know how to cut up a cow. They don't distinguish between cuts, and just sell by the kilo instead. I can get a kilo of eye fillet for 150 baht. Chop it up, throw it in marinate for a couple days, and it tastes great. Not as good a Canadian AAA beef or anything, but more than good enough for me.