Heading to your local butcher to attend an event called ‘Breaking down the Beast’ may sounds like a grisly midweek pastime, but I always welcome the opportunity to learn more about where my food comes from.

I’m clearly not a vegetarian, but I am mindful of animal ethics and I’d much rather support those in the meat industry who follow a ‘paddock to plate’ ethos than those who factory farm animals.

Besides, I grew up a farm girl, so had no qualms about signing up to the Daily Addict’s boutique butchering event held at Hudson Meats in Surry Hills.

On a wet Sydney night guests trickle in from Crown St, and are met with a convivial atmosphere no doubt partly thanks to an abundance of wine and antipasti.



The beast we’re watching Jonathan break down tonight is a six to eight month old white Dorper, which was bred at a farm near Cowra in New South Wales’ Central West. The Dorper is a breed that was developed in South Africa last century, and has since become a popular meat breed in Australia.

Jeff Winfield, who along with Colin Holt owns Hudson Meats, introduces the Daily Perk group to Jonathan, their star Irish butcher, who quickly gets to work. The first step is to take off the lamb’s shoulder.

It’s an inquisitive group tonight and questions come from all quarters. Jonathan’s recommendation to slow roast the shoulder for up to seven hours leads to a discussion on the slow-cooking movement.

The slow-cooking renaissance means non-primary cuts like the shoulder are growing increasingly popular, Jeff tells us. There’s a social element to the slow food trend too.
“Slow cooking brings people together”, says Jeff. Host a bbq, and guests scatter. “Everyone is everywhere”, he explains.



As Jonathan continues to trim the lamb carcass before us, a question is asked about offcuts. Nothing, I’m relieved to hear, is wasted. Fat is used in sausage-making, and what’s leftover is sent to a company called Bird Brothers, which uses it in products including shampoo (vegans, take note).

Amid enthusiastic questions and answers, Jonathan moves on to the next step, the leg.

Inevitably, the discussion turns to supermarkets. One of the many points of difference between a butcher like Hudson Meats and most supermarket chains is freshness. Meat has a 21-day supermarket shelf life, while according to co-owner Colin at Hudsons’ meat is limited to three display days.

Jonathan pipes up with some advice about the knuckle, not a commonly celebrated cut. Our Irish butcher instructs us to stuff the knuckle with a mixture of sun-dried tomatoes, pine nuts and baby spinach, and roast for 25 to 30 minutes. Simple!
Next up, Jonathan starts on removing the ribs.

If you find cutlets prohibitively pricey and have never known the reason behind their expense, it’s because the cut represents a very small proportion of the overall animal, and butchering them is labour intensive.



Mention of other Hudson events, including a hands-on salami-making session, has the crowd talking about pork. Hudson only sells meat, we learn, from female pigs. The male pig’s testosterone gives the meat an unpleasant smell – so much so that Jonathan says he can tell the difference between the meat from male and female pigs just by handling it. As to whether supermarkets and other vendors sell meat from male pigs, Colin tells us that “you need to trust your butcher”.

When it comes to carving, Jonathan tells us, you should cut the meat off the bone in a large chunk (rather than one slice at a time) and then slice it on a cutting board.
If you were wondering what cut is the butcher’s choice, Jonathan tells us it’s chump chops – a cut of meat that is on the bone which guarantees flavour, and has the right amount of fat.

If you are going to be a proud meat-eater, it's important to know where your meat comes from and how the animal has been treated on the journey from paddock to plate, which makes an event like this one well worth attending - even on a rainy Sydney evening.

For information about more Hudson Meats events, check their website.� Click here to keep up with the Daily Addict.

Find me on Twitter: @nicoheath