The Butcher is the ChefAsk us at the counter
How we'd cook it
Every one of these gets cooked at home before it goes anywhere near the cabinet. No fifteen-ingredient nonsense — the cut, the heat, the timing, and the bit most people get wrong.
This week's winning recipe
Cooked something worth sharing? Tell us in store or on Facebook — each week's winner goes up here with their name on it.
Loading recipes…
Cook it to temperature, not to time
Every oven lies and every piece of meat is a different thickness. A $20 probe thermometer will do more for your cooking than anything else you can buy. Pull the meat off at these numbers — it climbs 3–5°C while it rests.
| Cut | Pull it off at | Where it lands |
|---|---|---|
| Beef & lamb — rare | 48–50°C | Cool red centre |
| Beef & lamb — medium rare | 52–54°C | Warm red centre. Where we'd stop. |
| Beef & lamb — medium | 57–59°C | Pink right through |
| Beef & lamb — well done | 68°C+ | Ask for a cheaper cut, honestly |
| Pork fillet & chops | 62–65°C | Slightly blush, still juicy |
| Chicken breast | 65°C | Carries to 70°C+, stays tender |
| Chicken thigh & drumstick | 75°C | Better higher — the fat handles it |
| Sausages | 70°C | Cooked through, not dried out |
| Slow-roast shoulder & brisket | 92–95°C | Falls apart. Time, not doneness. |
Rule of thumb for resting: half the cooking time, up to about 20 minutes. Steaks 5–10 minutes, a roast 20.
Tell us what you're cooking
Half of this job is knowing which cut suits what you've got planned. Come in and say "six people, Sunday, don't want to babysit it" and we'll sort you out — and cut it to the thickness you actually need.
