Shrink wrapped meat.

Jose A · Post by **Jose A** » Sun May 04, 2008 7:56 pm

Hey guys,mother would like to know if it,s legal to bring food into portugal?She finds some of the meat a bit ropey and would like to bring some from the UK ,She;s good friends with a butcher who works at Harrods and he would gladly shrink wrap any fresh meat that she wants to bring over.Any one know of any problems that may occur with the rossers?

laserblazer · Post by **laserblazer** » Sun May 04, 2008 8:10 pm

Can't she get Harrods to send a hamper over?

mazza · Post by **mazza** » Sun May 04, 2008 8:54 pm

Do you know that we now have a excellent new butcher in the village which sells really good quality meat, which I think is much better then any other meat I have bought in Portugal.

It's called Blue Rock, which is near the post office in Carvoeiro.

Bruce Wallis · Post by **Bruce Wallis** » Mon May 05, 2008 3:10 pm

Im really surprised.....our experience is that Portuguese meat, on average, is far better than English meat. Certainly the beef, which actually has flavour, as opposed to the unhung supermarket meat in the UK.

UK fresh lamb may be better.

If one shops at Harrods....and of course we all do....you will of course get a superior product.....and pay through the nose for it!

We had some Argentinian or Brazilian beef from Intermarche last week, and it was fabulous.

Helen · Post by **Helen** » Mon May 05, 2008 4:31 pm

Have to agree with Mazza. The Blue Rock butcher is excellent, I get all my meat from there and have never been disappointed. It's on the in road, just before the post office. He's also going to be opening a take away next door which should be good.

Barry · Post by **Barry** » Mon May 05, 2008 6:27 pm

Agree with you Bruce, we find Portugese meat much better than UK. It's more like UK meat used to be. And even the eggs look like genuine free range, with a lovely orange colour to the yolk. If we were importing food it would be from Portugal to UK.

SKYROCK · Post by **SKYROCK** » Tue May 06, 2008 1:16 pm

I agree with all the other comments, with regards meat. I think the lady concerned must be very particular, but I did notice that she comes from Chelsea, and most probably wears all designer clothes etc. I have never had any problem with the meat bought in Portugal, and anyway why cannot she eat out in the evenings, if she does then the chefs do not import their meat from England.

Sharen Crane · Post by **Sharen Crane** » Tue May 06, 2008 1:32 pm

Love the replies guys but they hardly answer Jose's question do they?

If Jose is anything like me then often when we arrive the butcher is closed and the quality of the meat from Continente or Intermarche is not up to the same standard as you might expect. So it is a fair question to ask and one I would be interested in seeing the answer to!

Bruce Wallis · Post by **Bruce Wallis** » Tue May 06, 2008 3:18 pm

OK....It is not legal to transport food, especially uncooked over national boundaries.
It's all to do with the food and health regs of the different countries even within the EU.

We have all done it however, including meat. Just be prepared to have it confiscated if they decide to check your luggage.

Returning to Sharens point......

If you buy the best Lincoln Red beef locally from a local butcher with access to a top quality slaughter house, ( and that's not easy these days) then you get good quality beef.
I buy from a local producer farm shop in Carsharlton Beeches, and get good. but relatively expensive beef.

My point is that the meat you get in the Portuguese supermarkets, Intermarche more than Continente, is 100-200% better than your ASDA/MORRISONS/SAINSBURYS and TESCO in the UK

SJ & RE · Post by **SJ & RE** » Tue May 06, 2008 4:52 pm

Beef has to been hung for at least 21 days (not aged cos that is meat that has been cut, wrapped and chilled from day 1),if the animal has had a happy life munching grass only in fields of green lush grass full of wild flowers and herbs your meat will be delicious. Unless of course you are a rotten cook or like your beef cremated.
Lamb, the same applies as above, hung for a minimium of 10 days though.
Pork, has to be from a farm that lets them live outside and are allowed to live as long as possible routing around and eating real food, nuts and pulses,apples etc, not the commercial crap.
Chickens, too need to be from a farm where they spend most of the time outside and are at least 8 months old and eat well.

Bruce Wallis · Post by **Bruce Wallis** » Tue May 06, 2008 5:05 pm

A friend of mine who was a Northumbrian hill farmer, said that the best possible meat was from an animal he picked out grazing in the field, walked up to it.....patted it, then shot it between the eyes!

The theory being no adrenalin to toughen the meat....and the animal died happy.

THEN....you hang as Baggy suggests!

Probably a wee bit extreme by todays standards

Gambrinus · Post by **Gambrinus** » Wed May 07, 2008 9:47 am

The concept is sound, although modern slaughterhouses prefer ambient music and an electrocution of the animal before killing it - 20000volts to the temple and it won't feel a thing.

pato · Post by **pato** » Sun May 11, 2008 2:23 pm

Gambrinus wrote:The concept is sound, although modern slaughterhouses prefer ambient music and an electrocution of the animal before killing it - 20000volts to the temple and it won't feel a thing.

These posts could rapidly turn me into a vegetarian, 20000volts ? how do you know it wont feel a thing?

Jose A · Post by **Jose A** » Sun May 11, 2008 6:17 pm

pato wrote:
Gambrinus wrote:The concept is sound, although modern slaughterhouses prefer ambient music and an electrocution of the animal before killing it - 20000volts to the temple and it won't feel a thing.
These posts could rapidly turn me into a vegetarian, 20000volts ? how do you know it wont feel a thing?

You try it and let us know.