I was intrigued as to what this demo at the butcher’s wing of Jamie Oliver and Adam Perry Lang’s famous Barbecoa restaurant would entail.  I can assure you that it was a novel experience that I would recommend to anyone with a stomach or a taste for meat.

After a bit of a chat with the butchers (Marco, Zach and Adam) that would be leading us through the evening, we were directed to look at a humongous 170kg half carcass of a cow that was chained up in the walk-in refrigerator.  Suffice to say there was not much left of it by the end of the evening.  After a struggle with a knotted chain, the cow was lowered to eye level and the breaking down began.  The masterful butchers began with the substantial shoulder of the animal before deconstructing the entire piece; carving, boning, slicing and dicing was interspersed with helpful commentary that simultaneously offered innovative recipe ideas while dispelling preconceptions about the uselessness of certain cuts of meat.

The night also involved a wine tasting, which was professionally led by Paul Green, the head sommelier at Barbecoa restaurant.  The first wine, a 2009 Spanish red called Pacheco, had a full-bodied texture and a spicy, fruity taste.  I must say this was my favourite of the three.  The second was a 2010 Pinot Noir branded Paper Road.  It hailed from New Zealand and evoked a slightly lighter and earthier flavour.  Finally, we sampled the 2009 wine from Italy, Ca’marcanda Promis.  This was a heavier drink with a nice sweet liqourice flavour.  We were advised to enjoy this alongside a sirloin or rib-eye steak.  Interestingly, these wines are exclusive to the Butchery and are not served in the upstairs restaurant, and have been selected by the resident butchers to compliment the cuts of meat that they offer.

It was truly a delight to spend an evening with these guys who clearly love and invest a lot of time in their craft.  I left the Butchery feeling a lot more knowledgable about how to get the best out of good quality meat.  We were also furnished with some generous gift bags to go home with, and although my camera battery died just before the demo started, I can offer you some snaps of what I did with Barbecoa Butchery’s meat.

Drop by the Butchery on Watling Street by St. Pauls to inquire about one of these demos – it’s an experience you will not forget!

Visit the Barbecoa website here for more information.

Written by a Thoroughly Modern Man, Mark McCloskey.