I am a very lucky girl to have been sent some amazing meat to try today from Pimlotts butchers in Cheadle Hulme, Manchester. A big box was waiting for me when I got home this lunchtime from the playgroup run, and in it were some cumberland sausages, some shin of beef, and a shoulder of lamb too. Couldn’t have picked better cuts myself. They came in the nick of time, as the toddler literally had just requested sausages for lunch, with me saying we didn’t have any in! Hence, we made posh sausage sandwiches… I know it’s not a recipe as such, but I thought the combination of ingredients worth sharing as it makes a tasty, quick, easy lunch.
Do I really have to state the obvious advantages of buying from a butcher? OK then, I will. High quality produce; traceability; a friendly and knowledgeable service; competitive pricing; high welfare standards; wide range of produce and cuts; specialist meats and cuts on request; helping to support your local high street… I get why so many of us shop at supermarkets; we are all very busy and it’s more convenient to shop there and get everything in one go (I have an expensive Ocado habit myself). But when it comes to meat I almost always go to a butcher. Living in Chorlton I go to Frost’s (a local institution) and when I lived in Didsbury I went to Axon’s (I still go there sometimes). It’s unthinkable for me to imagine living somewhere where there isn’t a very high quality butchers (or fishmonger’s for that matter) within walking distance. If I lived in Cheadle, Pimlotts would be it. Having only tried the sausages so far I can’t yet comment on their lamb and beef but I expect I am in for a treat… By the way, Pimlotts offer online shopping so there really is no excuse for not taking advantage of a great butcher, even if you do live miles from a decent one.
So, back to the sarnie. I had a couple of apples in the fruit bowl. Some sage leaves in the garden. English Mustard and mayo in the fridge. Some ciabatta rolls left over from last night’s bean burgers. In minutes I had a really rather nice lunch.
To make two sandwiches:
4 sausages
About 8 sage leaves
1 apple, sliced into 8 segments
1 teaspoon of English mustard
1 tablespoon of mayonnaise
2 ciabatta rolls
- Fry your sausages as slowly as possible in a frying pan over a low heat. 20 minutes should be about right.
- Then, once they are about 5 minutes off, add your sage leaves and apple slices and frazzle them off in with the bangers.
- Mix you mustard and mayo. (No mustard for toddler I might add here!)
- Lightly toast a your sliced ciabatta and generously smear with mustard mayo on both sides.
- Slice sausages in half and arrange on the slices with the apple and sage too.
