Meat Quality in Thailand

[Henry 14th]

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I actually think that the quality of Thai pork is far superior that available in the UK.

Not much of a pork lover back home but do enjoy a good slab of roast pig here.

Also the lamb and beef is imported so not a fresh as the pork, which is sometimes noticeable.


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[Frank La Rue]

[Mod Edit] Moved from Advertorial Thread

I actually think that the quality of Thai pork is far superior that available in the UK.

Not much of a pork lover back home but do enjoy a good slab of roast pig here.

Also the lamb and beef is imported so not a fresh as the pork, which is sometimes noticeable.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I think you have inadvertantly provided insight to a question a posted tongue - in - cheeck on the Advertorial for Palms Bistro - why they always serve pork in combination with other meats for Sunday roast. The Pork is local Thai produce but beef and lamb is imported. Hardly any sheep in Thailand I gather. I thought I had seen a cow here or there, though.

[Lung Per]

[Mod Edit] Moved from Advertorial Thread

I actually think that the quality of Thai pork is far superior that available in the UK.

Not much of a pork lover back home but do enjoy a good slab of roast pig here.

Also the lamb and beef is imported so not a fresh as the pork, which is sometimes noticeable.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I think you have inadvertantly provided insight to a question a posted tongue - in - cheeck on the Advertorial for Palms Bistro - why they always serve pork in combination with other meats for Sunday roast. The Pork is local Thai produce but beef and lamb is imported. Hardly any sheep in Thailand I gather. I thought I had seen a cow here or there, though.

Young female lambs are easily available in the Soi Bin Tabac area, but I've also seen a few old goats there. They seem to congregate evenings around 10-11 pm and mingle with their mates, the old farts.
They are easily recognizable by their destinct bleating accent.
You may also hear some in late afternoons in Soi Salavat (80).

So far I have not found edible locally produced beef in Thailand. Beef stock exists probably only on a small scale, if any at all. Thai beef is buffalo. Not edible, but great for making shoe soles.

Thai pork is excellent. Pork farming originally assisted by Europe's two leading quality pork producers, Denmark and the Netherlands.

Bon Appetit.

[Takiap]

As a person who rarely eats anything but meat, here is my opinion........


Pork

Pork in Thai is far better that the pork in my own country, and better than pork in the UK. Saying that, I have no idea as to what medication and so on is given to pigs in Thailand, but I like to believe they are less medicated than pigs in developed countries. With so much pork available here, I do find it strange that bacon costs as much as it does, and I'm surprised that very few Thai brand pork sausages are available.


Chicken

Chicken, as far as I can tell, is much the same as it is in other countries, and to the best of my knowledge, also pumped full of antibiotics. Thankfully I'm able to eat chickens raised in our yard, and no, they are not as tough as old boots either, depending on whether or not you know what you're doing.


Beef

Cattle in beef producing countries are usually also medicated in order to prevent disease and to increase body weight. The beef is better looking and perhaps more juicy, but.......

Local Thai beef tends to come from small time farmers who simply allow their cattle to graze on any available land, and based on what I personally know about two local farmers, are not medicated apart from compulsory vaccinations. A lot of people reckon Thai beef is too tough, but again, it isn't if you know how to prepare it, or if you let it age. Let's just say, I would rather have six Thai T-Bone steaks than a single imported T-Bone steak.



Lamb/Mutton

Unfortunately we're pretty much screwed in Thailand when it comes to lamb or mutton. You either have to pay over inflated prices for imported lamb, or you have to go without. Also, while several places sell lamb, I've never come across mutton.

Goat meat is a good substitute, but you can't seem to buy it in the form of chops.


These days there are a number of places in and around Hua-Hin where you can buy good quality meat, including Hua-Hin Ham and Bacon; Makro, Easy Food Supply, and even the butcher down soi 2.


If you find mutton chops, please let me know.

[richard]

As a person who rarely eats anything but meat, here is my opinion........





Beef

Cattle in beef producing countries are usually also medicated in order to prevent disease and to increase body weight. The beef is better looking and perhaps more juicy, but.......

Local Thai beef tends to come from small time farmers who simply allow their cattle to graze on any available land, and based on what I personally know about two local farmers, are not medicated apart from compulsory vaccinations. A lot of people reckon Thai beef is too tough, but again, it isn't if you know how to prepare it, or if you let it age. Let's just say, I would rather have six Thai T-Bone steaks than a single imported T-Bone steak.

You can buy excellent beef equal to the best (Zimbabwe, South Africa, Argentina and Scotland) PROVIDING it has been properly processed. Finding the right guy to buy it from is a problem although I do know several restaurant owners here that buy through a dealer in Bangkok and the beef is a crossbred french stock reared and slaughtered is southern Isaan

Anyway Takiap what about biltong? where do you get yours?

[Big Boy]

What about the beef from the Thai dairy herd? I've seen them just North of Bangkok, and I've also seen them near Pala-U (took a wrong turning once). They're not the scrawny looking Thai cattle, but look just like the Friesian cattle you find in the UK. Are these just for milk production?

Can we eat Friesian cattle, or is their meat tough like Thai varieties?

[Dannie Boy]

What about the beef from the Thai dairy herd? I've seen them just North of Bangkok, and I've also seen them near Pala-U (took a wrong turning once). They're not the scrawny looking Thai cattle, but look just like the Friesian cattle you find in the UK. Are these just for milk production?

Can we eat Friesian cattle, or is their meat tough like Thai varieties?

From what I understand cow breeds are either for meat production or dairy use. Having said that, most of the beef burgers sold commercially come from dairy cows who have passed their useful milk producing days and sold for processing (human and pet food), but rarely used as prime cuts.

[Big Boy]

Ok, thanks - I was just wondering because everybody says that decent beef has to be imported. I just thought there might have been a source of decent beef here already.

[jingjoe]

the french butcher on soi88 must source his beef locally,he had whole sides of beef in his cold room ready for butchering...i would bet they were a pretty good quality local beef

[Homer]

Ok, thanks - I was just wondering because everybody says that decent beef has to be imported. I just thought there might have been a source of decent beef here already.

Different folks, different standards for what is 'decent beef'. I've had Thai beef that was a chewing exercise. I've also had decent beef at a decent price. Best was Natta's on Soi 88 which closed ~2 years ago. The other is Rom Mai in Kao Takiab.

[dundrillin]

Pork tastelessness in the Uk ( and probably the rest of the west) is due to the elimination of rare breeds such as Tamworth,Berkshire,Gloucester Old Spot because they had a high fat content . They were replaced by " special" breeds that were lower in fat. As we now know low fat means low taste! There is a downside to the industrialisation of farming. Whenever possible support the local butcher and the rare breeds.While I'm on my hobby horse support your local book shop, use 'em or lose them.

[oakdale160]

What breeds are the pigs in thailand?

[dundrillin]

Quite a lot of native breeds in Thailand,usually slow growing which is good. However with growing demand I suspect they be replaced by their leaner brethren .Google flags up some Thai forums discussing pig breeding! I have reared pigs on 3 occasions, it's good fun and the end product is superb. Great to see them roaming about free, they are great escape artists though. Incidentally horses seem to be very frightened of pigs.

[Dannie Boy]

Quite a lot of native breeds in Thailand,usually slow growing which is good. However with growing demand I suspect they be replaced by their leaner brethren .Google flags up some Thai forums discussing pig breeding! I have reared pigs on 3 occasions, it's good fun and the end product is superb. Great to see them roaming about free, they are great escape artists though. Incidentally horses seem to be very frightened of pigs.

A lot of the pork sold here is still of the slower growing variety and if you buy pork belly, it has a very high fat content, hence the good flavour.

Until recently, my wife's brother-in-law was raising pigs - this one looks similar to a Gloucester Old Spot and was huge at about 6 ft long, but alas due to work commitments he has given up breeding them.

[margaretcarnes]

Pork tastelessness in the Uk ( and probably the rest of the west) is due to the elimination of rare breeds such as Tamworth,Berkshire,Gloucester Old Spot because they had a high fat content . They were replaced by " special" breeds that were lower in fat. As we now know low fat means low taste! There is a downside to the industrialisation of farming. Whenever possible support the local butcher and the rare breeds.While I'm on my hobby horse support your local book shop, use 'em or lose them.

Yes UK pork really needs a lot of seasoning now. I tend to do spiced belly pork recipes and stuff like that. But there are small breeders apparently making a go of breeding Old Spots etc - niche market stuff and no doubt expensive but worth it if you can find it!
As for bacon - I know folk who don't like the taste of the 'proper' bacon from HHH and B. Probably because they have forgotten what bacon should really taste like. Strange how people have become so picky about fresh meat and so accustomed to vacuum packed stuff in the uK. Christmas before last I cold cured a batch of bacon at home. Very easy. My brother wouldn't even try it because it wasn't the same colour as supermarket stuff.
We have also recently had a case in the UK where a butcher was told by do gooders - his Council I think - not to display pig heads in his window because they upset people. He has managed to make a stand and the pigs heads are back.