08 April 2010

Miss Chicken's Gourmet Tightwad Tip # 1: Bulgolgi from Korean Butcher Shops


Miss Chicken doesn’t feel like Chicken Tonight…

Central Korean Butcher

Miss Chicken is a placid soul, not much rattles her. Except supermarket simmer sauces. Simply mention the words "Chicken Tonight" and she is livid, all swear words and spittle. Why pay for money for water and cornflour? Why? Why? Why?

Because people want convenience I tell her, people are busy, they have children and jobs and commutes. But she has already gone, off to that shady section of Elizabeth Street near Central Station to visit her favourite Korean butcher shop, Central Butcher [now closed - 2011]...

For quick and easy convenience meals there is no better deal than a bucket of bulgolgi from your friendly local Korean butcher. Bulgolgi is thinly sliced marinated meat: it's cheap, a taste sensation, and ready to cook. A big takeway container full is about $12, there must be near a kilo of the stuff in there. Bulgolgi goes a long way, we get a few meals for two out of each container. The beef bulgoli is pictured above, pork below.

Central Korean Butcher

Bulgolgi is easy to make yourself, but the bought stuff just tastes better, it's made by experts afterall. And when you can buy it ready made for around $12 a kilo who could be bothered making it anway? We originally started cooking bulgolgi on a Korean hotplate like in the restaurants but we've got lazy and just started stir-frying it with some token veggies thrown in and a bit of rice on the side, or noodles for a change. It's also good to throw in with a Japanese style spread. We've been living off these two containers all week and there will be some left to freeze.

Central Korean Butcher

There's a bunch of Korean butchers around Sydney. Miss Chicken often goes to Central Butcher in the little Korean enclave around Central Station\Strawberry Hills. It's cheap, it's good and it's run by lovely old ladies. Last time we were there a tops old lady pushing 85 was doing the butchering with a meat cleaver bigger than her arm. She didn't want her photo taken... I've noticed some Korean butchers barely have any meat on display, you have to ask for it and they get it out of the fridge. But at Central Butcher the goods are there in front of you, all you need to do is point, as Miss Chicken demostrates above.

Central Korean Butcher

So who feels like Chicken Tonight?

Central Butcher is at 332 Elizabeth St Surry Hills. The interior is as classy as the exterior. [SADLY THIS CLOSED IN 2011].

3 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  2. Better still, why not just recycle the kids?

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  3. just went there today. it's shut. do u know have they moved to? or any other Korean butcher in the city?

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Thanks for your comment joy - please keep your musings happy - if you want to complain about a restaurant please do it on a restaurant review site (or your own blog) - we're all about celebrating cultural diversity and the great eats that come along with it :-)

Our ethics: We pay for all our own meals and travel (though sometimes Mum shouts us).