Mark is the omniscient presence in our butchery hall and retains a watchful eye and guiding hand at all times...
"It was 1983 that I began my first butchery job with a local shop in Aberdeen, it seems like only yesterday that I started; fresh faced and eager! In 1990 I joined the team here at Donald Russell and the thing that makes my job so satisfying is the enthusiastic team I work with. When I was promoted to Head Butcher in 2003 it was great knowing that I had the support and skill of a traditionally trained team behind me, and when you are this passionate about what you do it doesn't seem like work anyway."
Crackling good Pork
This week I’ve had a few queries from our customers who all want to know how to get that fantastic crunchy crackling. Ever since I was a young boy the crackling was, and still is, my very favourite part of a good pork roast.
To achieve the crackling of champions you will need to begin by scoring the skin of the joint. My team of butchers ensure the crackling is scored for you on all of our pork roasting cuts, but if you have bought one from else which is yet to be scored, you can do this yourself at home. A Stanley knife will probably do the job best (as the uncooked rind can be really tough) but please be very, very careful!
Although I’m not the world’s greatest of cooks I have mastered the art of brilliant crackling from many years of practice and a great deal of eating! Here are my top tips for great results:
-Place the pork, rind side up in a roasting pan/tin
-Oil the skin. I just use standard sunflower oil - there is no point wasting Mrs F’s expensive, cold pressed oil for this one!
-Roast the meat in a hot oven for the suggested time (you can download a copy of our How to Meat perfection cooking guide here)
-Once the roast is cooked to your liking, take it out of the oven and allow it to rest. You will now be able to remove the crackling in one whole piece. If it’s not quite as crunchy as you’d like it, just return the crackling to the oven for 5-10 minutes at the highest setting to finish it off
-To slice your crackling once it’s off the roast, use a heavy knife and lean on it to cleave through the crunchy outer rind
Remember folks that there is no need to baste our pork roasting joints during cooking as the meat will stay moist and juicy naturally.
Right, I’d better get back to the butchery hall and make sure my team are keeping busy.
Cheerio, and happy crackling!
Mark Farquhar
Head Butcher
What we do
The range we specialise in is a broad and uncompromising one and all the traditional cuts, including naturally reared beef, pork and lamb, can be found along side some more contemporary classics like our range of gourmet seafood, game and veal.
All Donald Russell meat is sourced, where possible, from local suppliers or reputable farms across the U.K by our experienced team of buyers.
Regular and unannounced inspections from recognised monitoring bodies (Quality Meat Scotland & Scottish Executive Environment & Rural Affairs Department) are the best way to uphold our stringent measures.
The highest butchery standards
Donald Russell had developed its own specifications for many of its cuts which will always guarantee you get the most meat possible without the eating quality or flavour being reduced. This also ensures consistent quality. By trimming away all unnecessary fat, silverskin and gristle our butchers leave only the finest meat and fat for taste, which means that you get far more meat for your money.
Indeed, one of the founders of Donald Russell, John Stone was awarded an MBE for services to the industry after writing the standard text-book for butchers, which set the standards for butchery and is still widely used today.
Marbling
Donald Russell beef has a deep red colour, which is characteristic of well-aged beef. (A bright red colour does not necessarily indicate the meat is either fresh or good quality, simply that it has not been given the time to fully mature). Top quality beef is also richly marbled, with small creamy-white flecks and streaks of fat throughout the meat. This is essential for a fabulous flavour, as the fat melts during cooking to make the meat juicy and tasty.
You'll often hear Ribeye being referred to as 'The Butcher's Favourite', that's because of the rich flavour that comes from the marbling of this cut. Fillet and Sirloin have less marbling but many people prefer these cuts due to them being so lean.
The tenderness of our meat
Of course the welfare of the animals has a major impact on the tenderness of the meat. However, achieving optimum tenderness from matured meat is actually quite a skilled process. There are many points that must be considered including storage temperature and maturing time and method. The longer meat is matured, the tenderer it becomes. All Donald Russell meat is traditionally matured on the bone in a temperature controlled environment, optimum conditions for tenderness.
All our beef is matured for a minimum of 21 days All our lamb is matured for a minimum of 10 days All our pork is matured for a minimum of 7 days
'Meat the team'
Sandy Wyllie - Portion Butchery Manager
"There is a long standing joke here amongst the butchers that goes back twenty-five years to when I started. I am known as 'the perfectionist', a title that I have embraced and become proud of. You see, it's not a question of where I fit into your order's process but how many times. My role is still very hands on but if anything doesn't come up to scratch from packing to the similarity of portions, I won't let it leave until I'm satisfied"
Andy Grant - Home Production Manager
"I'm lucky enough to deal with a field of talented professionals whose daily requirements and meticulous standards keep me on my toes. Chefs, like butchers, are sticklers for precision, so I really need to understand them and their customers to be able to give them exactly what they want - the best. With Donald Russell's quality it's not a hard job but you must care and never become complacent"
Tomas Petkevicius - Dispatch and Stock Manager
Just like a car needs fuel to run, a busy butcher like us needs to make sure that stock levels never go 'into the red'. Having spent a few years as our Freezer Manager, he knows how vital it is to set procedures in place at the onset of a process, "it ensures you start as you mean to go on, by doing everything to the very best of our abilities".
Bill McRitchie - Manager
"When your business is supplying the best, you need eyes in the back of your head - Bill's keen eyes don't miss a thing... You'll have to get up early to catch out our resident Inspector Morse for his day begins at the unenviable hour of 4am. Bill's responsible for the inspection of our beef and every detail is under scrutiny, "it's the only way we can be sure of the best every time - it's 100% quality or nothing".
Iain Matthew - New Product Development Manager
An unquenchable drive, relentless imagination and thick skin, all wrapped up in an understanding of customers' needs are the desired criteria for the job of culinary inventor...Working alongside Stefan our Head chef, this pair is an unstoppable duo when it comes to inspirational new product ideas. They understand cuts, how they cook and eat and what to put together to continually give you the best value products. You won't find many of their inventions anywhere else.
Butchery Videos
The Butcher's Guide To Beef
'The Big 4' - Guide to Steaks
Choosing the right steak
Everyone has different preferences, and every cut of steak has its own unique blend of taste and tenderness. At Donald Russell we want your steak experience to be the best it can be.
Fillet Steak
This regal cut has a reputation as the most tender, elegant steak of all. Carved from the prime matured fillet, this delicate, lightly marbled cut has the neatest appearance and mildest flavour of all our steaks and deserves its premium price tag.
Sirloin is a succulent, marbled steak from the heart of the striploin. It offers the perfect balance of taste, tenderness and value for money. It has a thin covering of fat on the outside to help bring out the full flavour and aroma.
Probably the juiciest steak of all, with a rich, mellow flavour thanks to its characteristic wide ribbon of fat running through the core. This rugged-looking steak is enjoying a huge surge in popularity, thanks to its exceptional flavour.
Rump has the firmest texture and a robust beefy flavour. Our hugely popular Pavé Rump Steak is a special cut, often seen on the Continent, which is very lean with a neat presentation. It's a superior cut to the traditional
Mark Farquhar:
Sandy Wyllie - Portion Butchery Manager 
Iain Matthew - New Product Development Manager
Fillet Steak
Sirloin Steak
Ribeye Steak
Rump Steak
