The Art of the Parisian Butcher's Customer Service.

The Excellence Of Paris Butchers

You know the feeling when you come across unexpected and remarkable customer service? You are surprised and delighted. Almost euphoric. Stunned, yet very pleased and appreciative.

That is what purchasing meat from the Parisian butchers at Boucherie Du Marais feels like. They excel at supreme quality and provide only the freshest of meats. But, purchasing from them is taken to an entirely different level because they practice the art of superior customer service.

On my last trip to Paris, I was living in a small quaint apartment in the Le Marias district in the 4th arrondissement. As most Parisian do, I did my daily food shopping at my local boulangerie, fromagerie, patisserie and volailler. These merchants strive to provide quality food and goods in order to insure their customers are always satisfied and will return to purchase from them, basically forever. Great friendships and camaraderie are often developed over time between the customer and the merchant.

However, it was at my local boucherie that I first experienced this incredible customer service. With my faltering French, I asked the butcher for a four bone-in rack of lamb. I picked a fresh rack out of the sparkling clean display case and the butcher proceeded to cut the lamb into a four bone-in piece for me. He turned around and went to work with his butcher knife (I wasn’t quite sure what he was doing at this point) then wrapped it up in brown butcher paper and handed it to me. I was delighted and excited to cook my rack of lamb for the evening in my Parisian kitchen.

This is what I found when I opened the precious package when I returned to my apartment, preparing to cook the lamb:

A Surprise From The Butcher Waiting For Me At Home

The butcher had “frenched” the bones (removed the excess fat and meat from the bones) and put white paper frills on the end of the bones.

Then he trimmed off the bone “shield” portion of the back of the ribs and tied it back on with cotton butcher string, allowing it to impart more robust flavor as the rack of lamb roasts and giving the rack stability when it cooks.

I also discovered he hadn’t discarded the trimmings he had removed, allowing me the opportunity to make a sauce with the left over pieces or roast it with the rack for added flavor.

By this time, I was so delighted with this level of care and customer service, that I became even more overjoyed to discover one last detail he had included; he provided handwritten cooking instructions on the inside piece of white butcher paper the lamb was wrapped in. Just incredible!

Now this was over-the-top customer service! To include these minor, yet incredibly important details was very surprising and welcomed. But, I didn’t even know he had included them until I was home. His customer service excellence reached right out to me even in my own kitchen, and he knew it would have that effect on me. Which butcher would you return to for your next meat purchase? I know where I’m going!

I felt overjoyed and rather warm all over, that someone would care so much about my small and rather insignificant lamb purchase. I then proceeded to roast my rack of lamb. It was simply delicious, with a satisfying crunchy gratin on the outside and was moist and tender throughout. I appreciated and relished the art of the Parisian butcher’s customer service with every satisfying bite.

The Cooking Process From My Parisian Kitchen

Au revoir, bonne journee et a bientot!

Making restaurant quality rack of lamb in your own oven right at home is very easy and so delicious! And why pay high restaurant prices, when you can enjoy rack of lamb anytime you want in under 30 minutes from your refrigerator to the table. The French cut (the fat and meat trimmed off each bone about three inches from the top) rack of lamb also provides a very elegant presentation.

ROASTED RACK OF LAMB WITH MUSTARD CRUST

Ingredients:

2 French cut racks of lamb

¼ cup Dijon mustard

¼ cup breadcrumb

¼ cup fresh finely chopped rosemary

¼ cup finely shredded parmesan cheese

½ tsp salt and pepper

Directions:

Liberally brush the meat side of the lamb with the Dijon mustard.

Mix the breadcrumbs, rosemary, parmesan and salt and pepper together.

Sprinkle the mixture on the mustard and gently pat onto the mustard.

Place the lamb meat side up on a foil lined cookie sheet.

Roast in a 425 degree oven for roughly 15 minutes or until the internal temperature is 130 degrees for medium rare.

Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes, then slice between the ribs for serving.