cheaper cuts of meat

overlykeensaver

I have just been reading Hugh Fearnley-Whittingsall's book on MEAT and one of the themes running through the book is that you can buy good quality meat from a butcher or farmers' market, if you change your attitude to it.

Instead of eating steak and chops (for example) you could look to use different cuts that are less well known and cheaper (ie skirt, flank etc)

I am thinking here of beef and lamb really - but I wondered whether any OS-ers have any good ideas for using different cuts of meat?

Fen1

You can cook any bit of meat, as long as the animal was good quality to start with. The problem with a lot of the cheaper cuts of meat from supermarkets is that the original animal was not of the finest quality. Cheap is cheap for a reason.
You are generally better off going to a butcher and getting the scrag ends of things, browning off, then very slow cooking in a well-flavoured casserole. Don't be afraid of bones: these actually add flavour, especially if you can get bone with marrow in it.

If you really want to be economical, get a pig's head and use the flesh from the face to make brawn.

VickyM_2

Belly of pork is very nice, and cheap. Think there's a recipe in the Meat book for it..

thriftlady_2

Shin of beef makes the best stews after long slow cooking

sundancer101

Brisket makes a mouthwatering pot roast - just needs plenty of long slow cooking

Hapless_2

beef skirt when cut thin makes an excellent curry or stir-fry.
goat (if you can find it) is reasonably priced, mutton is good slow cooking.

overlykeensaver

mmm getting hungry and looking forward to winter....slow cooking stews...

I will also check out the belly recipe in the MEAT book

daisyroots_2

There used to be something called "best end of neck" a cut of lamb used for stews, esp. Irish Stew. You're more likely to find it called Stewing Lamb these days, but if you get a big pan, add chopped onion, carrots, celery, pearl barley, salt and pepper, cover the lot with water, put on a very low flame, you can safely leave it to look after itself for several hours. Add some spuds about an hour before serving if you like, but personally I prefer to cook the spuds separately. The secret with all the cheaper cuts is to cook 'em long and slow. You could also do the above in a casserole in the oven, it's a very accommodating dish, ready when you are

Knock knock
who's there
Irish Stew
Irish Stew who ?
Irish Stew in the name of the law
boom boom

moanymoany

I simmer brisket on the hob with stock and veg, cheap red wine if I have any. Then for the last half hour I take it out of the stock and put it in the oven to crisp up.

The best roast beef ever!

jcr16

skirt , neck , flank???? it is all bizzare to me. i woudl possibly try these cuts i f i knew what they were.

i will only eat meat if it really tender. ( i choked many years ago on a bit of meat not tender and it has scared me so much since. odd but true)

these cuts of meat's can u cook them normally and have say with your roast on a sunday or are they the type which u can only put in sauce's. ie pies , casseroles stew's etc.


sorry for sounding really dim, but it is all a bit new to me. i have heard and used stewing steak and brisket tho. a local butcher recommend the brisket and it was gorgeous.