Guide to Meat - Besy Way To Cook It
------ BEEF ------
Beef is the most popular, flavoursome and versatile of meats, it can be used for roasting, frying, grilling or stewing, as joints or steaks. The beef carcass is divided into two parts, the hind quarters and the forequarters. The more tender cuts come from the hind quarters. These cuts are the one best used for roasting frying or grilling. The tougher, more sinewy cuts come from the forequarters these cuts are ideal for braising, stewing or using in casserole.
Beef should be kept covered and chilled. To get value for money, it is important to use the correct cut for the dish you’re cooking just ask our butcher.
The golden rule when cooking beef is to bring the meat to room temperature before cooking, and to let your meat rest when it come out of the oven so that juices can be re-absorbed back into the meat.
Beef for Roasting
Sirloin, fore rib, fillet.
Beef for Pot Roasting
Topside, silverside, brisket, thick flank.
Beef for Stewing and Braising or Boiling
Chuck, shin, brisket, flank, neck, topside, silverside.
Beef for Grilling and Frying
Fillet, rump and sirloin.
Beef for Pies
Chuck, brisket, thick flank, shin (foreleg), shin or leg (hind leg).
------ LAMB ------
We have a wide range of cuts of lamb available, for roasting, grilling or stewing. Our various cuts of lamb are tender and packed with sweet flavours. The most popular cuts of lamb are legs and chops. You can roast grill or barbecue most cuts of lamb, due to its natural tenderness and fattiness. To enhance flavours in lamb dishes use freshly cut slivers or crushed garlic and sprigs of rosemary they work well as they are strong in flavour and helps cut through the flavour of the lamb and compliment it.
Lamb for Roasting
Saddle or loin, rack of lamb, shoulder, leg, breast.
Lamb for Braising
Chump chops, loin, leg.
Lamb for Grilling and Frying
Cutlets, loin chops, chump chops, steaks which are cut from fillet end of the leg.
Lamb for Boiling & Stewing
Knuckle, scrag and middle neck, breast, leg
------ PORK ------
This is a very popular cut which is themost commonly consumed meat worldwide. Pork is eaten both freshly cooked and preserved. Curing extends the shelf life of the pork products. We have many cuts of pork available. It is a very flavoursome meat due to its fat content. It is also very versatile when it comes to cooking as it can be used for roasting, frying, grilling or stewing, as joints or chops.
Pork for Roasting
Spare rib chops, Loin chops, chump chops which are cut from the saddle, cutlets, belly, fillet, tenderloin, trotters.
Pork for Boiling
Leg, belly, hand and spring, trotters.
Pork for Pies
Any meat is suitable.
Pork for Sausages
Any fatty piece, however typically the belly is used.
------ BACON ------
Bacon is a pork product which is derived from pork which is cured.
Bacon Boiling & Stewing
All cuts are suitable. The forehock, gammon, collar are the most popular and are sometimes casseroled or stewed whole, tied with string.
Bacon Cuts for Frying or Grilling
All cuts are suitable but rashers are usually cut from the back, streaky or collar. Steaks are cut from the gammon or prime back.
Bacon Cuts for Baking
Usually the largest pieces are used such as whole gammon or ham, whole gammon hock, large piece of back, whole boned and rolled forehock or either of the collars.
These cuts are usually boiled first before baking as to reduce the salt content.
------ POULTRY ------
Poultry includes many types of foul the most common of these are chicken, duck, turkey, pheasant and quail. We have a wide range of poultry cuts available.
Drumstick
The drumsticks are used for barbecuing or frying, either in batter or rolled in bread crumbs and also marinated or glazed.
Wing
The wing has become a favorite, they are ideal for partys, finger food or appetizers. They can be fried, roast or barbecued, with or without a marinade or glaze.
Thigh
The thigh is suitable cut for casseroling and other slow-cooking methods. Thigh meat has a lot of flavor.
Leg
This comprises of the drumstick and thigh. The leg is suitable for slow-cooking, such as casseroling or poaching. They can also be roast. They can be also used to make stock and soups.
Breast or Fillet
The cut of meat is the most popular part of the chicken. It is available either on the bone, or as a fillet. Chicken breast is a versatile cut and can be cooked in many different ways. It can be stuffed, coated or wrapped, marinated glazed or simply cooked in butter.