What to buy and how to cook it
Recipes
- Pot roast beef with root vegetables
- Lamb shanks with rosemary and mashed potatoes
- Pork and cider casserole
For something that plays such an important role in many people's diet, it's surprising how little we know about the different cuts of meat and how to cook them. What's the best cut to use for a stew? What's the difference between topside and fillet? Why do my roasts often turn out tough? Meat is still one of the most expensive ingredients in your shopping trolley, so make sure you buy the right piece for the dish you're planning.
There are a number of factors that determine how tender meat will be when cooked. Most of these are beyond your control, unless you raise and slaughter your own livestock! The age of the animal, how it is reared, how much exercise it has taken, how it is slaughtered, how long it is stored or hung before cooking, all play a part in the taste and texture of the final product.
We're constantly told that we should eat less fat, which is good advice as long as it is kept in perspective. But, as far as meat is concerned, fat adds flavour and helps keep the meat moist and succulent while cooking. Choose pieces that have tiny lines of fat or marbling running through them. They will have more flavour than a leaner piece with no marbling.
With all the health scares of late and consumers' greater awareness of meat production and processing, consumers have critical decisions to make when buying meat. Find out everything you need to know here and follow just one piece of advice - buy the best piece of meat you can afford.
A very important word about browning steaks, roasts or pieces of stewing meat: Recipes often suggest that you seal meat by frying it quickly over a high heat. This comes from an out-dated belief that when an outer crust is formed on the meat it will seal in the juices. Nothing could be further from the truth. According to Alan Davidson in his tome The Oxford Companion to Food, this thinking belongs "to the realm of culinary mythology". Meat does not seal. Browning or searing is important because it imparts colour and flavour but does not capture the juices within.
Beef
Great British roast beef with all the trimmings can be a work of art for lovers of meat. But use the wrong roasting joint and it can be disappointingly tough and tasteless.
The best cut for a special occasion roast is a large sirloin, fore rib (sometimes labelled prime rib as it is known in America) or fillet. These are best when cooked rare to medium in a roasting tin, starting with a high oven heat to give the meat a colourful and tasty outside crust, then reducing the heat to a lower temperature to cook the inside. Leaving the bone in, especially in the sirloin and rib roasts, adds flavour and conducts the heat better. But for ease of carving and presentation, you may prefer a boned and rolled joint.
Pot-roasting is another excellent and economical way of cooking a large piece of beef to serve to a group of people. The joint is usually browned on all sides in a pan on the stovetop first to add colour and flavour, then placed in a tightly covered oven-proof dish with liquid in the bottom. Covered and baked in the oven at a low temperature, the meat actually steams, thus keeping it moist while the long, slow cooking tenderises it. This method is best suited to some of the cheaper roasting cuts like silverside and topside (sometimes called round), top rump, thick flank and the brisket.
Meat for stews or casseroles may just be called braising steak and can be any of the pot roasting cuts, also chuck, shin, neck, flank or skirt, cut into smaller pieces. These are also best cooked long and slowly, at a low temperature with liquid, namely stock, wine, ale or cider. Most recipes also suggest vegetables, spices, herbs or other ingredients, depending on the dish and ethnic origins.
Steaks are best cut from the more tender regions of the animal, between the shoulders and hips and where the ribs join the backbone. The names for these cuts of steak vary from country to country, which can make ordering in a restaurant abroad interesting, if not confusing. In Britain, the favoured steaks are probably the sirloin and fillet, both very tender when quickly grilled or pan-fried. Other cuts include the T-bone steak, cut from the short loin, and rump steak, as the name implies, cut from the rump area and not quite as tender as those from the loin.
Cuts for roasting: sirloin, fore rib, fillet, prime rib (bone-in or boneless)
Cuts for pot roasting: topside, silverside, top rump, brisket, chuck (boned and rolled), thick flank
Cuts for stewing and braising: chuck, brisket, flank, shin, neck, topside and silverside
Cuts for grilling and frying: fillet, sirloin, rump steaks, T-bone, Porterhouse (a double-size T-bone or wing rib)
Classic accompaniments: fresh horseradish or horseradish sauce, English mustard, Yorkshire pudding, Guinness or ale.
Pot roast beef with root vegetables
An economical, filling and oh-so-satisfying meal in a pot. Once assembled, it needs little attention and makes its own gravy while it cooks. Delicious the next day for leftovers, as the flavours mature with time.
Serves 6
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cooking Time: 3 hours
1 1/2-2kg rolled brisket
2 tbsp olive or vegetable oil
6 shallots, peeled and left whole, or 1 large onion, roughly chopped
1 large carrot, cut into 5cm/2inch chunks
4 celery stalks, cut into 5cm/2inch chunks
300g swede, cut into 5cm/2inch chunks
300g potatoes, cut into 5cm/2inch chunks
6 regular size or 1 large field mushroom (sometimes called Portabella), cut into 1 inch chunks
300ml vegetable stock (Marigold Swiss Bouillon works well)
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp tomato purée
1 bay leaf
3 sprigs fresh thyme
Beurre manié made with 1 tbsp flour and 25g softened butter
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/gas mark 2. Heat the oil over a high heat in a large oven-proof casserole and brown the meat on all sides. Place on a plate.
Add the shallots or onion, carrot and celery to the casserole and fry until beginning to go brown at the edges, about 5 minutes. Place the meat on top of the vegetables and add the swede, potatoes and mushrooms.
Make up the stock, add the Worcestershire sauce and tomato purée and pour over the roast. Add the bay leaf and thyme, salt and pepper and bring to the boil. Secure with a tight-fitting lid and cook in the oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
After the cooking time, drain off the liquid, arrange the meat and vegetables on a serving platter and keep warm. Make the beurre manié by mixing the butter and flour to a paste. Bring the liquid to the boil and whisk in the beurre manié to thicken the sauce. Taste for seasoning and serve with the pot roast.
Lamb
England and Wales produce some of the finest lamb anywhere in the world. New Zealand is also a large producer, though imported New Zealand lamb is usually frozen by the time it reaches these shores.
By its very nature, lamb comes from young animals, therefore most of it is relatively tender. But, some cuts, such as the shoulder and shank, are tougher and fatty and are better-suited to stewing or braising.
Lamb should be a brownish-pink colour, not as dark red as beef and not grey or bloody. Like beef, it is best when cooked medium, unless it is being used in a slow-cooked stew or casserole.
Cuts for roasting: leg, shoulder (both leg and shoulder can be roasted whole or boneless), breast, best end of neck (called a rack of lamb), saddle, loin fillet
Cuts for stewing and braising: leg and shoulder (cut in smaller pieces), chump chops, middle neck, breast, knuckle, shank
Cuts for grilling and frying: cutlets, loin chops, chump chops, leg steaks (from the top end of the leg)
Classic accompaniments: mint and mint sauce, redcurrant jelly, rosemary, red wine sauce, claret.
Lamb shanks with rosemary and mashed potatoes
The thin end of the leg, lamb shanks are back in fashion and now being served in the trendiest of restaurants. Served on a pile of creamy mashed potatoes, this is comfort food at its best.
Serves 4
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cooking Time: 2 1/2 hours
4 lamb shanks
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
salt and pepper
1 tbsp flour
2 tbsp oil
2 onions, finely chopped
3 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 organic carrots, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 anchovy fillets
200ml dry white wine
300ml lamb stock
1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp freshly chopped flat leaf parsley, to serve
mashed potatoes, to serve
Season the flour with the rosemary, salt and pepper, spread on a plate and roll the shanks to give a light coating. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a flameproof casserole and brown the lamb on all sides. Remove from the casserole and set aside.
Heat the rest of the oil and fry the onions, celery and carrots until soft. Add any leftover flour and rosemary, the garlic and anchovies and stir-fry for another minute. Pour in the wine and stock and boil for about 5 minutes to reduce the liquid by half. Add the tomatoes and return the lamb to the casserole. Cover and cook over a very low heat for 2 hours.
Check the sauce - if it seems a bit thin, remove the lid and allow to reduce for another half hour or so. Just before serving, taste for seasoning and stir in the chopped parsley.
Serve one shank per person on a mound of mashed potatoes with the sauce spooned over it.
Pork
Pigs for the fresh pork market are killed while still young and tender, therefore the meat has less fat than it would from an older animal. The flesh should be pale pink and not dark red or bloody. Pork made into bacon comes from older, heavier pigs which carry more fat, and goes through a different process of salting, curing or smoking. Very young suckling pigs can be roasted or barbecued whole and the meat is extremely tender and moist.
Fresh pork is labelled with names which are similar to beef and lamb. Sausages are usually made from the fatty pieces, especially the belly.
Cuts for roasting: tenderloin or fillet, belly roast, bone-in or boneless leg roast, bone-in or boneless loin roast, leg joint, blade or shoulder, spare rib (also sold as individual chops), hand and spring (a curious name - this cut comes from the foreleg and is usually boned and stuffed).
Cuts for grilling and frying: escalopes (from the leg), leg steaks (thicker than escallops), loin medallions, shoulder steaks, bone-in or boneless chops, loin chops.
Diced pork or stir-fry: from any of the leaner parts of the pig, cut into small pieces, also used in pies or casseroles.
Classic accompaniments: apples and apple sauce, prunes, plums, mustard, sage, cider.
Pork crackling: Worth a mention in its own right as it is a subject close to many roast pork-lovers' hearts! Firstly, the skin of the roast should be completely dry and well-scored with the tip of a sharp knife. Immediately before roasting, sprinkle the surface with a generous but thin coating of salt. Place in a roasting tin, making sure the sides are not too high to prevent the heat reaching all of the skin. Don't put any fat over the crackling or baste it as it cooks. Start with a very high, preheated oven, 250C/gas mark 9 and roast for 20 minutes, then lower the heat to 180C and allow 45 minutes per pound.
Pork and cider casserole
The grated carrot adds a touch of sweetness to this wonderful mid-week supper dish and the creme fraiche blends with the cider to make a luscious sauce. Perfect with plain rice or new potatoes.
serves 4
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 35 minutes
900g pork, cut into cubes (or ready-diced pork)
6 tbsp flour
2 tspn paprika
salt and pepper
3-4 tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil
25g butter
200g mushrooms, sliced or quartered
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 x medium carrots, peeled and grated
500ml dry cider
200ml crème fraiche