Beef cooking
Beef is such a versatile meat that a one word description hardly does it justice. Because of the size of the animal and the amount of cuts available to choose from there is a beef cooking recipe to suit every taste.
It is worth noting that You Can save money by going for one of the cheaper cuts, as long as you know a suitable recipe you can make a wholesome meal for very little cost. Your local butcher will have a much larger range of choice than the supermarket. It may be a little more expensive but the quality will be far greater. By going to a butcher you can also ask them any questions you may have, perhaps your beef cooking recipe specifies something you’re not sure about, or are unable to obtain from a supermarket, or features a more unusual cut, or needs to be jointed in a particular way? Your butcher will be able to provide these services for you. A Very Good butcher will be able to tell you which farm the animal came from, so you can be sure they are adhering to animal welfare standards.
There are a few things you can look out for to determine the quality of the meat. Firstly, colour is important. Beef should be hung for at least twenty one days after slaughter in order for the flavour to develop, this can give the meat a deeper red colour and the fat can look creamy. Good beef that has layers of fat running through it will display a marbling effect and will retain its moisture during cooking. The best cuts of beef, such as fillet steak, have very little fat content and can therefore dry out easily. Because of this it should be served rare so that you do not lose the moisture. There are a few aspects that are common to all beef cooking. Any cut can be served as rare as you like it, although care should be taken on how long it has been exposed to the air, and generally the larger cuts will keep better.
You do not have to have meat as the central fixture of a meal, as using it sparingly can result in some interesting recipes. You can use cheaper cuts of stewing steak to make a casserole, and you do not need a huge amount to produce the desired results. For a casserole you can use fattier meat as the length of cooking time will ensure that all the fat melts, thickening the gravy and producing an overall more tasty result. Beef Cooking Recipes may ask you to buy organic meat, as this has the benefit of the cows having been allowed to graze on grass and eat food that is free from chemicals. Organic meat will contain no additional artificial ingredients; some people argue that this produces a better tasting meat.
