Choosing the Right Meat Cuts
When it comes to choosing the right meat cut, it can be a difficult task for many. You can’t be 100% certain that the meat cuts you buy come from a reliable source. Spotting quality meat requires a keen eye! Before you buy meat, look out for the following:
- Marbling, or signs of fat, adds to the overall taste and texture of the meat.
- Cold meat should be firm to the touch.
- When the grocers handle your meat cut, ensure they do not mishandle it.
- If you don’t know your meat cuts, ask your grocer for advice. Establish a repertoire with them over time.
- “Less but more” is sound advice when it comes to quality meat.
With these general points in mind, we have laid out the basics you need to keep in mind before you buy meat.
Meat Cut Marbling
Marbling will affect the taste and texture of your meat cut. Basic rule of thumb: The more marbling there is, the better it will taste.
Marbling is important when it comes to your meat cuts. Marbling refers to the traces of fat found within the meat, giving it a deeper and more satisfying taste. Before you buy meat from a selection, feel it quite firmly. Cold fat is hard, and so should feel firm to the touch.
Quality meat will generally have a fatty coating to help keep its juices contained. This contributes to a much improved taste. Older animals will have yellowed fat. While less tender, they often have a deeper and more mature taste.
Buy Meat which is More Tender
You can eat meat cuts from veal, lamb, pork, and poultry directly. This is not so for beef, though, as it needs to tenderise over the course of about a week.
When choosing meat, tenderisation is crucial. Tenderisation helps to develop an excellent taste, and lose considerable liquid. Due to this, a tenderised meat cut is often more expensive.
Quality Meat had Quality Feed
Properly fed animals will grow meat and fat in natural proportions. Animals that have mostly fed on green grass will have much tastier meat. Not only that, but they will have a lot of marbling, too! Try to buy meat that you know has grazed properly.
Animals that graze properly grow meat and fat in natural proportions. Animals that have eaten green grass usually have tastier meat, with a lot of marbling! Do what you can to find out the feed given to your meat selection. Grass fed cows are often said to provide the best quality meat. Additionally, different feed will contribute to different tastes.
Quality and Quantity are not Mutually Exclusive
If you buy a cheaper meat cut, that doesn’t mean you’re getting “more” of it. The more likely case is that you’re paying for the added brine. You’re much better off selecting more expensive meat cuts, which are nicer and tastier.
Avoid losing the weight of those portions into a pool of liquid in the pan! When it comes to chicken, always go for whole chickens! They almost always have better value for money, better portions, and more meat!
