Budget cuts for winter cooking

The colder months call for comforting braises and stews – Jessica Wragg explores the cheaper cuts that work well for pressure- or slow-cooking

Beef bones

Your irst port of call when it comes to stews and casseroles is a good stock. Bones often are a by-product and go to waste, so many butchers will give them away for free (or near enough). Ask for knuckle or marrow bones, and simmer slowly for hours with onions, herbs and veg. Stock freezes well, so you can make a large enough batch to see you through the winter.

Brisket

This has grown in popularity in recent years, especially among keen barbecuers. A proper, dry-aged brisket with a good amount of fat won’t cost too much, and yet it can be cooked in a number of ways using a variety of marinades. The best way to use it? Chilli con carne. Chunks of fatty, marbled brisket cooked in a rich, spicy sauce just screams comfort eating.

Pork hock

Not often cooked alone, but usually used to add lavour to soups, pork hocks – especially gammon hocks – are as economical a cut as they come. When cooked in a pressure cooker or sous vide, then roasted to crisp up the skin, the hock will produce a rich, illing meal that can be enjoyed for a few days.

Jessica Wragg is a London-based butcher. Her book, Girl on the Block, is out now. jessicawragg.co.uk

@jessicawragg