Slow wins the race
The cheaper sub-prime cuts are some of the best - you just need to give them some love, writes Thomas Heaton.
Do not confuse cheap meat for bad meat, there’s more to the sub-prime cuts than many think. The cheaper cuts are often chefs’ favourites because they’re economical and with a little bit of attention, they yield great flavour.
The key ingredient in recipes using cheap cuts is patience, something many contemporary cooks do not have.
Brendan Foster, owner of Akaroa Butchery and Deli, says customers’ buying habits are cyclical and unusual cuts of meat are back in fashion.
Many people are buying the lesser used cuts, as was done in generations past, but they still crave convenience.
Pre-made, value-added meals were popular when they had cheap cuts in them, such as lamb shanks or beef cheeks. While everyone is trying to feed their families affordably, considering the overlooked parts of the animal is good way to get by, he says.
‘‘People just need a little bit more education.’’
Techniques such as slowcooking, smoking and braising make the most of humble meats, says Auckland chef Alan Brown.
‘‘You might just need a little patience,’’ he says.
Beef
The most flavoursome cuts of beef are those that need extra work: brisket, topside, blade, shin, cheeks.
Beef cheeks are prized for how they melt when cooked slowly, as the connective tissue throughout the muscle breaks down and leaves tender meat.
‘‘Beef cheeks are quite amazing. You don’t even change those up, they just melt,’’ Brown says.
Like cheeks, less popular brisket is full of potential because of the layers of fat and connective tissue that breaks down over long cooks.
Whole brisket is also a popular cut in the American barbecue community, smoked over 12 hours at a low temperature.
Shaun Clouston, chef and coowner at Logan Brown in Wellington, says it’s an extremely versatile cut.
Minced brisket, in burgers, has a good meat-fat ratio, while it was equally good braised.
Searing brisket, before taking it off the heat and adding chopped celery, onions and carrots, deglazing with some porter style beer and then cooking it in the liquid for a few hours makes for a rich dish.
‘‘The secret for the brisket is, you leave it to fully cool down in
"Beef cheeks are quite amazing. You don't even change those up, they just melt,"
- Chef Alan Brown
the liquid,’’ says Clouston.
Once cooled, it keeps its shape and can be sliced, while any leftover juices can be cooked down and used as a sauce.
Leaner cuts of beef, such as blade or topside steak, need added moisture.
Using wine or stock, cover half to three quarters of the sealed meat, to ensure it falls apart but remains tasty, making for rich stews.
Both Clouston and Foster are proponents of skirt steak, popular in French and South American cookery.