When to use the right meat

Posted on | October 12, 2008 |

Some people often find it confusing about what cut of meat to use and when. The advantages of getting the right cut of meat means that you may save money through buying cheaper cuts, and getting better flavour from the meat that should be used in certain recipes.

Here I give a basic run down of what popular cuts of meat you should be using for popular dishes. Of course the basic rule is that the cheaper the cut of meat, the longer it will usually take to cook in order for it to be tender. Follow my guide and you will spend less and get more flavour in your meat cooking.

Mince - Doesn’t need to be cooked a lot at all thanks to leaner cuts of meat being used, and the mince being very thin and broken down.
Stewing/Brisket beef - Beef that will flake and fall apart when cooked for around three hours. Anything under will just be tough and leathery.
Lamb/Pork shoulder - needs around two and half hours cooking time until it is tender and flakes.
Chicken thighs - better flavour and texture than breast, but is suited to slower cooking than a breast. Great in curries.
Loin/Fillet - these cuts of pork, beef, or lamb need only around 4-5 minutes cooking as they taste best when slightly raw. Chicken which cannot be eaten raw will need around 10 mins. The worst thing you can do with a fillet is over cook it.

Share this page