REDUCING MEAT BILLS WITHOUT CUTTING FLAVOUR

Courtesy of Good Food Team: licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

Updated April 2022

 

Supermarkets are pulling out the stops to meet the needs of shoppers looking for a choice of cheaper, less tender cuts of meat and offal.   Cheeks, necks, shins, shanks, hocks and liver may no longer be available at rock bottom prices (thanks to clever trendy restaurants) but they are still good value.  

The BBC has a great site on getting the best out of cheap cuts of meat including pork, beef and lamb; also the Mirror.  

Both are worth a look, as is a visit to Sainsbury's -- their meat counters have a good selection of non-run-of-the-mill cuts.  

Waitrose, too is in on the act -- their butcher's counter often has surprisingly good offers.  Last week skirt steak and shin of Angus Angus beef were well priced - both about £8 per kilo.  Cooked low and slow, either will  provide plenty of fork-tender beef and conversation-stopping glossy gravy.  Some of the pieces are large but can be cut and frozen.  A Waitrose card gets a 20% discount.

Chicken livers (try to get organic) are another good value meat; ounce for ounce they are almost pure meat.  If you love chicken liver,  the excellent Indian-style Spicy Chicken Livers with Figs* (or other fruit) is a real treat.   Also try sautéing chicken livers with bacon, onions and a tin of tomatoes -- served over pasta or rice, it goes down very well.

If the household's a bit iffy about livers, add them to meat pasta sauces; the liver cooks down and is unrecogniseable but adds depth and intensity.   Adding small cubes of liver to tomato-based soups adds texture and another level of flavour

Also consider supermarkets specials like beef roasts; they regularly have something like topside on offer at but you have to be fast.  Even if you're lucky enough to bag one at the bargain price, it's wise to be careful how they are cooked.  Some can be surprisingly tough if roasted and slow-cooking may be a better option.

This recipe for Beef Ragout - adapted from 60's celebrity chef Robert Carrier - is an old favourite.  The 67 cookbook is so battered the title page has long disappeared; sadly it is out of print.

Courtesy of Dreamstime:  © Copyright Paul Cowan and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence
(Sorry for  stock photo; camera failed)

Cook a day ahead. 

Cost: about £6.00
Feeds: 6-8; leftovers freeze well

Ingred:
   500gm/17.6lb shin or casserole beef (which usually comes in chunks but you can cut up a 'bargain' joint) 

   50gm/2oz flour, seasoned lightly with salt & pepper
   3-4 slices back bacon, fat removed, cut in batons (opt)
   a large yellow or purple onion in med to large dice
   1 lb/500gm carrots, thickly sliced 
   1 tbsp butter
   1 tbsp olive oil
   1/2 pint/300ml dry red wine or red grape juice
   1/2pint/300 ml good stock*
   1/2 pint/300ml tomato juice or passata
   1 clove garlic, finely grated
   
   6oz/170gm mushrooms, quartered if large (opt)
   1 tsp flour
   
   1/4 bunch of fresh parsley, coarsely chopped 

Method:

1. Put flour into a bag, add beef; toss till all pieces coated
2. Over medium high heat, saute bacon until it starts to crisp; drain on paper towel; set aside
3. Reduce heat to med low; add onions and carrots to pan; partially cover with a lid & cook until until lightly coloured - about 15 mins; drain; set aside
4. Add  butter & olive oil; turn heat back up to med-high; add beef; saute until brown; drain off fat
5. Add bacon and veg, wine, stock, tomato juice and garlic; bring to the boil scraping at the bottom of the pan; bubble gently 5 minutes
6. Pour into slow cooker; cook on low 5-6 hours or until meat is nearly falling from the bone 
7. Remove meat with tongs; set aside; when cool separate meat from fat or gristle
8. Remove veg with slotted spoon; set aside
9. Pour juices into a flattish dish; cool one hour then refrigerate for a few hours or overnight; the fat solidifies and can be lifted off
10. When ready to serve, pour meat, veg & fat-free sauce into a heavy saucepan; 
11. The ragout will likely be quite thick.  If so, add 1 tsp butter; if not, mix butter with an equal amount of flour; mix into the ragout 
12. Add mushrooms if using; bring to a boil, reduce heat to a low simmer; leave 20-30 mins.  
13. Garnish with plenty of freshly chopped parsley
14. Serve with rice, potatoes (baked are easy-peasy) or noodles

Tips:

• for variety, replace half the carrots with swede 
• if there isn't stock in the freezer or time to make some, 67 uses Marigold Vegan granules

*Adapted from Anjum Anand

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This recipe has been developed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises.  It may not be reproduced without the author's written permission