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Meat is one of those things that always seems to get more expensive. However, by utilizing less desirable parts of the animals, you can create mouthwatering cheaper cuts when treated properly.
For instance, you can purchase the best bologna for a fraction of the cost of premium cuts of steak. Yet, with the right seasoning and cooking techniques, it can rival even the most expensive meats in flavor and tenderness.
Learn About the Meat You Use
It is essential that you learn about any food you use. But it’s a necessary part of cooking with meat because every type and cut behaves differently depending on how you treat and cook it. For instance, tender steaks need salting after they are cooked rather than before to avoid moisture loss. And you can ruin a good joint of meat with a high oven setting. See iFoodReal’s tips on how to make a perfect sirloin tip roast to make your cheaper beef cuts go further.
Dry Brine Tougher Cuts
Salt is essential for bringing out the hidden natural flavors of food. But of course, you cannot get inside a cut of meat. And tougher cuts require some more care than a pinch of salt before cooking. One way to do this is to penetrate the meat by brining it. Brining usually means soaking the meat in salt water. But this doesn’t work well for all cuts. Therefore, dry brining is necessary. To dry brine, simply salt your meat with good quality salt and leave it in the fridge overnight.
Make Mouth Watering Cheaper Cuts with Braising
Like using a slow cooker, the sinew, muscle fibers, and, more importantly, collagen breaks down when you braise cuts. This makes braising a wonderful and healthy way to cook the most flavor from your cheaper cuts of meat, and you can use it with any kind. Braised chuck steaks with mash are a classic. And braised pork filet in apple cider with cream is another. And the great thing about braising is that you get maximum flavor by cooking your cuts “low and slow”.
Make a Hearty Stew
Like braising, you can really get to the heart of your meat’s flavors with a stew. Stewing, also like braising, allows all of the flavors of the ingredients to combine over a long period of time. As a result, you are left with a melting pot of oozing tastes and a rich, meaty gravy you will finish off your entire plate or bowl with soaked bread. Additionally, stewing doesn’t have to be an exact science. So, you can use up any ingredients that are near expiration, like beans and pulses.
Break Down the Muscle Fibers
One of the main reasons cheaper cuts are actually cheap is because they don’t break down easily and are, therefore, tougher. But they are still bursting with flavor. It’s simply a case of getting to it. One way is to break down the muscle fibers. You have probably seen this on TV, where chefs tenderize meat with a mallet. There are time-saving reasons for this, as a flattened cut can be cooked evenly and quickly as with a schnitzel. But this also breaks down tough cuts.
Summary
You don’t have to pay silly money for good meat. You can create mouth watering, cheaper cuts of meat. First, learn about different meats. Then try braising and breaking down tougher fibers.
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