Collar bacon is not as popular as the more commonly available gammon cut, but that may because people are not sure what it is. In this article we aim to highlight just how the collar bacon should not be so easily overlooked when assessing your boiling bacon needs. So what is collar bacon? Collar Bacon is the shoulder portion (pork butt) of a pig, that has been cured in a salt brine. The collar is usually boiled in liquid for several hours, and used for dishes such as Irish Boiled Bacon & Cabbage. Although the collar has a more intense flavor than the Gammon Ham, it is less desired by consumers due to…
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What Does French Trimmed Meat Mean?
Some recipes call for your meat to be ‘french trimmed’, but you may not be sure what that means. This article will help explain what french trimming is and why it is done. So what does ‘French Trimmed’ mean when it comes to meat? French Trimmed is the term given to exposing the clean bone of a piece of meat for decoration purposes. Most commonly, racks of lamb and ribs of beef are French trimmed by removing all of the meat and fat from around, and between the ribs, to expose the clean rib bones. Sometimes a frilled paper ‘chef hat’ is placed over the end of the rib for…
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How To Prevent Dry & Tough Pork Chops With Perfect Result Every Time!
So you really enjoy having cooked pork chops for dinner but shy away from making them because they always seem to turn out dry and tough. Well, we will explain why that happens, and what you can do to make sure you always end up with tender juicy pork chops in future. So why do cooked pork chops end up dry and tough? To prevent dry and tough pork chops, you need to cook the chops a certain way. Shoulder and rib pork chops are tougher cuts, and so need to be cooked long and slow in liquid. The prime centre cut loin chops should ideally be cooked to a…
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Is “Out of Date” Meat Safe To Eat?
Food labelling can be a confusing issue for consumers, and a costly affair, if perfectly good food is being thrown away for the wrong reasons. So is meat past its expiration date still safe to eat? Meat labelled with a ‘Use By’ date should not be eaten beyond the listed date. Products labelled with a ‘Sell By’, ‘Display Until’, or a ‘Best Before’ date, will still have a useable life after the listed date. We will look at how you can decide whether your expired meat is actually still safe to be eaten, or if it would be better to throw it away. “The average American family of four throws…
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What Is Rack of Lamb And Why Is It So Expensive?
If you have been looking for recipes or meal ideas to impress guests at a dinner party, you may have seen the popular ‘Rack of Lamb’ option. Although it is an relatively easy dish to make that looks and tastes fantastic, it does come with a hefty price tag. So what is a Rack of Lamb and what makes it so expensive? The Rack of Lamb is prepared from the lamb rib section, between the shoulder and loin of the animal. Each rack can consist of 6, 7 or 8 ribs, depending on how it has be cut. The work involved to french trim the lamb racks, as well as…
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Escalopes Explained – Veal, Pork, Turkey, Chicken & Beef
Many recipes ask for escalopes of meat, however there is some confusion over what an escalope actually is. So what is an Escalope? An escalope is a thin cut slice of lean meat that has been pounded flatter with a meat mallet to increase the surface size and make more tender. Often escalopes are coated with breadcrumbs and fried, topped with a filling and rolled into a roulade, or served with a sauce. Why Are Escalopes So Popular? Escalopes offer great versatility for the cook to prepare lots of wonderful tasty dishes relatively quickly, and so are a firm favorite in the kitchen. Whether you decide to just dredge the…
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Faggots & Savoury Ducks – An Offaly Delicious Treat!
When you think of really good eating, pigs offal, fat and breadcrumbs probably doesn’t rank very highly on your list. However, when transformed into the butchers delight known as Faggots or Savoury Ducks, you may well be persuaded to rethink. So what exactly are Faggots & Savoury Ducks? Faggots and Savoury Ducks are a combined ball of minced fatty pork, pigs liver, heart and lungs, bound together with breadcrumbs or oats and seasoned with herbs, onions and carrots. These balls of meat are usually covered with pigs caul and roasted together in a pan, and then traditionally served with gravy, mashed potatoes and peas. Now before you dismiss the idea…
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Beef Cube Steaks Explained – Best Cuts, Preparation & Cooking Tips
Many supermarkets and grocery stores offer great deals on buying beef cube steaks, but people can shy away from buying them due to not knowing what they are, or how to cook them. This article will help clear up any questions you may have regarding cube steaks, and allow you to take advantage of those great deals the next time they come up on offer in your local store or meat market. So what is a Beef Cube Steak? A beef cube steak is usually a tougher cut of beef that has been mechanically tenderized by the butcher to make it less tough and more desireable to eat. Beef Cube…
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Pork Ribs Explained: Baby Backs, Spare Ribs & Riblets
What are the different types of pork ribs you can buy? Baby backs, spare ribs, St Louise ribs and pork riblets are the most popular types of pork ribs sold in supermarkets, meat markets and restaurants. “I know my husband really loves me because he takes me to have ribs. He says I’m the only girl he ever took out who actually ate anything on her plate, as opposed to pushing it around.” Julia Barr – American Actress One of the most popular meats eaten today either in restaurants or home BBQ’s, is the tender and tasty barbecue sauce smothered pork ribs – Delicious! However, there are many varieties of…
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Cooking Frozen Meat – It’s Safe, Quick & Convenient
Gone are the days when you need to panic and change your dinner plans if you have forgotten to thaw your meat. Cooking meat and poultry from frozen is perfectly safe, and in some instances preferable to cooking from thawed. Find out why with this article....
