by Patricia Bunch

Created on: January 11, 2009   Last Updated: January 28, 2009

When planning a meal the menu is usually planned around the meat to be served. It takes some knowledge of meat to be wise in selecting a good cut of meat fit for preparing the meat to taste good and to be tender and pleasant to eat.

When picking a cut of beef, the better cuts are more expensive than the ones of lesser quality. Even the cuts from the portion of the beef which are supposed to be the best can be ruined if they are cut by an inexperienced butcher. Meat needs to be cut cross-grain. If meat is cut so the fibers are left long instead of short the meat will be tough. This is the art of meat cutting; of becoming a good butcher; learning the anatomy of the beef and the run of the grain and being able to work with it appropriately.

When looking for a good cut of meat, look for the marble in the cut, the white thready fat content which runs through the lean fibers of the meat. This is what gives the meat its moisture and tenderness. A very solid looking cut of meat with no marble running through it will not be tender without special preparation.

Some of the best cuts in beef are rib-eye steaks, porter house, which is the top cut of the T- bone, and the fillet mignon. The fillet mignon is the prime cut of the beef, almost fool-proof to cut and is usually very pricey.

In pork the tenderloin is the choice cut. It is from the back of the pork and can be cooked whole or sliced into pieces for frying or grilling. Other cuts of pork are chops and roasts. The loin is the best. Marbling is true in pork as in beef, but not as much. Tenderness in pork depends mostly on the age of the pork before it comes to market.

The way to prepare the best cuts of meat is the choice of the chef. The meat should be tender and tasty grilled or pan fried if it is cut correctly. Some types of cattle are more tender than others, for example, Angus are more tender than cattle bred for dairy production. Buffalo is not as tender as smaller breeds of cattle because it has such a small fat content.

There is nothing wrong with the taste of some of the cheaper cuts of meat you can buy in the market. Many of the tougher cuts are grounded and can be made into patties and different spices and vegetables added to make very tasty moist meat dishes fit for any meal. Other cuts, such as the round steak, aren't suitable for quick cutting, because it will be tough, but it has a wonderful taste. This needs to be tenderized by running through a tenderizer, or by pounding, or using a commercial meat tenderizer. All these methods work for the tougher cuts of meat to make them tender enough to eat with a fork.

Another way to cook a cheaper cut of meat is to pan brown it and finish cooking it in a pressure cooker. This is faster than a slow cooker and is an effective way to make a tasty dish and stretch your meat budget. Slow cookers are good for cooking meats like this as well if your schedule will permit. A chuck roast can be browned on all sides, seasoned, put in a slow cooker and left all day and when you come home at night and slice the roast cross-grain, you will have a great meat dish to build the rest of your meal around.

Follow the manufacturer's time tables per pound of meat per minute to cook when using a pressure cooker or slower cooker to prepare meat.

Learn more about this author, Patricia Bunch.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.