talk to me about MEAT

[littleblackdress26]

I only cook chicken but I've got a craving for meat! I had a lamb shank from lidl which was lovely n soft but when going to buy it to season and cook myself i see that it's kind of pricey what would be an alternative?
I don't have the first clue about meat ,( I'm talking bout lamb beef and pork) so these are the questions I have:
Soo What is a cheap cut?
What works best in a slow cooker?
What cut Is tender and easy for kids to chew?
And what cuts are good for what I. E stewing casserole baking frying ?
ooh and is it best to go to a butchers rather than tescos etc
PLEASE SOMEONE EDUCATE ME!

[bilbodog]

For slow cooking I recommend ox cheeks and pig cheeks - don't let the name put you off. They are very cheap but succulent when cooked. Pigs cheeks you would probably need 2 each but the ox cheeks are large and can be cut, after cooking so half each. Waitrose sell them and so would butchers, I am not sure of other supermarkets. You can use them in any recipe which calls for long slow cooking I.e. A simple stew or beef bourginon for example.

[Cookingongas]

Pork belly is cheap and delicious slow cooked ( I do cut a lot of fat off though). This recipe is great slow cooked www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1940707/chorizo-pork-belly-and-chickpea-casserole-

[cdtaylornats]

Its definitely worth going to a real butcher, the reasons are

1. the butcher will sell you the amount you want
   
2. if you tell him what you want to do with it he will sell you an appropriate cut
   
3. he probably has nicer sausages and cold meat than the supermarket
   
4. if you need the stewing steak cut up he will be able to do in a minute that would take you 10 minutes
   
5. if you want to do a mince dish that needs top quality mince you can pick the meat and he will mince it

[TinklyLittleLaugh]

My butcher is great: he points me in the direction of the suitable, genuinely chea, cuts, as opposed to the cuts that are traditionally cheap but are now fashionable and expensive, like lamb neck.

Many butchers have a real passion for it and love it when you ask their advice.

[littleblackdress26]

Thank you everyone those cheeks sound interesting will definitely be on the lookout for a decent butcher in that case

[CraftyMissus]

We often go to the butchers now. Tried it a while ago as a food challenge, we were spending an awful lot of money in supermarket on meat that didn't seem to last. went rotten on the way home We were pleasantly surprised to find we could come home with 2 huge bags of meat (we were buying for a month at a time) for around £25... One third of the price we'd been paying in the supermarket.

[cdtaylornats]

It makes a difference when you need 400g of mince and the supermarket sells you it in 500g lots

[littleblackdress26]

Oh that's good! I think my main issue is knowing which cut is for what I. E diced lamb/ beef is it good for.frying stewing cassorole what but I guess going to a butchers they would be able to advise me on everything

[littleblackdress26]

At the moment I just feel like a big chunk of meat to knaw on caveman style lool but.i must remember it has to be soft enough for my 4 year ild.