NOSE to TAIL meat

[Annemieke]

The latest fashion in meat is Nose-to-Tail or Top-to-Tail eating. You "cook with underutilized meats so all parts of an animal are eaten. It's not about eating one entire animal (like a lamb or pig on a spit), but rather eating the offal, organ meat, and other usually discarded meats. Why? First, because every part can be delicious and wholesome if properly cooked. And second, if this animal’s died for us to eat it then we have a responsibility to not let any part of it go to waste." [1]
The modern habit to have steaks, chops, ham and the like, means that often the best part of an animal get wasted. Yes, cheaper cuts of meat often take longer [2], but you can make a large batch and freeze some meals. Or cook for a few days at the time.
As to pork trotters, chicken feet and heads - do we still know how to make a good, wholesome stock? Proper stock contains gelatin, which helps me sleep at night. It is also good for your skin and many diseases of modern life.
Frugal. Good for you. Eco-friendly. Cheap. And, best of all: delicious!

[1] http://readmeatdc.blogspot.com/2009/03/ ... -tail.html and
http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/nose-t ... animal.htm
[2] www.netmums.com/family-food/guide-to-co ... ts-of-meat
[3] www.naturalfoodfinder.co.uk/broth-is-beautiful-blog
[4] www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/the-won ... our-stock/

[lancashire lass]

absolutely Some of the old family recipes are made from cheap cuts which don't taste the same with alternates.

[saint-spoon]

Can't argue with that.

[manda]

Absolutely agree with that...
If I'm honest although I have always liked offal I probably under-utilised until we moved to our little farm and raise our own animals ....that made me really look at using everything.....I would like to see TV chefs spending more time showing the wonders of offal and the best ways to cook it so that it's used more.

[Stef]

I love the fact that it is becoming the in thing again, except my butcher is selling more and I can't always get the bit I want any more

I bought the Margerite Patten books years ago, a Jubilee edition from a book club I think. We adapt those recipes to today's leftovers.

Batch cooking is also a joy. There are only the 2 of us, so many lovely recipes cannot be made in a small amount. So the freezer becomes an absolute necessity. That's how we got through Frugal Feb (I just got to the very bottom of one drawer and found some ribs, that's tea today done).

The other must have is the slo co. I do have a stockpot and nice casserole dish that both get a lot of use, but there is something wonderful about slinging it in the slo co and going to work, knowing what will be there when I get back.

[chookmike]

No! Please don't let the TV chefs start on the less expensive cuts. Only a few years ago lamb shanks were 50p. Now they are £6 in our supermarket. Gurnard used to be big and cheap, now small and expensive. Keep your secrets - we are running out of them!

Mike

[silverback]

Agree with Mike , as soon as the celebrity chefs start using cheap cuts the price goes up . As for offal, we always used to have it years ago, as soon as the health boffins started to slate offal, like pork chops not allowed to be sold with a kidney attached etc, it all went to pot .

Make's you wonder how we all survived ......

[aishakali]

We used to think we had a really good deal if the pork chop had some kidney attached to it!!