How to make cheap meat delicious; this is how you do it

While tender beef such as steak and tenderloin is the easiest to prepare, it also comes with a hefty price tag. So if you want to save money, you’re better off choosing meat from the brisket or shoulder. Less expensive because it’s less popular, but certainly no less delicious.

These cuts are less popular because they’re less tender, but they’re often of relatively good quality (if you get them from a good butcher) and very flavorful. How do you bring out that flavor without chewing on a tough piece of shoe leather? Braise the meat.

Braising

This applies especially to the tougher cuts (such as shank and short ribs); leaner cuts are better cooked rare and sliced very thinly (such as roast beef). The tougher cuts contain more fat, and by cooking the meat slowly at a low temperature, the connective tissue becomes tender and you can serve a wonderfully juicy, flavorful piece of meat. Such as red wine-braised brisket, for example, or this ossobuco that Anthony Bourdain used to charm many a woman with.

Marinating

Salting and marinating are very important: they add flavor and help the meat retain its moisture. The longer you plan to braise your meat, the more it benefits from a long marinade.

Patience

The key to success is patience. Take your time with the marinade, take your time with the braising and above all: take your time eating.

Read also:

• Does wagyu really taste different from Angus?
• Mistakes you make when preparing a roast
• The right core temperature for every cut of meat