Good Meat: The Complete Guide to Sourcing and Cooking Sustainable Meat [Hardcover]

Deborah Krasner (Author), Marcus Nilsson (Photographer), Senator Bernie Sanders (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2010

Good Meat is a comprehensive guide to sourcing and enjoying sustainable meat. With the rising popularity of the locavore and organic food movements—and the terms “grass fed” and “free range” commonly seen on menus and in grocery stores—people across the country are turning their attention to where their meat comes from. Whether for environmental reasons, health benefits, or the astounding difference in taste, consumers want to know that their meat was raised well.

 

With more than 200 recipes for pork, beef, lamb, poultry, and game, stunning photos of delicious dishes, and tips on raising sustainable meat and buying from local farmers, Good Meat is sure to become the classic cooking resource of the sustainable meat movement. 

Praise for Good Meat:

"Good Meat: The Complete Guide to Sourcing and Cooking Sustainable Meat belongs on the shelf of every carnivore out there. If you eat meat and if you raise animals for meat or if you have ever considered eating meat or eggs, you need a copy of Deborah Krasner's work of art. The thoughtful essays, equipment and seasonings chapters alone are worth the price of admission, but the anatomy lessons, cutting instructions and more than 200 recipes make the book a rare bargain indeed."
 -Grit.com

“Deborah Krasner is part of a revolution in food, in agriculture, in nutrition, that is taking place in our nation. Her book is a fine contribution to that revolution, teaching us how to eat more healthfully, how to buy from local farmers, how to cook what they raise.” —Senator Bernie Sanders, from the foreword

“The healing local food movement's success hinges on artisanal farming and domestic culinary arts. Good Meat takes the mystery out of both in a masterful way, bringing all of us another giant step closer to healing the planet one bite at a time. Beautiful pictures and delightful explanations . . . Everyone interested in local, earth-friendly food will love this book." —Joel Salatin, owner of Polyface Farm

"Good Meat is a template for all future cookbooks: one that educates on the culinary differences between factory-farmed meats and animals raised on family farms, and the utilization of the entire animal in a sustainable manner." —Patrick Martins, founder of Slow Food USA, Heritage Foods USA 

"Good Meat is the cookbook for all who have made the choice to eschew factory-farmed meat for grass-fed and pasture-raised meat. This book provides the knowledge to make sustainably raised meat a reality at your table." —Bruce Aidells, author of The Complete Meat Cookbook 

"If you want to cook delicious meals from humanely raised meat, Good Meat is for you. It offers superb recipes designed for grass-fed meat, and provides cooks with the first useful guide to ordering direct from the farm. This book makes you feel good about the meat you eat." —Paula Wolfert, author of Clay Pot Cooking

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Deborah Krasner is a writer and food professional living in Vermont. She hosts culinary vacations in Italy and Vermont, which have been featured in GQ, Bon Appétit, and the Boston Globe. Krasner won a James Beard Award in 2003 for her cookbook The Flavors of Olive Oil. She appears regularly on NPR’s The Splendid Table and contributes to Bon Appétit and Real Simple, among other publications.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Stewart, Tabori & Chang (September 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1584798637
• ISBN-13: 978-1584798637
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 9.4 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #231,423 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

My newest book GOOD MEAT comes directly out of the life I lead in rural Vermont. I live in a converted barn on a dirt road with my husband, two cats and a dog. Until very recently we also cared for a dozen laying hens, a couple of Icelandic sheep, and a mixed flock of meat birds including ducks, geese, turkeys, guinea fowl and chickens. All of them are pictured in the book, which was photographed in and around my home.

GOOD MEAT is about finding and cooking grass-fed and pastured meat. Such meat is the opposite of industrial meat -- it is sustainable because it nourishes the earth, is in balance with the land's ability to absorb nutrients and support grazing animals, and supports diverse ecosystems. Grass-fed and pastured meat is increasingly shown to be better for human health, both in terms of nutrients and in terms of fat content. While it's lower in fat than industrial meat, what fat there is turns out to be "good" fat. However, leaner meat can be tricky to cook well, so GOOD MEAT is devoted to showing cooks how to cook it to advantage, using every part of the animal from nose to tail.

In addition, GOOD MEAT is designed to support those who may want to buy their meat directly from farmers in whole, half or quarter animal quantities. Such frozen meat is substantially less expensive than buying grass-fed and pastured meat by the piece fresh at retail, but requires that a consumer fill out a cut sheet detailing how they want their meat cut and packaged. With the help of butcher Adam Tiberio, GOOD MEAT offers a "decision tree" for each animal, showing how to choose the best cuts for you and your cooking style. The book is organized by animal, by primal and sub-primal, and by retail cuts, so that anyone can find a recipe for any part, including offal, fat and odd bits.

Each of my books have been an investigation, detailing the process of my own understanding. From a feminist re-vision of kitchen design to olive oil, I love figuring out what about accepted wisdom makes sense, and what can be replaced with a more logical or sensible perspective. While GOOD MEAT is the most personal book I've written, it is also very much in line with my six previous books on design and food. I loved every minute I worked on it!