How to Cook Meat [Paperback]

Christopher Schlesinger (Author), John Willoughby (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 8, 2002

How to Cook Meat offers recipes and techniques for anyone who wants to savor the flavor of meat.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Want to learn about meat? Really learn? Then How to Cook Meat is your book. In great and enjoyable detail it explores beef, veal, lamb, and pork--which cuts to buy, what cooking methods suit each, how to judge doneness, and much, much more. Authors Chris Schlesinger and John Willoughby, responsible for the bestselling Thrill of the Grill, also provide more than 200 explicit recipes that comprise a wide range of dishes, from prime-rib roasts to hearty stews, lamb-shoulder braises to grilled pork fillets--and they even cover innards and specialty cuts such as ham hocks. It's hard to imagine a meat lover who wouldn't benefit from this comprehensive yet approachable investigation.

Staring with illuminating notes on butchering and meat grading, the supermarket versus butcher meat-buying issue, and other related matters, the book then provides ample notes on cooking techniques. Recipes for the major meat types follow, organized usefully by cut size and tenderness; these treat the most melting cuts, which can stand quick cooking, to the tougher (though often more flavorful) ones that demand braising or stewing. Particularly attractive recipes include Sage-Rubbed Roasted Loin of Beef with Shallot-Bourbon Sauce; Veal, Sausage, and Fava Bean Stew with Lemony Greens; and Traditional Dry-Rubbed Saint Louis-Style Pork Spareribs. With additional recipes for the likes of hash browns and rice, beans, and vegetable sides, plus useful tips, nomenclature, and substitution notes, the book is a real addition to the kitchen library, though it won't remain shelved for long. --Arthur Boehm --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

Here is a well-rounded and wonderfully thought out bible of beefsteak. Schlesinger and Willoughby (The Thrill of the Grill, License to Grill, etc.) begin with a single premise: that it is imperative to match the method of cooking to the cut of meat you have at hand. Dry heat, like grilling, is choice for the more tender cuts while moist heat, like stewing, is best for the tougher stuff. This holds true for beef, veal, lamb and pork, all of which are represented in their own in-depth sections. With this dictum, the authors go off on a fascinating tour of all things carnivorous. The lengthy and highly instructional introduction delves into such minutiae as how fat stimulates our salivary glands to produce the sensation of juiciness. Then come the more than 200 recipes. The beef chapters run the gamut from a joy-of-gnawing dish called Flintstone-Style BBQ Beef Ribs with Hot, Sweet, and Sour Bone Sauce to a Kuala Lumpur-inspired Gingered Beef Stew with Red Onion-Lime Sambal. And the lamb section includes not only the domesticated Double-Thick Lamb Rib Chops with Slicked-Up Store-Bought Mint Jelly Sauce but also North African-Style Braised Lamb Shanks. Nothing goes to waste since the authors employ a surprisingly large number of offal recipes. There are, of course, a basic sweetbread and calf brains, but these shy in comparison to Lamb Tongues on Toast and the virtually unmentionable Head Cheese Reuben. Most every recipe is accompanied by useful sidebars that detail the cut of meat to use, offer alternative cuts and even tell you how the dish holds up as a leftover. With humor, clarity and expertise, these two renowned food writers have created a requisite text for any serious meat lover. (Oct.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Cookbooks (October 8, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060507713
• ISBN-13: 978-0060507718
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 7.9 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #773,085 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential Reference for Making Meat More Interesting, February 11, 2004

By 

B. Marold "Bruce W. Marold" (Bethlehem, PA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: How to Cook Meat (Paperback)

This is the easiest type of cookbook to review because it is simply the most useful type of cookbook to have, so if you find anything which detracts from the books utility, it is a sure sign that the book is not up to snuff. The fact that the two authors are recognized experts on their subject makes the job even easier, because it generally means you can sit back and take their advice with the assurance that they know what they are talking about. These are not two interior decorators who write cookbooks as a sideline. One thing to beware of regarding the authors' reputations is that unlike their earlier books, this book is not exclusively about grilling meats. In fact, grilling is a relatively minor part of this book.

By `meat' the authors mean the flesh of domesticated cattle, sheep, and pigs. This follows the conventions of almost all other cookbook authors I have read. It does not mean flesh of fowl, rabbits, or game such as venison. One advantage of this distinction means that many methods useable for one `red meat' animal can often be used for a similar cut of meat from another red meat animal.

The main object of the authors in writing this book is to deal with the fact that while eating a large amount of meat may lead to ingesting an excessive quantity of undesirable fats, eating a reasonable amount of meat provides a high amount of complete proteins essential to human nutrition. The object, then, is to make these reasonable portions as desirable as possible to eat. One result of this objective is to make as wide a range of meat cuts accessible to the home cook as possible. Limiting oneself to steaks, pork loin, and lamb chops will not only become dull after a while, it is also expensive.

An important insight from the authors is that the cost of a cut of meat has nothing to do with the (food) value of the cut. In fact, many writers have claimed that most of the less expensive cuts are actually the most flavorful. I think it is fair to say that the cost of a cut of meat is inversely proportional to the amount of time and effort required to convert the meat into a tasty dish. While an eight dollar a pound fillet can be sautéed and pan roasted in 20 minutes, a three-dollar a pound cut of chuck may take two hours to brown and braise. The reward, however, is that the braised chuck will taste great the next day without any help while the cold beefsteak may need some help to be appealing.

My favorite part of this book is the fact that I share with the authors a love of lamb. This means the authors have devoted a sizable portion of the book to recipes for various cuts of lamb, conveniently divided into a number of chapters based on the types of cooking methods most appropriate to the lamb primal.

The first such chapter deals with the large tender cuts of lamb. This includes the very expensive rack of lamb, the crown roast, bone in and butterflied leg of lamb, lamb saddle, lamb loin and a shoulder roast, prepared in a fashion very similar to the leg of lamb methods.

The second lamb chapter presents recipes for large tough cuts of lamb including lamb shanks and two recipes for braised or barbecued lamb shoulder (you didn't think you could keep these guys away from the barbecue for the whole book).

The third lamb chapter is for small tender cuts such as loin chops, rib chops, lamb tenderloin, leg steaks, and Denver Lamb ribs. This chapter concentrates on grilling techniques for lamb, especially for lamb on skewers.

The fourth chapter is my favorite, after roasted leg of lamb, in that it gives stewing and braising recipes for small tough cuts of lamb. This includes Irish stew, Shepherd's pie, and curried lamb dishes.

The last chapter on lamb has two recipes from `the fifth quarter' otherwise known as offal. It has a recipe for lamb kidneys and lamb tongues.

Between this book and constant harping from my hero Mario Batali, lamb shoulder has come to replace leg of lamb as my favorite lamb cut. They have convinced me that it has better flavor while being substantially less expensive. I have also discovered that it is becoming much easier to find than it may have in the past. Check out farmers market butchers.

In addition to excellent recipes, the book offers general tips on various cooking methods and many tips for making requests of butchers to have them do some of the hard work in preparing the meat for the pot. When roasting a shoulder, I would recommend asking the butcher to fillet the shoulder after it is weighted for sale and give you the bones separately to make lamb stock. Speaking of stocks, this book gives no recipes for them, which I actually consider a plus, as there are more than enough good books with excellent stock recipes. No sense taking up space here for a well-worn subject. Check out Judy Rodgers Zuni Café cookbook for the best stock recipes I've ever seen.

I always look here first when I want a recipe for lamb or veal or pork or beef. It not only gives me the right stuff on what to look for at the butcher, but also how to get the best value from what the butcher can do for me.

This book is highly recommended.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All-Star Work on Meat, February 26, 2002

By 

rodboomboom (Dearborn, Michigan United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: How to Cook Meat (Hardcover)

This is truly a magnificent compendium on meat: from beef to pork to lamb and veal.

They do a thorough job of explaining where the cuts come from and the proper cooking techniques to use on each individual cut. On top of this, there is just an outstanding section on how to communicate with one's butcher, be it from a supermarket or specialty butcher store. Also, pictures on given on each cut so that one can know what you're looking for when shopping.

The recipe sections are by cut, and they are plentiful and very creative. I would not describe the majority as requiring the "too hard to find ingredients or techniques that are difficult." These are unique, solid recipes, such as the ones tried so far: a Basil-Crusted Meat Loaf with Brandy, Walnuts and Spicy Wine Tomato Sauce (this is superb, and makes heavenly sandwiches);Lazy Sunday Pot Roast with Caraway and Green Apples; Fennel-Crusted Flank Steak with Orange=Black Olive Relish and Spicy Mint Honey;Grill-Roasted Bone-In Leg of Lamb with Grilled Peaches and Red Onion-Cilantro Salsa;Hoisin-Glazed Grilled Pork Blade Chopes with Spicy Korean Vegetables.

What is unique also is that with each recipe there is included: "Other Names," "Other Cuts You Can Use," "ButcherSpeak" and my favorite: "Cook Once,Eat Twice" which provides advice on the delicious leftovers.

This is so well thought out, researched and presented. On top of all this, the recipes are so creative and excellent and turn out as listed. Not every recipe has a color photo, although there is a sufficient number of color shots in the middle insert.

Just the best resource on these meats I have found. All chefs really into it will enjoy using this reference.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is meaty and delicious!, January 4, 2001

By 

Truro Potter "Paul" (Truro, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to Cook Meat (Hardcover)

This is another winner by Willoughby and Schlesinger and in some cases I think it is their best yet. The recipes are clear, easy to follow and well written. Unlike many other cookbooks, nearly all the recipes are designed for the home chef -- not many fancy ingredients or complicated directions. The organization of the book is excellent as well. Meat is back and this book will help you enjoy it even more!