BUTCHERY BASICS
Learn where all of your favorite cuts come from, and what the best cooking methods are for each one.
- Shoulder
- Loin Section
- Flank/Brisket
- Hip
- Offal
Shoulder
Holds up the neck and head; includes front leg cuts that are generally tough, well-marbled, and good for braising/slow roasting/smoking.
BRAISED
PAN FRIED
GRILLED
Loin Section
Mid-section along the back bone; these muscles are the most tender and prized for steaks, premium roasts, and dry-aged cuts. Best for grilling, pan-frying, and oven roasting.
PAN FRIED
Flank/Brisket
Mid-section from breast to lower belly; the source of many flavourful and less tender “butcher’s” steak cuts that are great for grilling and pan-frying. The brisket and rib area are better for braising, smoking, and slow-cooking.
GRILLED
BRAISED
PAN FRIED
Hip
Term to describe the whole hind leg. Very lean and tough meat; great for braises, stews, grinds, and some roasts. Also sometimes cut very thinly for marinating steaks. We dry age whole hips to use in our dry aged hamburgers.
ROASTED
Outside Flat
PAN FRIED
Inside Round
Sirloin Tip
BRAISED
Knuckle
Offal
Off-cuts muscles and organs. Also described as variety cuts; cooking method depends on the cut.
PAN FRIED
BRAISED
GRILLED
- SHOULDER
- LOIN
- BELLY
- HAM
SHOULDER
Includes the front leg. Shoulder can be sold whole but is usually cut for braising/smoking, roasts, grilling chops, souvlaki, etc. Versatile muscle groups range from tender to very tough.
PAN FRIED
BRAISED
Pork Hock
LOIN
Mid-section along backbone; these are the most tender muscles commonly used for grilling/pan-frying, and roasting.
PAN FRIED
ROASTED
BRAISED
Baby Back Ribs
BELLY
Whole belly and flank section of the hog. Tougher muscle, very flavourful, and fatty; the cuts are commonly used for smoking (bacon), braising, and roasting. When sliced thinly can be a great grilling/frying cut.
BRAISED
GRILLED
Skirt Steak
Thin Cut Belly Bulgogi
HAM
Describes whole back leg of pork, commonly used to define a smoked leg, but is also used for a fresh leg. Lean muscles, can be cut thinly for cutlets, but often used as a whole roast, or in ground and stew.
ROASTED
Fresh Ham Roast
PAN FRIED
Scaloppini
BRAISED
Hock
Stew Meat
- SHOULDER
- LOIN
- FLANK
- LEG
SHOULDER
Includes the neck and the foreshank. Cuts are tough and usually braised, but some pieces can be grilled as chops.
BRAISED
Boneless Lamb Neck Roast
Lamb Neck Medallions
Bone-In Shoulder Roast
ROASTED
GRILLED
LOIN
Mid-section along the back bone; these muscles are the most tender and prized for chops and roasts. Best for grilling, pan-frying, and oven roasting.
ROASTED
PAN FRIED
FLANK
Cuts that run from the breast of the lamb to the belly, mostly used for grind and sausage, sometimes made into a stuffed roast.
ROASTED
Stuffed Lamb Breast Roast
BRAISED
Lamb Side Ribs
LEG
Includes back shank. Lean and relatively tender cuts best for roasting and grilling/frying.
PAN FRIED
- WHOLE BIRDS
- BREAST
- LEG
WHOLE BIRDS
Very versatile for roasting, braising, grilling, frying, and poaching.
ROASTED
GRILLED
Butterflied
PAN FRIED
BREAST
Includes wing. Most popular cut, used for grilling, roasting, and poaching.
PAN FRIED
ROASTED
Bone In Skin On Breast
LEG
More exercised muscle results in more flavourful meat.
BRAISED
MEAT COOKING BASICS
Here are our tips for success: cooking techniques everyone can use to create delicious meals for your family and friends.
Defined by cooking meat in a hot oven without liquid.
Commonly used on tender cuts, they can be lean or fatty.
Slow roasting generally refers to cooking at 300°F or less.
Most roasting recipes use two different temperatures: lower for the actual cooking, and higher to brown the outside of the roast.
Note the weight of the roast.
Bring meat to room temperature.
Season the meat well with salt and pepper (or use marinade overnight), then oil the meat lightly.
Preheat the oven (350°F is most common and useful oven temperature for roasting).
Place meat on a rack in a roasting pan. If there is no rack, elevate the roast by cooking it on halved onions/carrots/etc.
Cook roast for average of 15-20 minutes per pound. This will yield average results; cooks can play with these times based on the roast.
Best way to determine doneness is by using an internal thermometer.
Rest the meat for 10-15 minutes before carving.
Cooking meat in a pan has many advantages, including preventing flare-ups, creating pan sauces, and basting the meat.
Used for fatty and lean meats.
Use a heavy pan that can be transferred into the oven for thicker cuts.
Heat the pan over a medium-high heat.
Bring meat to room temperature.
Season the meat well with salt and pepper (or use marinade overnight), then oil the meat lightly.
Sear the meat in the hot pan, and turn when one side is golden brown.
Don’t overcrowd the pan, as the meat could steam and not brown.
For thicker cuts, transfer the pan with browned meat into a 350°F oven to finish cooking.
Rest the meat for 5-10 minutes before carving/serving.
Make a quick pan sauce by deglazing the pan with flavourful liquid (wine, beer, stock, juice, etc), and whisking in cold butter.
Most easily defined as cooking meat on a grate over an open fire.
Direct heat refers to the meat being on the grill right over the flame.
Indirect heat refers to the meat being on the grill away from the flame.
Heat source can be propane, gas, wood, charcoal.
Grilling is perfect for tender, leaner cuts – fatty cuts can cause flare ups on the grill.
Preheat the grill – ½ should be high, ½ should be medium heat.
Bring meat to room temperature.
Season the meat well with salt and pepper (or use marinade overnight), then oil the meat lightly. “Sear” the meat on the hot (direct) side of the grill, browning each side.
For thicker cuts, move the meat to the indirect side of the grill to finish cooking.
Rest the meat for 5-10 minutes before carving/serving.
Most easily defined as slow roasting in an aromatic liquid.
Used on tougher cuts of meat to break down the muscle fibers and make them tender.
“Stewing” refers to braising smaller pieces of tough meat.
Season the meat with salt and pepper, and dust with a fine layer of flour.
In large pot on medium heat, brown the seasoned meat in fat (butter or oil). When brown all over, remove from pot.
In the same pot, sauté aromatic vegetables (onion, garlic, carrot, celery, etc).
Add liquid to vegetables (wine, stock, water, beer, juice, etc).
Add meat back to pot. Make sure it is at least ¾ covered with liquid.
Put a lid on the pot and place in a 300°F oven until meat is tender.
It is important to use an internal thermometer to test cooked meat for internal doneness. Please refer to the cooking temperatures chart from Health Canada.
Remove your food from the heat and insert the digital food thermometer through the thickest part of the meat, all the way to the middle.
Make sure that the thermometer is not touching any bones, since they heat up more quickly than the meat and could give you a false reading.
If you have more than one piece of meat, poultry or seafood, be sure to check each piece separately, as temperatures may differ in each piece.
For hamburgers, insert the digital food thermometer through the side of the patty, all the way to the middle. Oven-safe meat thermometers designed for testing whole poultry and roasts during cooking are not suitable for testing beef patties.