If you’re looking to make a positive change to your diet, going guilt-free with organic meat is the perfect way to feel good about what you’re consuming.
Buying organic beef and lamb not only supports family farms, it also means the meat you’re putting on the table has been cultivated according to strict requirements and produced in a sustainable, animal-friendly way.
So, now that you’ve made the effort to go organic, it’s important to treat your meat right and make the most of its tender, juicy flavours during the cooking process.
Here are three handy tips to keep in mind the next time you have some free range meat on hand.
Starting off with the right cut
One of the keys to producing great dishes is knowing which cut is right for your needs. There are a variety of different parts suitable for different methods of cooking, so it’s all about getting to know which cut is which!
For example, fillets, rumps or rib-eye steaks tend to be the best cuts for fast-cooking purposes such as pan-frying. On the other hand, if you’ve got the time to slow cook your meat, then chuck steaks, spare ribs, the flank skirt and blade areas of the animal are your go-to cuts.
Choosing the right cut can have a big impact on the end result, so make sure you know which one to go for the next time you’re at the butcher’s.
Resting time required
Even though the temptation to rip into that juicy steak or roast might be overwhelming, you’ll want to curb your cravings for a few minutes to let the meat rest before you dig in.
This is an essential part of the cooking process that many people might forget, as it seems like a bit of an arbitrary step.
However, resting is crucial for ensuring you get moist, tender and juicy results when you cut into theĀ meat. As you cook, the watery content inside the meat is pushed out toward the surface and can evaporate.
Resting the meat ensures the moisture has time to seep back inside and also allows for a few extra minutes of cooking so the meat is just right when you cut into it.