SC - When life gives you lemons, then what?

[Varju@aol.com]

The Cheap Meat debate rages:
>
>"Melissa Martines" <melissa.martines at mail.corpfamily.com> writes:
>>      What cut of meat should I try to buy that would be relatively cheap, 
>>      but not tough?
>
>Nearly any cut of meat can be as tenter as ye like depending on prep,
>cooking method, and additions to it.
>a couple hints for making a cheap cut taste great:
>
>cut the meat cross grain
>	meat has a grain to is, it is the direction Of the individual
>	muscle fibers.
>pound the meat
>	This breaks down the fibers yielding a more tender meat.
>	Depending on the degree of pounding, this can significantly alter the
>	texture and subsequently perceived flavor of the meat.
>marinade the meat
>	most marinades will tenderize the meat. 
>	vinegar, onion juice, and other components all help break it down.
>stew the meat
>	a slow stew will make a cheap cut wonderful, but you said you
>	were grilling so this isn't an option.
>
>Me, i tend to like butt steak. Thick and juicy, sweet and meaty. 18
>pounds for dinner and 4 for dessert. ;) perhaps not... 
>
>In Service to the People of the Society,
>Filip of the Marche
>=============================

I am instantly reminded of Collops, which can be rich, meaty, tender,
satisfying, and have the additional merits of small portions (lots of
gravy!), savoriness, and medallion sized pieces. Serve this with a blander
starch, something fruity, something green, somthing with pastry, and you've
built your remove around it.

My very best advice: Open the telephone book and look up Restaurant
Suppliers. I frequently use them, as they are the cheapest source for whole
cuts of meat (and even cheaper if you will trim and portion them yourself).
In this way, you can get a far, far better cut of meat than you thought you
could afford. The one I like to frequent even gives me a discount for being
from a non-profit group. Add that to the discount for whole cuts, still
cry-o-vac'd, and you'l be surprised at what you can afford.

Now, what exactly are you reffering to when you say "grilling"---Barbecue
(in which case spit-roast seems the obvious answer), or grilled the way
bacon and toasted cheese sandwiches are grilled (in which case I'd say go
for collops!  I do love my pan juices).


Just curious, whose coronation? If this is an Aethelmearc event I will
gleefully track down for you a truly fabulous recipe for collops a friend of
mine makes which includes malty stout. You'll swoon!

Aoife (who was thrilled to present Yngvar and Caryl with a Game Pie that was
decorated with a Huge #1! You gotta love folks who love your children.)

All generalizations are dangerous, even this one.
				---Alexandre Dumas

Experience is simply the name we give to our mistakes.
				---Oscar Wilde

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