Photo courtesy: Zone Fresh
When you think comfort foods, roasts, casseroles and hotpots with succulent cuts of meat and plenty of fresh vegetables are the first dishes that spring to mind, and are sure to warm the cockles of your heart.
Zone Fresh Butchery managers Leo Taulapapa and Chris Holloway agree that this time of year is extremely popular for family roasts, spicy curries and rich casseroles, with many customers asking what sorts of cuts are best.
Casseroles and curries
"The key to a great casserole or curry is simple - choose the right cut of meat and give it some time to cook slowly," Chris said.
"Surprisingly, it is the less expensive cuts of meat that perform the best. Chuck and boneless shin or gravy beef will deliver great flavour and tenderness while topside, round and blade are good choices if time is of the essence as they cook more quickly.
"Chuck and boneless shin will take about two to two and a half hours to cook, whereas the others will only take an hour to an hour and half, so consider how much cooking time you have before deciding which cut to use," he said.
Roasting
Roasting is one of the easiest cooking methods - once it's in the oven, the rest just takes care of itself.
"The best cuts of beef for roasting are rump, strip loin, fillet or tenderloin and round, and for lamb try a leg or shoulder, mini roast, rolled loin or rack."
Top tips for home chefs
Zone Fresh executive chef Franz Ehmann has some top tips for at-home-chefs to make the best of popular winter meats.
"Cut meat into 2.5 to 3cm cubes as they will shrink as they cook and keeping them consistent in size will also give you consistency in texture and flavour," Franz advises.
"It's important not to rush the initial stage of browning the meat. Brown it in small batches to maximise colour and flavour.
"Keep the pan at a medium-high as you cook as you don't want the meat to stew in its own juices, which is what happens if the pan is not hot enough or you try to cook too much at once - you'll get tough, dry meat that lacks flavour," he said.
