Meat focus: Crafty cuts

There has been plenty of talk in the media over recent weeks about 'light greens' - consumers who have put ethical concerns on the back burner as the credit crunch tightens.

Pubs might well be forgiven for thinking that cash-strapped customers will currently be making issues such as animal welfare and food miles less of a priority. However, Brakes and its specialist butchery arm, Prime Meats, believe that food accredited by organisations such as Assured Food Standards (Red Tractor) and Freedom Food is as important as ever - and needn't mean higher costs.

Brakes continues to expand its range of Freedom Food products. The RSPCA's farm assurance and food labelling scheme is dedicated to improving welfare standards for farm animals reared for food in the UK.

Prime Meats was the first in foodservice to provide meat carrying the Red Tractor logo. The symbol identifies food produced through an alliance of British farmers, processors, retailers, and distributors working to achieve the standards set out by AFS.

John Martin, product marketing manager at Prime Meats, believes pubs can help to sustain the British meat market and keep costs down.

"With the rising costs of meat, pubs have several options to take into consideration, for example, either to use cheaper meats such as pork, turkey or chicken or to use cheaper, often very traditional cuts, many of which have coincidentally become fashionable again," he says.

"You can also reduce portion size on the protein serving itself and bulk out dishes with other ingredients such as potatoes.

Suggested cuts which will offer pubs the best value for money include:

Pork: Forequarter cuts such as belly, shoulder, hocks, collar and trim can be minced, diced and used to make burgers, sausages and casseroles.

Beef: Use shin or leg for slow cooking casseroles and stews, neck cuts for braising or frying, and top rump or rump steaks in place of sirloins or rib eyes. Brisket is ideal for pot roasting, and mince for home-made burgers. If a pub has the skills in the kitchen, buying whole joints such as fillets, sirloins and ribeye rolls can create savings of up to 30 per cent per kg compared with pre-cut steaks. Any trimmings can be used up in stroganoff, pies or even stock.

Lamb: Shoulder, neck fillet chump steaks, breast. Square cut breast is ideal stuffed and basted.

Poultry: Use legs and thighs as a cheaper alternative to breast - this meat is actually tastier and more succulent than breast and is far more cherished than breast on the Continent and across Asia.

John concludes: "Consumers are still keen on hearing about provenance, seasonality and locally sourced products.

"Add product accreditations to your menu and also use table-talkers to relay this information. It's clearly worth telling your customers that you're supporting British farming."

EBLEX

According to industry body EBLEX, there is huge potential to exploit a range of alternative, cheaper cuts of beef and lamb, which will compromise on neither quality nor taste.

EBLEX Master butcher Dick van Leeuwen recommends the use of 'flat iron steaks', taken from the feather muscle. While normally slow-cooked, by using careful seam butchery the feather can produce a quality steak that is incredibly tender and flavoursome. For something slightly different, 'flat iron escalopes' can be created in much the same way.

Likewise, 'lamb rosettes' are great and, as these are taken from the shoulder, pubs should benefit from what is an under-used cut.

Hugh Judd, foodservice project manager for EBLEX, says: "By utilising more of the carcass, caterers can also benefit from paying lower prices yet continue to promote the fact they serve quality meat that is fully assured from farm to plate."

BPEX

Pubs should also make the most of ideas and support on offer from the meat industry.

Andy Goodman, chef proprietor at the Hairy Bear in Somerset, makes regular use of BPEX's website at www.porkforcaterers.com. "The website is a treasure trove of ideas and helpful tips," says Andy.

"After looking through the promotional material and spending some time on the site, I decided to put braised collar of Old Spot pork on to my dinner menu and in the short while it has been on, the dish has proved to be a best-seller."

This comment encapsulates just some of the positive feedback BPEX has received about its 'pork for caterers' website.

Developed especially for pubs and restaurants, the website features information and advice to help businesses maximise profit potential and make the most of pork and other pig meat products.

Andy said: "It's difficult to find time to create new recipes. But the recipe database on the BPEX website is packed full of ideas featuring all sorts of cuts and styles of cooking - it's been a godsend.

"My customers are responding really well to the new dish, particularly as it uses local pork from the Old Spot breed and we made a point of stating this fact on our menu.

"I believe making the customer aware of the provenance of our ingredients means they'll have more confidence in the establishment as they know we're serving top-quality food.

"In light of the popularity of the dish and the profit it's making, I intend to keep it on my menu for a good while to come."

BPEX foodservice trade manager Tony Goodger says: "The site has a library of recipe ideas using pork and is there for chefs to use and adapt as they wish.

"We are very pleased to hear that Andy has had such success with a dish he found on the website and it just goes to show the popularity of pork on menus today, especially when customers know where it has been sourced from.

"The site is really easy to use and is constantly being updated with news and recipes, plus downloadable marketing materials and guides to help chefs cook and sell quality pork dishes in their establishments."

The website provides easy access to a wide range of advice and information from BPEX, including:

• Pork recipes to suit any menu and budget
• High-quality food photography that can be downloaded from the site
• Information on the Quality Standard Mark (QSM), the benefits of joining the Quality Standard scheme - with a facility to register online
• Development opportunities for businesses
• Competitions and much more.