Instructions
At the age of fourteen I mastered the art of feigning illness to get out of school.
I won’t share my secrets here, it’s hardly the right time or place, but needless to say in due course I became well-versed in the midday movies. I can still clearly recall Perry Mason’s stern expression when he thundered “A good attorney never asks a question he doesn’t already know the answer to!”.
So would a good attorney ask the question “what’s in the mince”?
Hmmmm…….. Leave it to the Buddhist monks to ponder the imponderable and get yourself a good butcher I always say.
Good quality mince will be made from the less popular cuts of meat. Your prime cuts (tenderloin, rump, rack, loin and shoulder) are sold as grilling and roasting pieces. However this leaves a lot of good quality meat on the carcass. Some of these secondary cuts are sold for braising and stewing, but again, there’s a lot of meat leftover.
Contrary to popular opinion, premium mince is not in fact compiled from lips and bums. Rather it is made from the high quality meat unsuitable for grilling. This means is will be as lean and nutritious as any other cut.
Mince, in its diverse forms, is fundamental in so many great dishes. Terrines, pates, steamed buns, souvla, polpette, and even the humble burger, are all dependant on our most popular butchery item. Some dishes, like Italy’s famous ragu Bolognese even blend minces from different sources, like veal and pork, or chicken and pork.
Pork mince should be about 18% fat by weight, making it comparable to a scotch fillet steak. If you’re not sure, ask your butcher. You’ll find their only to happy to help you with information. If you’re still not sure about mince, choose a piece of meat and have your butcher mince it for you. That way you’ll get it as lean and prime as you like.
Hey, with meat that good you’ll be wagging school just to be able to get a day in the kitchen!
Pork meatballs with pecorino and casarecce