This won’t be hard, I’m not sophisticated, tell me what unappreciated cut of any meat that you’ve learned to appreciate. Preferably with a hint toward procurement and cooking instructions.
For my part I will offer that if you haven’t had beef tendon, you should try beef tendon. Your local Vietnamese or Chinese place will have a dish or at least some pointers.
Smoked Butt comes to mind, just boil with some onions and potatoes, serve with spicy mustard. Usually in the larger supermarkets and are somewhat oval shaped and usually wrapped up in a way that you can’t see the piece of meat. It has flavor somewhat like ham but much more delicate. Makes great sandwiches also.
I was envisioning things that would be cheaper because they’re less well known and also not highbrow ski resort food. But, sounds good, I’ll jot it down.
May I congratulate you on… that. You’re right, tendon isn’t meat, strictly speaking, but properly braised it can be better than meat (IMO). Cruise by your local Vietnamese joint, I can’t imagine DC is lacking for those.
I assume you mean “smoked pork shoulder butt” and I’ll second the recommendation. Add lentil beans to the boil, remove the potatoes at the end and mash them separately. Serve the sliced meat and lentils over the mashed potatoes with mustard. And yes, the leftover meat, cold and sliced, makes fabulous sandwiches.
I’ve butchered and cooked nearly every kind of wild game for Mr.Wrekker. I honestly don’t recommend any of it. Mostly it’s nasty and wild tasting. Deer that have fed on the crap around here often are bitter tasting.
Something that I like and rarely get a taste of is lamb chops. A good lamb chop, cooked well is a great thing.
Rib eye steak, when I can get a good one. My usual store only sells it pre-packaged and pre-seasoned, with way too much salt, so I have to go out of my way to get a good unseasoned one. Just fry it till it’s medium-rare, and lightly season.
I’m a vegetarian these days, but I grew up on BBQ pork steaks, which I understand are kind of rare outside of the St. Louis area. They’re steaks cut from the pork butt, they’re relatively inexpensive, and when cooked right (which is not that hard) they’re fall-off-the-bone tender. They’re one of the things I still really miss from my omnivorous days.
Last few months I have been buying a cheap $2.31 per pound top round roast. Slow cooked at 132 degees for 30 hours with a souse vide and it makes a nice tender tasty roast.
Brains are a thing you love or not. But don’t look down on the snout and cheeks; the forehead can be really nice as well. And the ears have lots of different possibilities. I’ve done heads both “bone in” and pealed and found it quite a treat as moving a few inches on the face can mean a totally different taste and experience.