Which meat has the lowest fat content?
As a rule, white meat has less fat than red meat. So your Christmas turkey will have less fat content than, say, a topside roast. And pork is relatively low in fat too – although not the crackling – my favourite porky treat. Different cuts of meat also have different fat content, too. Breast meat is leanest for poultry (skin removed) and top side, silverside, shank or sirloin are leaner than rib-eye or rib of beef. Don’t forget that baking, broiling or roasting meat uses less fat than frying.
Which joint gives best value for roasting?
I’ll always go for quality over quantity. It’s fair to say that all cuts are super when cooked properly. The less waste there is the better, especially if you’re feeding kids who can be a little picky about their meat. A topside roast gives you excellent value for money and is a lean, quality joint that’s easy to prepare in lots of different ways. For the ultimate in value, though, try slow-casseroling diced, trimmed shin. There are dozens of recipes to make a melt-in-the-mouth stew this way. Delicious.
How much should I allow per person when buying a joint?
First thing you need to do is work out how many full portions you need. If you’ve got under-12s round the table, count each as half a portion. And, if you know you’ve got big eaters coming, take that into consideration too. My rule of thumb is to then allow about 115-250g (4-8oz) of raw meat per person for meat off the bone, and a bit more – around 170-340g (6-12oz) – for meat on the bone. If in doubt, just ask and we’ll work it all out for you. We can give you cooking times for your joint too.