The River Cottage Meat Book

If you want to know about where your meat comes from, how to buy it, and be ethical. This is for you.

I love this book! The author delves into a subject with all the technical facts, then explains the why and how to cook an excellent meal using meat. I have made some delicious meals using the principles learned from this book. Get it! You won't be disappointed.

I was very excited to receive this book but Chapter 14 has several repeats of pages and skips several pages. Is this a common problem? The publisher said this is the first they have heard about it. Check pages 417 through 440 to see if your book is flawed.

This is probably one of the best books on meat available. Not only does it provide insight in to the selection and preparation of meat, it gives a lot of background in to meat production. At certain points in the beginning of the book, it's quite philosophical. There are sections divided in to numerous types of preparation (slow cooking, fast cooking, bbq) as well as offal.

I've cooked about 4-5 recipes so far (pork belly, lamb breast, headcheese, rolled stuffed lamb shoulder as well as a few veggie side dishes). All were excellent, although the head cheese (brawn for the Brits) was not my bag.

There are numerous recipes in the book similar to those I've prepared myself and they look quite good (osso buco, lamb shanks, different steak preparations). They have an Indian recipe that looks awesome--Butter Chicken or Murgh Mahkani.

My only complaint is that there is a certain vagueness in the book due to the book being translated from British English to American English. Things like English mustard vs. mustard (powder or prepared). I have both on hand, but I'm sometimes confused with what he means. Also, he uses the word casserole for what I think he means as a large saute pan or small dutch oven. Anyway, this is minor and since I cook quite a bit, I'm not really at a loss, but the beginner might be confused.

I recently purchased the River Cottage Book of Meat for a friend who is a lover of all things meat, but also a wonderful cook and collector of cookbooks. This is the note I received on his receipt of the book:
"I love my present, the Book of Meat. From its lovingly rendered photographs of internal organs and pigs' feet to its lyrical prose to its encyclopedic musings on the wonders of Meat, it is sheer genius, a work of art, a testament to all that is great and good and noble about Meat.
Thank you for the best b-day present of the entire season."
So, I guess that says it all. I would highly recomend this book to all like minded individuals.