Mystery Meat, The Slow Food

Let's slow down our frenetic lives and save a few dollars along the way with suggestions from this New York Times article. Be brave!

"MOST people don’t look for adventure in supermarket meat bins. But those cuts with baffling names and alluring prices fascinate me.

Beef chuck deckle, $1.99 a pound! Beef chuck seven-bone steak, $2.69!

The mystery of these cuts’ labels, I learned, was what kept down their price. With the right techniques, a lot of unfamiliar meats in the supermarket can be more delicious than more expensive cuts."

The author goes on to describe how to prepare each cut, recipes included. Don't forget that many slow cooked meats are gifts that keep on giving -- great bones for soup, broths, and -- ta da! -- leftovers, noshing! Take a break from the daily 30 minute meal/chore -- cook once, and the food can be used with imagination and good taste for the next 3 days.

I know a lot of us don't cook this way anymore, or at all (you really should work on that!). But aren't some of your best memories from your mother's or grandpa's home -- the Sunday morning pot roast aromas, the pies on the counter?