Trimming & Cutting Meat

Appears in

Published 1989

Despite extensive trimming by the butcher, a cook invariably has to trim meat further before cooking it.

For sautéing and stewing: meat should be as lean as possible. Using a sharp knife, cut the fat from the surface of the meat.
Cut out the sinew, sliding the point of the knife underneath to loosen it then cutting it away.
Cut out the tough connective tissue (silverskin). If stewing meat, this can be left as it will dissolve during cooking.
To prepare the meat, first pull apart muscles that are loosely connected with tissue, then cut the meat, across the grain, into 1 ½ in/4 cm cubes.