Paula McIntyre: A good butcher will be able to tell you the full traceability of the meat

A good butcher will be able to tell you the full traceability of the meat, give tips on how to cook them and advise on what cuts suit what cooking methods. You won’t get this in a supermarket shelf full of plastic imprisoned meat.

With everything on the increase it’s a good idea to look at cheaper cuts for value for money. When I was growing up there was invariably a pot of shin broth on the go. Shin would have been cooked with leeks, onion, carrot, soup celery, barley, lentils and split peas until the meat was fork tender and had permeated through the vegetables and pulses. You could have stood a spoon in the soup – it was rich and rib warming. In Italy shin of veal is used in the classic dish Osso Bucco where the meat is cooked slowly then served with a saffron risotto and topped with a gremolata, a mixture of garlic, parsley and lemon. Veal and saffron are a King’s ransom so I’ve added a more down to earth version. The saffron is replace by roasted beetroot and the veal with more readily available and cheaper beef. Less of the cost but all of the flavour, and more.

Last week I judged the annual Young Farmers’ Clubs of Ulster Home Management competition. As always the standard was superb and all the contestants embraced the brief of using pork from here with an eye on being economical and reducing food waste. The winner, Rebecca McCormick from Newtownards YFC, cooked up a pea soup with smoked collar of bacon and pork leg steaks with a mushroom sauce. I was judging with a couple of members of the Women’s Institute executive committee and we loved the use of the cheaper cuts of pork in both dishes.

I’ve recreated a version of Rebecca’s dish but have added a mustard element to it by tossing the chops in a mustard infused flour mixture before frying. Next time you’re visiting the butcher try something different – they’ll be delighted to help.