the-line brand, from the supermarket display case. I carefully weighed each batch on a laboratory

scale and fried them to identical crispness, then weighed the final edible portions again. The

butcher shop bacon and the better-quality supermarket bacon yielded close to the same amount

of meat—about 35 percent of the original weight. The standard brand only yielded 27.5 percent.

What I lost, nearly three-quarters of the total, was fat and water. The higher-priced bacon had

better flavor and the cost per pound (or per kilo) of the edible portion worked out about the same

as of the lower-priced bacon. When you buy bacon, it is more economical to buy a better-quality

package and you get a better flavor.

Considering such a high loss, bacon costs more than most of the highest-quality meats. In

fact, the price of the edible portion is only just below the price of the highest-priced item in the

butcher's display, fully trimmed beef tenderloin steak or filet mignon.

Lamb. Lamb has a delicate flavor, but to retain it without a gamy overtone, know how to

cook it properly. Lamb fat is a hard fat with a lower smoking point than other animal fats, and it

burns easily if the temperature is too high. Once it burns, it develops an unpleasant odor and

flavor. Never roast lamb in an oven higher than 325°F (165°C).

Leg of lamb has a thin membrane completely surrounding the meat, separating it from the

fat layer. This is called the fell. The butcher doesn't remove it because it holds the bundle of

muscle together and helps to retain moisture during cooking. It should be removed, however, in

steaks and chops. If it is still there, simply pull it off with your fingers. If you don't do this before

grilling or broiling, the heat shrinks the fell and makes the meat buckle—as a result it browns

unevenly and looks unappealing. Scoring the fell in several places also helps to avoid curling.

The term spring lamb refers to the very tender meat from lambs born in the spring, but in

North America today it has no meaning because of improved shipping. Lamb ranchers and

processors provide young, tender, spring-lamb quality meat year round. In California, Arkansas

and parts of the South, young lambs are born in the fall and flourish in the mild winter. They

provide tender meat before the true spring lambs are born in cooler parts of the country.

Points to Remember

Read the label carefully when you buy meat. Understand the meat grading system.

Buy beef and lamb roasts and steaks a few days in advance to give extra time to age but use

veal and pork soon.

Fine-textured, tender meat with little connective tissue is ideal with all dry cooking methods,

but these cuts have the least flavor. Coarse-fibered, tougher cuts are great with moist cooking

methods. These are the highly flavored cuts.

Use the method I suggested above to freeze meat as quickly as possible, but thaw meat

slowly in the refrigerator. Both help to preserve meat juices and tenderness.

To reduce the chance for rancidity, wrap meat thoroughly to store, particularly when

freezing. To avoid warmed-over flavor, store cooked meat only for a short period and,

whenever possible, under sauce.

For tender, juicy, flavorful meat, use an accurate thermometer in all dry cooking methods and

a very sharp knife to cut the meat. Aim for an internal temperature of 140°to 147°F (60°to

4°C) for most tenderness.

Always brown meat first with any cooking method for maximum flavor.

Initial searing of meat at high temperature is not necessary. Unseared meat ends up juicier.

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