Your Meat Primer

This is the season for cooking and serving all kinds of meats.It pays to know what's out there and how to buy it. Most home cooks and barbecue chefs usually wind up with the wrong cut for what they want and that can lead to disaster. Be meat savvy before you shop. It'll make for a better meal or a better barbecue.

Finding the right meat was the subject of Mark Bittman's Flexitarian Column in yesterdays New York Times Dining section. This is a  small comprehensive guide to buying everything from chops to burgers. It's good to bookmark online for future reference.Mr. Bittman also explains the various grades as well as where meat comes from. According to him ,it pays to go  for meat that's the product of sustainable farms.The animals are treated and fed better and that means a more tastier, more organic meat. This also means more expensive cuts, a true deterrent in eating more red meat.

There's also explanations about how to cook everything from chops to  burgers. Mr. Bittman is a big advocate of less is more so the amount of veal and beef is decreased. Vegetables an d spices make up for it ,He has created a semi veggie burger that has ground pork mixed with portabello mushroom pieces. He also has a Chinese vegetable and veal stew.This has a wide melange of different Asian veggies that you don;t mind it not bursting with veal. The last is a grilled quesadilla that is not only has the added goodness of steaks but also avocados, peppers. radishes and scallion to name a few.

It is meat season.Be armed and ready with tasty artesan meats balanced with an equal amount of veggies and spices. You'll not only have tasty barbecues and dinners but also healthy ones too