'Ration-book’ meat cuts such as heart, cheeks, trotters and sweetbreads are growing more and more popular -- Fad, or necessity?

'Ration-book’ meat cuts such as heart, cheeks, trotters and sweetbreads are growing more and more popular -- Fad, or necessity?

A new phrase is entering the culinary lexicon: “ration-book meat cuts”. After decades relegated to pet food and canny ethnic butchers, offal and other more obscure bits of calf, sheep and pig are finding their way onto smart meat counters. At the forefront is Waitrose (waitrose.co.uk), which has now extended its range of forgotten cuts (best not to mention the o-word) to the likes of sweetbreads and ox cheek, albeit only in selected stores.

Its competitor Morrisons, meanwhile (morrisons.co.uk), has been quietly selling heart, hock and such like for years. Butchers, too, may not have these more interesting cuts on display, but most are delighted to fetch them from the fridge.

These lesser-known bits aren’t just good value, they are delicious, too. Some need cooking for longer, but others, such as liver, are cooked in a flash. They are generally lean and with no pesky bones, although you may have to do a little fiddling around removing membranes.

The flavour is meaty but, with the exception of pig’s kidneys and tripe, not overpoweringly strong. Here are some of my favourites. Be brave. You won’t regret it. more