Meat Illustrated: A Foolproof Guide to Understanding and Cooking with Cuts of All Kinds

What a phenomenal book!It is a treasure trove of information.No more going to the freezer and wondering what on earth to do with something. When you purchase your beef, pork, and chicken from local producers you get custom processing and a lot of cuts of meat you might not reach for or find in a chain grocer. Now I can just flip open this book and look up a recipe or just get inspiration and know what style of cooking will give me the best result. Happy day!I have books on butchering and books for all sorts of cooking. But this one is good about teaching about where cuts of meat come from on the animal, what names those cuts often have, ways to use them, AND recipes to get you started.There are photos with illustrations and explanations and some color photos of recipes.They even include extra data like nutrition, how to, and more.This is just a very lovely and helpful book to learn and to discover new ways to use those unfamiliar or difficult to cook cuts.This would be a good gift for newlyweds or college grads just starting out with their kitchen adventures.

Excellent book oh my goodness..the color pages..the recipes..the instructions if you like some good old meat and great recipes this is the book for you! I leave it displayed on my book holder and everyone grabs it to look at it! Explains well. Great photos..all around one of my better purchases!

I consider myself a good cook, and I love meat. I've always wanted a better understanding of which cuts come from where, and how they might best be used. I wasn't really looking for a cook book so much as an instructional text.First, this *is* an explanation of all the major cuts, what their characteristics are, and how you might prepare them. I got what I was hoping to get, and it's a sensibly organized reference for when I inevitably forget some detail.It's also a cookbook, which is to say that it's filled with recipes. And the recipes are great. As I read the book I picked five recipes that sounded interesting and made it a point to try them. Every one of them was a hit! I'd have been happy if three out of five were really good. Getting five out of five great recipes is pretty extraordinary. Needless to say, I'll be exploring more of the recipes from this book.

I've been a fan of Cook's Illustrated since 2004. Their recipes are tested and reliable. I own at least 20 of their cookbooks and have subscribed to their magazine for the last 15 years. I trust their recipes. I am a homecook "foodie" with a cookbook collection of over 300 cookbooks which I actually cook from. Needless to say, I feel I have a good grasp of good recipes and good cookbooks. Meat Illustrated does not disappoint. It is part education, part cookbook. If you're a carnivore that loves to cook meat, this book is for you. Finally a book that shows a) where the cuts are located on the animal, b) how the meat is cut, c) the flavor profile of the cut, d) the best way(s) to cook that particular cut. Really a great resource all around for the cook that is interested in learning more about the different cuts of meat plus some EXCELLENT recipes. The book layout is beautiful: More than one recipe per page, some black and white drawings (Cook's Illustrated signature style) mixed in with color photographs. Pages are of high quality and lay flat when open. I am not disappointed at all!11/15 Update: I don't usually need to do so, but I read through the book cover to cover. This book is fantastic and I wish CI/ATK would follow this format going forward. Short paragraph descriptions of the recipe methodology (no long full page explanations like in the magazines that are a bit excessive) and a full range of cooking styles (from high heat grilling to sous vide) and cuisines (Mediterranean, Middle East, and Asian for example) that make this recipe suitable for a broad range of cooks. I've tried 3 recipes so far: Filipino Adobo, Carnitas, and Kalbi. For the purists, these may not be 100% authentic, but they were fantastic, straightforward, with easily accessible ingredients nonetheless. And in case you're wondering, I found very few repeats in this book from previous CI/ATK publications. It goes without saying: This is one of the best cookbook purchases I've made in the last 10 years.

I do a lot of cooking, grilling and smoking meats. I know the basic meats I need for certain recipes, but when shopping at the store, the names of cuts seemed very convoluted. This book has done a great job of sorting out where the cuts come from, how they will best cook and taste, and shows options for further cutting/preparing them. Photos and illustrations really gives me a better understanding of each cut. Additionally, several good recipes go along with each cut to show you how it is best utilized.I’m reading it like a carnivore. Lots of bookmarks. It will be a constant reference in my kitchen.

This is a great book about meat; most everything you could want to know about meat and how to prepare it. Cuts are discussed in detail, especially for beef. There are plenty of great recipes and lots of commentary. It is well laid out with great photography. Highly recommended.

Everything you ever wanted to know about the cut and preparation of meat, with great recipes, and colorful photos. Finally, a book that was worth the price. It's a keeper and I highly recommend it.

Bought for myself, but would’ve been a perfect gift as a newlywed. Simple yet deeply informative and packed with steps in phots almost every page. Meat is too expensive so why buy this book? Well book tells you the range of expensive to least expensive cuts as well as taste and texture for Beef, pork, lamb, and veal including over 350 recipes perfectly made for getting the best out of each cut. Includes diagrams of cuts in separate sections for easy use. Great index.