All the flavor is in the bones. Although this well-known popular saying does not contain a hint of error in its words, current gastronomic trends seem to be moving in a different direction. Less and less bone remains on our plates. Why does this happen? Because both restaurants and supermarkets offer the softest parts of the animal and only present cuts of meat with bones when strictly necessary, as in the case, for example, of chops, knuckle or leg of veal.
The best meat is always the one next to the bone.
“The best meat is always the one next to the bone,” explains Germany’s Eckart Witzigmann, a leading trainer of chefs in recent decades. Following Witzigmann’s idea about the role of bones in the kitchen, from Viñals 1906 we also want to recover the presence of bones in the cooked dishes and in the delicious final plating. We want to enjoy gnawing on the bones of meat again!
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A cow, for example, has more than 150 bones. Although not all of them are interesting from a culinary point of view, there are many that are delicious and some of them are even essential for preparing tasty sauces and sauces. From the point of view of final processing, the cow is a large and bulky animal and, therefore, provides many usable cuts of meat that are not attached to a bone. However, there are a number of pieces that have as a sine qua non condition to be accompanied by it, such as T-bone steaks, chops, veal brisket or knuckle.
In the case of veal, pork or lamb, the bones are a part of the animal that we should take advantage of because of its great qualities. It is true that we cannot nourish ourselves directly from them, but we can take advantage of some of their parts, such as cartilage, tendons or ligaments, which release proteins and collagen. Also the firm layer of fat that covers most of them is a delicious element to keep the meat nice and juicy, since when the bone is cooked, this layer slowly melts.
Tips for making the best use of bones in cooking
Cooking bones to perfection has its tricks, like any culinary technique. From Viñals 1906, we are going to explain you how to achieve a perfect cooking and delicious final elaborations. The first and very important tip is to make sure that there is no liquid in the wrapping or in the tray where the meat is preserved. It is also desirable that the bones have a clean cut, without splinters or damage, and that the meat has a fresh smell and a healthy presence.
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One last trick comes when it comes to preserving meat. Any piece that retains the bone should be stored for a maximum of 3 or 4 days after purchase in the coldest compartment of the refrigerator, without plastic wrap and on a couple of layers of kitchen paper. If, on the other hand, we want to freeze the piece of meat, we must make sure that the bag is attached to the bone.
If you want to know more about bones in cooking, about the best beef cuts or about any other gastronomic question, come to Viñals 1906 stores. The best cuts of veal are waiting for you!
