Beef is a delicious and versatile meat. Joints can be roasted as a special meal, or minced beef can be used as a flavoursome filler in dishes such as spaghetti bolognese.

When buying beef, try to ensure it has been hung for a minimum of 8 days. It should also have a marbling of fat running through it, this fat will melt during cooking, keeping the meat tender and moist. The fat should be somewhere between yellow and white. The meat should be somewhere between dark red and dark pink. The colour of both the meat and fat varies according to the age and breed of the animal.

When choosing beef one of the first things to decide is which cut to use. As a guide, remember that meat from the hindquarters are tender and therefore good for quick cooking methods such as grilling and roasting. These cuts include the rump, sirloin, rib, topside and silverside.

Meat from the forequarters is usually more flavoursome, but needs to be cooked slowly; techniques such as casseroling and stewing work well. These include brisket, chuck and neck. Minced beef is very versatile and can be made into burgers as well as meals such as lasagna and cottage pie.