Red meat

Red meat usually means meat from mammals, including beef, lamb, pork and veal; poultry such as chicken and turkey is classed as white meat. The colour comes largely from myoglobin, a pigment in muscle.

Pat it dry, season it, then sear it in a very hot pan with a little oil; turn it once and let it rest for a few minutes before slicing across the grain. Thin steaks cook quickly, so use a meat thermometer rather than relying on a fixed cooking time.

Choose collagen-rich cuts such as beef chuck or shin, lamb shoulder, or pork shoulder. Brown the pieces first, then cook them gently in liquid until a fork slips in easily; these cuts become tender with time, unlike lean steaks.

Keep it covered on the bottom shelf, where juices cannot drip onto other food. Use raw mince within one to two days and whole cuts such as steaks or roasts within three to five days; freeze it sooner if you will not cook it in time.

Red meat is used in dishes such as beef lasagne, shepherd’s pie made with lamb, meatballs, bolognese sauce, chilli con carne and beef stew. Mince works well in sauces and pies, while tougher cuts suit long, slow cooking.

For a meat-free version, use mushrooms, lentils or butter beans; add them with stock and herbs, and let the mushrooms brown first for a deeper savoury flavour. Chicken or turkey also works, but cooks faster than tougher red-meat cuts.

They are similar: red meat provides 26 g of protein per 100 g, while white meat provides 28 g. White meat has slightly less fat in these food profiles, at 7.12 g compared with 7.2 g.

Red meat is high in zinc and is a source of iron, based on the amounts per 100 g. It also provides vitamin B12: 2.3 µg per 100 g.