In this meaty volume, John Torode gives you 100 recipes for every which way to cook beef -- plus the history and importance of rare exceptional breeds, butchers' recommended cuts, and true head-to-tail eating.

The book features classic and contemporary dishes from Europe, America, the Far East, and Australia -- with recipes that are straightforward and illustrations that show which cut of beef is used for each one.

You'll find the most delicious recipes for everything from soups and snacks to stews and pies, roasts, steaks, and burgers, as well as contemporary Italian, French, and Thai specialties.

As a beef expert with a passion for the subject, John Torode is widely known in the UK as the co-presenter of the BBC's popular Master Chef program and for his restaurant, Smiths of Smithfield, in the heart of London's famous meat market.

Introduction
Stocks & Soups
Carpaccio
Salads & Snacks
Pasta & Rice
Stews, Pies & Braises
Steaks & Big Hunks
Salt Beef
Veal
Offal
Sweet
Sources
Index

When I opened Smiths of Smithfield, in London in 2000, I was already well into my love affair with all things beef, but eight years on the relationship is now well and truly cemented. It is the one subject I can discuss till the cows come home (ho ho), but it is also an area that many people feel very confused about--both in what to buy, and then how to get the best out of the meat they have bought. After many years of thinking about it and discussing it, here it is: the cookbook I felt compelled to write. It's aimed at everyone--home cooks as well as chefs.

Beef has been written because I believe that good food should be accessible to all people. That is the simple reason. I hope it will give you the confidence not just to cook beef but also to buy beef and recognize what is good and, more importantly, what ain't.

When given the chance to write this book, I really wanted to pour out all I know and love about beef. I have tried to be as helpful as possible without being a food bore or getting too technical; I don't want the book to be scary, so I have given just as much advice as is practical. At the least, you will find a huge range of recipes, cooking tips, and advice on how to buy good beef, and that is the best start. The bottom line is good food, food that people want to eat. Some recipes are 15-minute wonders and some will be more involved -- it would not be a good book if they were not.

Most, though, are mine, learned from simple home cooking, because right or wrong I feel restaurant recipes belong in a restaurant. Restaurant chefs cook differently; their kitchens are run differently; their recipes are practiced and concise, and leave little room for messing around. I am not precious--if you want to add something or take something away, go for it. Change the recipes, have fun, and if anything works better than my recipe, send me a note. I shall burn it! (Just joking--I would appreciate it. We all need to learn new tricks.)

Food, cooking, kitchens, friends, dinner tables--they are good things, but good things are not always constant. Good food moves and changes, depending on your mood, your friends--even the weather can affect it. If we are honest, we all have our "best" recipes. Whether it is a great salad, a chargrilled burger, or a beautiful pastry dish like Beef Wellington, the recipe has generally taken a lot of practice to reach what we feel is perfection. What I'm saying is: If a recipe in this book doesn't turn out so well for you one day, don't dismiss it. Give it another try.

Finally, a few general points on the recipes. Assume eggs are large and pepper is black and freshly milled unless the recipe says otherwise; measure cups and spoons level unless it says "heaped." The cow symbols under each recipe title indicate how many people the dish will serve. An outlined symbol indicates a half portion.