Meat - by Pat Lafrieda & Carolynn Carreño (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Pat LaFrieda, the third generation butcher and owner of America's premier meatpacking business, presents the ultimate book of everything meat. With more than 75 mouthwatering recipes for beef, pork, lamb, veal, and poultry, this magnificent cookbook is a feast for all the senses as it celebrates the food that people really love to eat. In Meat, Pat introduces you to cuts beyond chops and tenderloins--including inexpensive and unusual cuts--so you can venture outside your everyday selections. With detailed, step-by-step photos, he provides instruction in the best butchering skills for the home cook, such as needling, frenching, rolling, and tying. Through heartwarming reminiscences and personal memories, you'll learn of the history of the LaFrieda family's great American success story and how they created a business that's lasted over one hundred years, becoming a New York City landmark along the way. The city even named a street after them in the meatpacking district, Pat LaFrieda Lane. In addition to Pat's favorite family recipes, you'll find even more delectable recipes contributed by a who's who of New York City's greatest chefs, including Lidia Bastianich, Josh Capon, and Jimmy Bradley. Dubbed by New York magazine as the King of Meat, Pat Jr. is the mastermind behind the celebrated burgers at many famous restaurants, and he has created over one hundred custom hamburger blends. Now, Pat will reveal to everyone how to create the perfect burger with his all-time favorite burger blend recipes. Bringing together three generations of experience and exuberant passion for good, satisfying food, this lavishly illustrated and beautifully designed book is sure to be a staple in countless home kitchens for years to come"--

Book Synopsis

Pat LaFrieda, the third generation butcher and owner of America's premier meatpacking business, presents the ultimate book of everything meat, with more than seventy-five mouthwatering recipes for beef, pork, lamb, veal, and poultry.

For true meat lovers, a beautifully prepared cut of beef, pork, lamb, veal, or poultry is not just the center of the meal, it is the reason for eating. No one understands meat's seductive hold on our palates better than America's premier butcher, Pat LaFrieda. In Meat: Everything You Need to Know, he passionately explains the best and most flavorful cuts to purchase (some of them surprisingly inexpensive or unknown) and shares delicious recipes and meticulous techniques, all with the knowledge that comes from a fourth generation butcher. If you have ever wondered what makes the meat in America's finest restaurants so delectable, LaFrieda--the butcher to the country's greatest chefs--has the answers, and the philosophy behind it.

In seventy-five recipes--some of them decades-old LaFrieda family favorites, some from New York City's best restaurateurs, including Lidia Bastianich, Josh Capon, Mike Toscano, and Jimmy Bradley--the special characteristics of each type of meat comes into exquisite focus. Pat's signature meat selections have inspired famous chefs, and now Meat brings home cooks the opportunity to make similar mouthwatering recipes including multiple LaFrieda Custom Burger Blends, Whole Shank Osso Bucco, Tuscan Fried Chicken with Lemon, Crown Pork Roast with Pineapple Bread Stuffing, Frenched Chop with Red Onion Soubise, Beef Wellington with Mushroom Cream Sauce, and Chipotle-Braised Tomahawk Short Ribs, along with many more.

Step-by-step photographs make tricky operations like butterflying a veal chop or tying a crown roast easy even for beginners; beautiful double-page photographic diagrams show more clearly than any previous book where different cuts come from on the animal; and advice on necessary equipment, butcher's notes, and glorious full-color photographs of the dishes complete this magnificent and comprehensive feast for the senses.

Throughout the pages of Meat, Pat LaFrieda's interwoven tales of life in the meatpacking business and heartwarming personal reminiscences celebrate his family's century of devotion to their calling and are a tribute to a veritable New York City institution. Pat's reverence and passion for his subject both teach and inspire.

Review Quotes

"A celebration of Pat's enormous skill set, his encyclopedic understanding of meats and their various cuts and how to best use them. Butcher extraordinaire!"--Chef Alex Guarnaschelli "Butter restaurant"

"A valuable reference that will give readers a greater appreciation for not only their favorite cuts of meat, but their butcher as well."--Publishers Weekly

"If you want to know about meat, go straight to the meat man: New York City-area butcher Pat LaFrieda has released his meaty magnum opus."--EATER National

"New York City's ultimate butcher, the man behind the famous LaFrieda burger blends, penned the definitive cookbook on all things meat."-- "Fathom"

"Meat is unsurpassed and truly sets the standard for a book that offers both recipes and education."-- "Cooking by the Book"

"MEAT by master butcher Pat LaFrieda is officially the carnivores' holy grail and my new reference point for all things meat."--Chef Michael White

"MEAT is a superb, detailed sourcebook that I am thrilled to have on my shelf."--Chef Geoffrey Zakarian

"A fantastic resource for both the professional chef and the home cook."--Chef Missy Robbins

"A genuinely good read."-- "Cooking Light"

"I loved absolutely everything about this book."-- "SanFranciscoBookReview.com"

"A must-have for any home cook, it will surely be a valuable resource for years to come."--Chef Daniel Humm "Eleven Madison Park and The NoMad"

"Certain to make meat-lovers' mouths water."--Danny Meyer "CEO of Union Square Hospitality Group"

"If you want to know about meat, this is the book. The recipes are great and each one has a story to tell."--Andrew Carmellini "chef and owner of The Dutch, Locanda Verde, and Lafayette"

"It made me laugh, it made me smile, it made me miss my grandpa. I absolutely adore this book."--Rachael Ray "New York Times bestselling author"

"Pat LaFrieda does everything right as a butcher. MEAT stands out to me as the best handbook there is on this subject."--Mario Batali "chef and entrepreneur"

"Pat LaFrieda has led the 'butcher revolution' in the United States. Every serious cook needs this instructional, well-illustrated, and very well written book."--Martha Stewart "founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia"

"The recipes and techniques in this book are things that can be used in any kitchen whether it's at home or in the restaurant."--Marc Forgione "chef and owner of Restaurant Marc Forgione, American Cut, and Khe-Yo"

"The Magician of Meat."--New York magazine

About the Author

Pat LaFrieda's first introduction to the meat world was in the summer of 1981, when he was just ten years old and learning the tricks of the trade at his father's butchering business. Thirty years later, Pat, his father, and cousin own and operate New York City's most prestigious and valued meatpacking facility. Pat LaFrieda Meat Purveyors supplies the finest restaurants in New York City, Philadelphia, DC, Las Vegas, Miami, Chicago, and more. They also operate four retail locations at Citi Field--home to the New York Mets--including two Pat LaFrieda Original Steak Sandwich stands, a LaFrieda Meatball Slider stand, and the sit-down restaurant, Pat LaFrieda Chop House. In 2014 they became the "Official Burger of the Mets." Pat has appeared on countless national TV shows including Today, The Chew, Rachael Ray Show, CNN, Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, and Martha Stewart. More information can be found at www.lafrieda.com.

Carolynn Carreño is a James Beard Award-winning writer for magazines including Bon Appétit, Saveur, the Los Angeles Times, Gourmet, and Food & Wine, and coauthor of books with chefs Nancy Silverton, Kenny Shopsin, and Sara Foster. Her cookbooks are known for their distinct voice and storytelling style.