Meat

Oxtail is popular in Chinese cuisine, where sticky gelatinous textures are very much appreciated. Coated in a rich anise-and-soy flavored sauce, even the small pieces with little meat are irresistible. As with all oxtail dishes, make this at least a day in advance so you can chill it and then easily remove the layer of fat and set it aside for cooking. The flavor also improves if the dish is made ahead.

I still wonder how my mom used to manage it all. A full-time job and four kids do not make for light work! I think it is fair to say that it’s one thing when you have the time and energy to cook, but when you have to get family meals on the table mid-week, it’s a whole other ball game. One of my mom’s vices was her crockpot (slow cooker), and a family favourite was her corned beef (also known as brisket).

My wife and I are fortunate that our neighborhood still is home to a few amazing butchers,  and we are just down the road from the Red Hook Farm which sells meat raised locally on a small scale. It is usually not a question of if we will get some or not, but what cut we will choose and from which animal. I usually vote for pork butt, an underappreciated but super flavorful piece of pig that just needs a little TLC to turn it into something magnificent. Pork butt has nice ribbons of fat that run through it, basting the meat as it slowly cooks, keeping it tender and flavorful.

Sliced sausage (also called square sausage) is one of the best-kept Scottish secrets – it is a simple mixture of ground beef, egg and mace. It wouldn’t be Christmas morning without the aroma of flat sausage being fried by my dad.