Welcome to my beef masterclass. This is where you can find all my expert tips and techniques on how to get the very best from your beef.

Beef is understandably one of the country’s favourite foods. For me, the most impressive thing about beef is the variety it offers – with such a diverse selection of cuts available, there are always new recipes to discover.This masterclass will explain which cuts to use for different dishes, and of course, how to get the best out of them in the kitchen. I’ll also look at forgotten cuts of meat, show you how to make the best sauces for beef dishes, and reveal how using Knorr products in a variety of ways – from marinating to glazing – can bring any beef dish to life.

What does matured beef refer to?

“Mature” is one of the most common phrases that is thrown around when talking about beef. To find out more about what really goes on when beef is matured and how it’s done, look no further than this tip, it explains all about maturing beef through hanging.

What are the different cuts of beef for?

It sounds like a simple observation, but cows are big. The parts of the cow are all different and are suited to different styles of cooking. This makes beef a very versatile meat, and it’s key to the success of the dish that you know which cuts are best, and how to cook them.

I want to make the perfect Sunday roast – how do I do the beef?

Roast potatoes that are crispy on the outside and fluffy in the middle. Gravy that’s not too thick or too thin. A nice mix of vegetables. There are a thousand things to try and get right when cooking a good Sunday lunch. But most important of all is the beef. And when it comes to that, there are even more things to consider – the cut, the maturity, the preparation, the cooking, the timings. It’s not easy, but it’s worth it…

What sauces go well with beef?

While steak is often perfectly exquisite on its own, sometimes a well-prepared sauce can give it an extra little lift. But where to start when choosing the sauce?

What occasion is beef good for?

Beef is one of the most versatile meats, and the different styles and cuts make it ideal for everything from kids’ favourites to dinner parties to romantic meals for two.

How do I use Knorr Rich Beef Stock Pot?

Made from natural ingredients using home-made methods, Knorr Rich Beef Stock Pot is as close to the real thing as it gets (without spending time making it yourself!). It can thicken and intensify gravy, add depth to a stew, or give steak a rich, meaty glaze to complement the flavour. And best of all, it’s quick and easy…

What should I look for when buying beef?

If you’ve decided on the meal you’ll be cooking, and know the cut to use, the next big decision comes when buying the beef itself. Make sure to look out for these signs of a great piece of meat.

Take my steak challenge

I love steak. Do you dare take my steak challenge?

Why brown meat before braising?

I always caramelise meat on all sides before braising. Why? Find out here.

What makes a good steak?

If there’s no fat content, you might as well eat cardboard. Find out more here.

How do I tell when beef is perfectly cooked?

When it comes to beef (particularly steak), the idea of “perfectly cooked” is a fairly subjective one. Everyone has their personal preferences – some like it scorched, others rare and bloody, while most like it somewhere in between. What makes it more difficult is that every piece of beef is different. Thickness, water content, the heat it’s cooked at – they can all affect the outcome. There are, however, a few tricks you can learn to help tell when your beef is cooked to perfection…

What happened to the old-fashioned favourite beef dishes?

Cheeks, shins, skirt, oxtail. They were once a staple of the British diet, and again reflected the versatility of beef as a meat. But for no real reason at all, they started to disappear from the nation’s dinner tables. Thankfully, a modern taste for the old-fashioned is seeing a lot of these special cuts making a comeback. Here you can see my guide to the best, and the ways they should be cooked.

Where can I find a good butcher?

If you’re using meat a lot in your cooking, it’s nice to be able to return to a shop where you know they’ll have exactly what you’re looking for – where you’re guaranteed to get a top quality cut of beef. If you don’t already have a local, you might like to try my favourites…