One of my favorite cheeses, Tomme is a semi-hard cheese that can be made from either cow’s milk or goat’s milk, which would be called Tomme de Chèvre.

Tomme has a thin brown rind. The color of the cheese ranges from deep yellow to pale white if made from goat’s milk. Tomme also tends to be lower in fat than other cheeses.

It’s mild but distinct flavor makes it delicious to eat by itself, but it’s a great melting cheese as well. It makes a delicious potato and onion gratin.

In the movie Ratatouille, Rémy exclaims that the cheese his brother Emile found was “Tomme de Chèvre de Pays!” Which only means “country goat’s milk tomme.”

This wasn’t a ordinary steak. Not that steak is ordinary around here. I took great pains to ensure that this was the best.steak.ever.

And now, I get to share it with you.

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At the far end of the toughness spectrum for beef lies the shank. This group of muscles is in constant use throughout the life of the cow. Each muscle is sheathed in thick connective tissue. There’s no finessing this cut of meat; it goes into the pot for long, slow cooking.

There is a bright side to this cut of meat. When that connective tissue hits 85ºC (180ºF), it melts and turns into gelatin.

Mmm mmm, good.

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As you browse through the meat section of your local supermarket, you’re bound to see this cut of meat. It’s kind of small, kind of a funny-shaped triangle, and not the cheapest cut of meat in the store, either. One is certainly not enough to feed a hungry family of eight (you’ll want a #3 for that), but for you, your significant other and another couple or maybe as a special treat for your older kids, grab a couple of these cuts and throw them in the cart. Choose the longer, thinner ones.
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What I don’t understand is how on the one hand I can’t drive five minutes from my house on any given day without passing a flock of sheep, yet the price of lamb in this country is so high. Especially when you get an entire forequarter; they don’t do anything to it except wrap it and freeze it, so why the premium price?

If you do get a lamb forequarter, this is an easy way to enjoy a little bit of the lamb. Think of it as a personal appetizer for the hours your going to be working over the main attraction. No one’s going to miss the neck, right? And just maybe if someone’s extra helpful in the kitchen, they’ll get a taste.

Then again, maybe not.

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You mentioned Morton Tender Quick in your article on Home Curing Meat. Do you know if this is available in Israel? Is MTQ healthier to use than saltpeter? Where can one buy saltpeter in Israel? How would one substitute MTQ in a recipe using saltpeter?

These are all great questions, and I’ve asked them all myself.
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