Michael Fleming takes a look back through traditional Irish fare

What has changed on the butcher’s counter over the past 30-40 years?

These days, the butcher’s counter has a lot more variety. There’s also a much bigger emphasis on value-added products, driven by demand from busy people: meats that are marinated, pre-prepped and ready to cook have become very popular. The types of cuts available has changed, too: many of the more old-fashioned, cheaper cuts have been replaced with leaner options.

What are some traditional cuts and types of meat that have fallen out of popularity in Ireland?

There are plenty: tripe and other offal, crubeens, and many of the more slow-cooking joints such as bellies of pork and beef briskets.

Which ones do you think should make a comeback?

Lambs’ kidneys can be really delicious with a nice peppercorn sauce. I’d like to see more demand for corned brisket, which has a nice bit of flavour. Pork cheeks are also very under-rated; when they’re slow-cooked, they are just delicous.

What are tripe and drisheen?

Tripe is the lining of a cow’s stomach, and is usually slow-cooked in milk with onions. Drisheen is unique to Cork and is a black pudding-style sausage made from a combination of beef and sheep’s blood; its texture is much softer and smoother than black pudding. Tripe and drisheen are often served together as a Cork speciality. If you’re looking for tripe in Dublin, you can usually find it on Thomas Street.

What is hogget?

The term hogget refers to sheep aged between one and two years old. The meat lies somewhere in between tender lamb and flavoursome mutton. You can cook hogget quickly over a high heat much like lamb, or go low and slow as you would with mutton — just don’t choose anything in between or it’s likely to be tough.

Why isn’t mutton very popular any more?

Mutton has quite a strong smell and taste that can put some people off. It’s also quite a fatty meat, and at the moment lean cuts are much more fashionable. In addition, in the past mutton was often over-cooked, so many people have off-putting memories of extremely tough, grey meat. However, if it’s treated properly and cooked over a very low heat for long enough, it can be very tasty.

What can I make with oxtail?

Oxtail is great for slow-cooking and delicious served with mash and gravy, or used to make a hearty soup or stew. You can also use it to make an excellent homemade beef stock or broth.

I’ve seen beef dripping in the shops — how would I use it?

Beef dripping makes delicious homemade chunky chips, roast potatoes or Yorkshire puddings, or you can use it to make the pastry for pies or sausage rolls. You could also fry a slice bread in beef dripping for a real old-fashioned treat, or simply use it to cook your steaks.

What are crubeens?

Crubeens are pigs’ trotters; you don’t see them too much these days, but they used to be very popular and served as a salty snack in bars across Ireland.

What are sweetbreads and how should I prepare them?

Sweetbreads are the pancreas or thymus glands from lambs, and many people consider them a delicacy. They’re nice lightly dusted with seasoned flour, then pan-fried in butter and finished with a squeeze of lemon juice. You can pound them nice and flat first so that they cook quickly.

What’s your favourite old-fashioned meat recipe?

For me, it probably doesn’t get any better than a corned brisket, served with white sauce, cabbage and mashed potato.

Are there traditional cooking methods for meat that aren’t used any more?

I think our cooking has come a long way from the days when everything was simply boiled, and often very over-cooked.

If I’m looking to experiment with offal for the first time, where should I begin?

I would start with lamb’s kidneys or livers, very simply pan-fried with some salt and pepper or with a simple pan sauce. (Try the recipe opposite!)

This column was originally published in Easy Food magazine. For recipe inspiration, visit www.easyfood.ie.