The Best Cuts of Meat

One of the most hotly debated items in the world of culinary arts is what are the best cuts of meat. This cornerstone of preference is a hot-button issue with the most commonly eaten meat -- beef, pork, poultry and fish. Each type of meat cut varies by texture, fat content and cost, but this topic remains contentious because in many countries, preferences are different. The popularity of meat cuts often develops from taste, cultural preference, fat content and cooking styles.

It is generally accepted that the best cuts of pork are those regarded as "white pork." These are animal parts that aren't laden with too much fat or connective tissue. This includes pork chops and ham. Although bacon and stripes are highly preferred, they are not referred to as white meat. Among pork, Spanish pork is considered the best in the world. This idea was forged during the settlement of America when the Spanish brought a love of pork products to the Americas and domesticated some of the best animals for this purpose. Spanish pork is also highly regarded in Europe for the same reason.

The best cut of poultry is considered the breast meat because it has the lowest fat among the parts of the chicken. In Western cooking, the blue foot chicken raised in American Amish country and Canada is supposed to be the best-tasting available. Canadian poultry developed a reputation in the past 40 years as a cleaner-tasting and low-fat chicken breast. By Canadian law, this is a free-range chicken that provides high-quality organic poultry meat. This chicken is so highly regarded it is consumed raw in some parts of the world.

The best cuts of beef are generally thought to be fillet mignon, ribeye and tenderloin. There are many other cuts that are highly revered, such as Delmonico, London broil and sirloin. The most highly regarded beef comes from the Kobe district in Japan. These cows are massaged and kept in a low-stress environment before being butchered.

The best cuts of fish are generally regarded as belly meat and cheek meat. Unlike all the other animals where an attempt is made to avoid fat, in fish an attempt is made to gain fat in the cut. This adds extra flavor to an animal whose flesh is usually without fat. Belly meat cuts are highly prized and used in preparations that require flavor. The most prized species are swordfish and tuna.