When cooking Jamaican dishes, you may notice that there are particular cuts of meat we prefer for each recipe. We tend to use different cuts and sizes than what may be common in other cultures, cuisines.
For instance Oxtail. We tend to cut our oxtail in slices varying from small to large, but generally medium slices. For curry chicken, we tend not to do curry chicken with breast alone. We prefer the bone parts or mixed parts, because we enjoy the richer flavour you get when using the bone parts. Chicken breast alone is rarely used in Jamaican cuisine.
It is so important to get the right cuts of meat and have the meat cut in a particular way, because it will affect the overall appearance and even flavour.
Depending on where you reside, there are local butchers who serve majority, Caribbean customers & they generally know the cuts of meat Caribbean's prefer.
Popular cuts & pics 1. Beef (Chuck)- For stew or pepper steak
2. Oxtail - For stew oxtail
3. Chicken / Leg quarters - For BBQ Baked chicken, Jerk chicken
4. Pork Rib and belly in cubes - For stew pork
5. Goat meat Leg & Shoulder - For curry
6. Chicken / Whole chicken cut into small - Medium pieces - For curry or stew
7. Pork Rib & belly - For jerk
