River Cottage Meat Book

by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

Original publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Date of publication: 2004

ISBN: 1580088430

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Recommended by

Louise Gray

Environmental journalist

I could not have spent two years only eating animals I killed myself without this book. I often turned to its pages to work out how to cut up and cook a particular animal. It was invaluable in cooking offal and more unusual cuts. It was also a bit of a psychological crutch. I had moments of real doubt about writing The Ethical Carnivore. The fact that one of my heroes and someone who has achieved so much had also taken part in meat production first-hand gave me great confidence – though I came to my own conclusions on my own terms.

Sally Vincent

Blogger at Raining Sideways

A gift from a friend, this book has become a textbook for me. Living in South Devon on a small farm over the years we have been producing not only our own fruit and vegetables but also our own meat: turkeys , free range chickens, Whiteface Dartmoor lamb and rare breed pork. Here is a book that talks about the provenance of food, of the livestock, the food producers as well as a wealth of in depth cookery information and terrific recipes.

Annie Bell

Food writer

Without a doubt the greatest book written on the subject. I love the exploratory nature of this book, it is full of wanderings down hidden lanes and avenues. If ever I buy a cut that I am unsure about how to prepare, this is where I head, and come out wiser having dipped between the covers.

Tom Herbert

Innovations Director, Hobbs House Bakery

I’ve loved this book to bits, quite literally. The way Hugh introduces meat, raised the bar for me on what a cook book can do in a delicious and inspiring way. I met HF-W a few years later and he said that my well thumbed, kitchen stained book was the most satisfying thing as he signed it.

Hattie Ellis

Food writer

Britain has outstanding livestock farmers and a strong and skilful tradition of meat production and cooking. This groundbreaking book goes into the detail of real meat without holding back. Brave, bold and tasty, this book was a gamechanger in how we see farm animals as well as meat.

Marisa Leaf

Founder and co-CEO of Hubbub

Lots of well-written, easy to follow, delicious recipes and great accompanying material on everything from provenance and seasonality to cooking times. Hugh's passage on the ethics of eating veal is especially eye opening.