I was given a cut of meat that I am unfamiliar with. I was told the Spanish name is Cacho de Paleta. I'm not sure how to prepare it, and was hoping to find some recipes and preparation tips online. To do that, I was hoping someone could tell me the English name for this cut of meat, so that I can search for it online.
The cut appears to come from the upper leg of the cow (the shank, perhaps?). You can see a picture and a diagram of the section of the cow it comes from here.
What is the English name for this cut?
Best Answer
Cacho de paleta means "hunk of blade" as far as I can tell, however blade comes from the shoulder and that doesn't look the right shape for a shoulder cut. It looks more like leg to me, in the US that would be called shank and in the UK it would be shin if the front leg and leg if it's from the back leg.
Whether it's shoulder or leg meat preparation is similar as both are working cuts with lots of collagen. Roasting is out - you won't get the collagen breaking down and the lack of fat will mean a tough, dry result. Use a long, slow and wet method like stewing or better yet braising. Put it in the oven at 120C for 4 hours with a cup of water and a cup of red wine in a covered pot as a basic preparation method.