What is economy meat?

I saw "economy Scotch fillet" in the local supermarket. What is economy meat? H. Stenton.

In the United States they call this cut "rib-eye steak", a name increasingly used in Australia. A rib-eye is the Flintstones-looking, axe-shaped steak with a handle of rib bone and a round piece of muscle nestled into it. The eye fillet, however, is a soft, tender and very costly muscle that runs the other side of the rib.

Calling a steak Scotch fillet is demeaning – it implies it is a cheaper version of the original, something a parsimonious Scot would buy. Change the word "Scotch" to any other race incorrectly stereotyped for penny-pinching ways and you could end up on the wrong end of a racial vilification law.

The term "economy", when applied to steak, is misleading, for it generally refers to a diminished portion size.

To get the total price of individual steaks down they are simply sliced thinner. I recently compared pre-packed grass-fed rump steaks purchased at a farmers' market and also at a nearby supermarket. Both were the same price by weight. The steaks from the farmers' market were four centimetres thick.

The steaks from the supermarket were only two centimetres thick, therefore about half the price by unit. The thicker steaks cooked much better and were juicier and more tender.

Don't buy thin "economy" steaks unless you're putting them in a sandwich, for it is a false economy.

How do I stop pastry from shrinking? M. Joyce

Many of us suffer from shrinkage every now and then and it's nothing to be embarrassed about, just not a topic in polite company. The answer is rest. When you add water to flour and mix it together you form gluten strands. These are like rubber bands.

When you roll out pastry it naturally wants to shrink back a bit. Rest pastry, covered, in the fridge after rolling out, 30 minutes or as stipulated in the recipe. Then cut to shape and bake.

Where can I get mache? C. Gohl

As you point out in the rest of your email, mache is also known as feldsalat in German or Rapunzel, and is also sold as lamb's lettuce. It is a salad leaf with a slightly gooey sap and aromatic fragrance.

Some of the big growers who were trialling it have dropped it from their growing schedule.

We have reports that it has been sold recently in David Jones Food Hall, Melbourne, greengrocers in Castlemaine and Bendigo in Central Victoria, and at Norton Street Grocer Bondi Junction and SMH Growers Market, Pyrmont.

Why do recipes call for unsalted butter then ask me to add salt? P. Nicol

The amount of salt butter manufacturers add to their product can vary greatly. Salt affects the way that protein develops and can hinder the growth of yeast in fermented dough such as brioche. By using unsalted butter you are controlling the amount of salt used.

Letters

Reader P. DuRhone wrote in praising the very ripe deep yellow limes that are now in season. "I love them," they write. "I substitute them for lemons, so much less tart and actually edible, and particularly good for the Moroccan chicken dish."

Send your vexing culinary conundrums to brainfood@richardcornish.com.au or tweet to @Foodcornish