Ground venison is a very and occasionally gamey lean meat that comes from deer, and its texture is generally improved by mixing in pork sausage or beef.

Many steak recipes call for a marinade, as they add flavor and tenderize the meat. While most recipes call for discarding the marinade before cooking, you can also cook a steak in the marinade.

Although fried bacon smells great and tastes wonderful, it might contain more fat and calories than you care to consume. Try oven broiling your bacon instead of pan frying it for a healthier alternative.

Digesting meat begins in your mouth when you chew, before it even reaches your stomach or intestines. For the most part, poor meat digestion can probably be adjusted with a few simple changes. In some cases, digestion issues may be a sign of a more serious condition, such as irritable bowel syndrome or Crohn's disease.

The sky's the limit when it comes to choosing side dishes for dinners that feature beef tips. Beef tips are a versatile cut that can come from any part of the cow, although they’re usually cut from loin meat. They can be stewed or seared, seasoned simply or given more complex flavor profiles.

Thin-cut pork chops are so thin that if you don't keep your eye on them, they become tough, dry or even burnt on the outside before reaching a safe internal temperature. They also cook so quickly that you could ruin them in the time it takes to make some accompanying eggs or toast.

Marinades are acidic liquids that help impart flavor to foods and also start to tenderize the meat before cooking. The beef round tip roast comes from an area of the cow that produces lean cuts.

Flat iron steaks go by several names, but most often top blade steaks or top chuck steaks, as they're from the cow's chuck section. Chuck refers to cuts from the neck and shoulder, which are cost-effective and flavorful, but on the tougher and fattier side.

Flatiron steak is a cut of meat from the chuck area of a side of beef, near the shoulder. Chuck is often used for ground beef, and it is typically higher in fat and flavor than many other cuts. The flatiron steak begins as a blade steak and then is cut into two sections to create flatiron steaks.

According to Julee Rosso, author of The New Basics Cookbook, beef is considered rare when it is 130 degrees at its thickest point and when the center is red or dark pink.

Around the holidays, butchers’ cases contain a variety of hams, some pricey and some inexpensive. Before choosing a ham for your table, find out how much and what type of cooking it needs -- or if it needs cooking at all.

A smoked ham hock is a cut of meat taken from between the foot and leg that has been smoked to add flavor.