They say, when it comes to meat, butchers know best. You’ll agree once you begin to dip into this book that reveals the best of butcher-wisdom when it comes to selecting meat for your meal or barbecue.

With over thirty years of experience in the trade Evans and Diggins have picked up many tips and helpfully added some of their best ‘butcher’s tips’ as special notes on many pages.

Did you know, for instance, that it’s easier to marinate meat on the skewers? Or that for two people, thick T-bones make an easy and substantial baked dinner? Or would you like the ‘in’ on how to get the best pork crackling?

There’s much more: meat charts, tips on equipment, mouth-watering pictures, a glossary, as well as soups, chicken recipes, and of course plenty of BBQ advice.

Dinner with the Butcher, by Pip Evans and James Diggins, New Holland Publishers, 2010, hardcover, rrp $45.