Eat meat, but eat less and eat better - that, if any, is this book's philosophy.

That's not to say we shouldn't enjoy eating great hunks of beef, perfectly charred steaks, or golden deep-fried chicken. Nor should we forgo slow-cooked lamb, Chinese roast duck, Keralan pork curry or rich jambalayas - you'll find recipes for all of these here. But read on and things get a little less carnivorous.

In the Less Meat chapter, meat shares the limelight with other ingredients - think an Iberian bean stew with a few frazzled chunks of chorizo for flavour. In Meat as Seasoning, scraps of beef, lamb, pork and chicken give depth and savoury goodness to a range of dishes.

Let's Eat Meatembodies Tom's approach to meat-eating, which is buy the best you can, and use every last scrap to eke out the flavour. With an eye on welfare, this modern approach encourages us to spend money on eating less but better meat. Here are recipes often rooted in cultures where meat is considered a luxury, all so delicious you will return to cook them again and again.