Offal

Status
Not open for further replies.

chadk

Active Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Mar 19, 2009
Messages
1,601
sharkstar said:
sorry I missed this post earlier.. (I'm back tracking in my reading - overdue). As granddad owned a meat shop and my uncle was a butcher, I am comfortable eating pretty much the entire animal. Why waste anything? Isn't the sacrifice of a life to sustaine my life somewhat demanding of use of the entire animal? I go to the asian and mexican markets for better prices on food as well as selection. My 'white' market will sell some of the more 'common' offal items (tongue and oxtail) but the cost is high. If I have never tried something, I will try it - say in a restraunt - and then try to cook it at home. Sausages are a bit above my ability, but I will go to the german deli to make purchases. I guess what I'm saying is that I don't and won't shy away from new experiences, and feel it something of a duty, that if I take a life - or expect the butcher to take that life so that I may enjoy my ribeye, I'll honor the animal. I regularly cook tongue for sandwiches (my M-I-L loves it too). Oxtail is succulent. If I could find calf brains in something less than a frozen 5 gallon tub, I'd buy that too. To each their own. On another note, I've never met a plant I didn't want to try... except brussel sprouts. But then I guess its all in how things are prepared.. :p

You mean their isn't a tree behind my grocery store where they pick the plump chicken breasts and canned tuna?? You know, next to the McNuggut bush?
 

RV's mom

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Aug 20, 2007
Messages
1,292
Location (City and/or State)
Phoenix, arizona
no my friend, the ugly truth is out...

The reasons for not eating offal are well expressed in earlier posts. I wonder about the waste of the animal. The old saying is that you eat everything of the pig but the squeal... how much waste is going out the back door of my local market? My fish monger was not happy that certain pieces of fish routinely went to waste. He went through management and the 'code' book and found a code for "salmon heads". You know that big, beautiful fish that sits in the center of the case? They would cut the middle section for sale to the public and toss the rest. I saw my monger about an hour ago and he stopped me - had a beautiful head + tail for me. I only had to think for a second and it was in my basket.
DSCN1805.jpg

They were throwing these away!
I went home and broke out my fillet knives (I went fishing yesterday and they were put to good use...) and this is the return:
DSCN1809.jpg

It's resting in the freezer for Monday, when my "work week" is done... and my cost for 4 beautiful pieces of salmon (granted, Atlantic salmon, but we can't be too picky)
DSCN1806.jpg


We live in a use it and toss it society. I just can't justify it.

teri
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top