It occurred to me, that since we are now in BBQ Season, it might not be a bad idea to show you what you’re eating…. What it means when you are eating chuck….pork belly, etc. And then some of the surprises… like Horse Meat in your Ground Beef!
Now for all my vegetarians and vegans, please cut us some slack since there are a TON of vegetarian and vegan blogs on this site. Simply scan to the right or go into search for articles that are more suited to what you are comfortable with.
And to tell you the truth, I have this big dilemma in my own life. I look at this picture of Miss Piggy and I know she’s a wonderful pet. Smart, funny, nurturing…. and yet? The taste…. no, no even the smell of pork (especially bacon) makes me a happy girl.
So what’s a person to do?
CAN WE LEARN ABOUT THE ANIMALS WE EAT, CHEF?
Well, yes! That’s why I am sharing the parts of these animals with you, so you can know what your eating when you decide to chow down.
The second reason I am blogging about this is: I want to make sure you know that studies that are coming out clearly show that all ground beef manufacturers and in turn fast food restaurants, are allowed by law to put a percentage of cow into the ground beef that IS NOT chuck. It’s the ‘other’ parts of the animal. Maybe the toe nails for thickening… or the ankles crushed…. Popular Science is claiming: “an unintended hunk of horseflesh is one of the less alarming things that the meat processing industry can put in your ground beef”.
And that’s not to mention all the bacteria and pink slime that you might be finding. I’m ok with pink slime because at least you can see it. But what about the odorless, colorless bacteria that can find a new home inside your body?
Think I’m kidding? Even the USDA suggests: “Make ground beef one of the last items to go into your shopping cart”, to keep it cold longer.
So the point of this is information. Once you know? You know.
Here’s something else you may want to consider: Some chefs use the toenails of chickens to thicken their soup. (Things are not always what they seem, when you’re not doing the cooking yourself)!
I mean, you’ve seen the lawsuits on Fox News against a fast food chain, claiming the ground beef has so little ground beef (mostly extenders) that people are suing against the term ‘ground beef’ that they are advertising?
NO CHEF! DIDN’T KNOW THAT.
Well, you do now! Look, let’s be real. If it looks ok, smells ok, it’s probably not going to kill you once in a while. But some people do a steady stream of beef and pork. And unless you own the farm, you may be getting more than you bargain for!
Two ways around that? Buy grass fed/organic and portion control!
Just think ‘sliders’. That’s way less, with the satisfaction of the smell and taste. Less is more.
When I do bacon? I take only the parts with no fat. Better for you. And you get all the flavor. One step better? Prosciutto. Italian Ham. People don’t think to pan saute it, but it smells and tastes like bacon without all the fat.
Happy Eating, lol
Chef Marian