Eating the whole animal

[Pepper Pig Profile]

An edited extract from The Ethical Omnivore. The recipes are right up my street.

https://www.theguardian.com/food/2020/a ... r-and-bone

[Badger's Mate Profile]

It might be there as a gentle introduction, but the idea of liver as an example of 'unusual animal parts' makes me feel sad. Perhaps Australia, like the US, is further down the road of raising an animal for steaks or breast fillets and processing the rest into sausages, pies and petfood. I remember being in Germany for work over Martinmas. The tradition is to eat roast goose, but the colonials (Aussie and Yanks) turned their nose up at the idea and all ordered steaks.

[Earthmaiden Profile]

All the more sad BM because as a schoolgirl in Australia 50 or so years ago we did more offal cookery than my English counterparts ever did and everyone ate their offerings with gusto, including things like brains. Many of those same people now turn their nose up. That said, even then ordinary people ate more steak, chops, roasts etc than we could ever have afforded in the UK.

Those recipes look really innovative and interesting. I really think that most meat eaters would enjoy them if they got over the idea that offal was nasty.

[Stokey Sue Profile]

I eat offal when I can get it - insert my usual moan about veal liver coming into butcher’s shops pre-sliced so thin there’s little point trying to cook it

But I don’t trust those recipes
The liver recipe allegedly feeds 2-4 people, depending on the size of the liver, the ingredients list

1 lamb, goat or calf (veal) liver, rinsed, membrane removed, sliced into 1.5cm strips

Now firstly, lamb and veal liver aren’t interchangeable in my view (not knowingly eaten goat’s)

Second clearly he’s never seen a whole liver, you start by separating the lobes, and how thick are these strips meant to be? But more importantly a whole veal liver will weigh at least a couple of kilograms and set you back around £50 or more; possibly we slaughter older as UK veal is usually rose veal these days, but always too much for 2-4 people

Third, it’s not Christopher’s liver it’s a version of fegato alla veneziana, Venetian liver. If you ever see turkey livers they make a good version

[Earthmaiden Profile]

Good point! I only really looked at the accompanying ingredients and in some cases the method, especially the pigs ears. I am a bit funny about some pork but most things are improved fried in egg and breadcrumbs.

[patpoyntz Profile]

Third, it’s not Christopher’s liver it’s a version of fegato alla veneziana, Venetian liver. If you ever see turkey livers they make a good version

I would say tomatoes are an unusual addition...I’ve never had them in a fegato alla veneziana, and I’ve had many and made many, it’s one of my favourite foods.

[Lusciouslush Profile]

Now see, I do not like too much poncing about with offal - the rich earthy taste of it speaks for itself with no need of too much else.

The only thing I ever pimp is chicken livers which go well with a piri piri sauce - otherwise it's traditional all the way for me.

Pigs ears as a tapas are wonderful - crispy outside & chewy inside .......oinky oink....!

[Pepper Pig Profile]

I have never eaten a pig ear. My dogs have. Even though I have been to St John a few times I don’t think I’ve seen them on the menu anywhere although I am not well travelled.

I would certainly have a go.

Not so sure about brains and tripe.

[Stokey Sue Profile]

I would say tomatoes are an unusual addition...I’ve never had them in a fegato alla veneziana, and I’ve had many and made many, it’s one of my favourite foods.

You are probably right, I make a very stripped down version which I think was Nigella's originally that has hardly any ingredients, beyond the liver strips and lots of onions, I'm trying to think what else was in it in venice, but it was a long time ago

[Suffs Profile]

I happily eat nose to tail and all the bits in between ... I was brought up like that and I’ve always felt it sort of a matter of honour that if I’m going to cause an animal to be reared and killed to meet my needs then I owe it the respect of not wasting any of it. I love offal and still mourn the disappearance of the tripe and chitterlings stall on Norwich market which also sold cow heel, reed and udder ... all of which I would buy and enjoy well into the mid 90s as an art student living frugally in Norwich.
This is good nourishing food https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2people ... 4787.shtml
It’s more difficult to get tripe nowadays, but some butchers keep a supply in their freezers if you ask
The same butchers will also prepare ‘half a brined pigs head and a pair of trotters’ for you to make Pork Cheese (brawn)
with, given a bit of notice. Lambs sweetbreads are becoming as much of a delicacy as calves’ and very soon the only offal we’ll be able to find on display will be liver and occasionally kidneys
Although I notice that Morrisons seem to stock more offal than most supermarkets ... including ox, pig and sheep hearts ... perhaps it’s because many of their supermarkets are in areas with a higher proportion of folk from other regions and cultures where they appreciate the value of offal, and don’t have the sort of transatlantic squeamishness so common in Britain nowadays.

[Stokey Sue Profile]

Morrison’s do stock offal but sometimes to my mind oddly prepared, for example the ox heart is sold chopped into 1 cm cubes - makes nice chilli but what else

[Suffs Profile]

Cubed oxheart is good in a stew/casserole ........ I have in the past requested a whole one to stuff and with a few days' that was possible.

[Lusciouslush Profile]

Oooo stuffed oxheart - a favourite I haven't had in a looong time.....!

Then there are faggots - a faff to make but lovely with onion gravy & mash.

Don't see haslet anymore either.

[Badger's Mate Profile]

We're very lucky, our butcher sells haslet, brawn and faggots. Just this morning I saw some brawn on the deli counter at the farm shop outside Royston.

I had a lovely dish of crispy pigs' ears at Bread & Wine, served with mint sauce. I can still get heads & trotters.

Tripe & chitterlings are harder to come by these days, though I like both.

[Stokey Sue Profile]

Cubed oxheart is good in a stew/casserole ........

But you surely don’t want it cut in I cm dice? That’s my issue with Morrison’s

[Suffs Profile]

Ah, not enough caffeine in my system when I read that Sue ... I hadn't taken on board how small it was diced ........ no that's going to cook down fine for a chilli but not for a casserole.

[Earthmaiden Profile]

My mother used to make stuffed heart. It was always slightly tough and not my favourite thing. I understand it can be done until it melts in the mouth which sounds better. I've never had it casseroled.

[Suffs Profile]

Ma used to make stuffed ox heart ... ad with a a lot of her cooking it was a bit hit and miss, but if the Rayburn oven was cooperating and Ma cooked it in a covered roaster low and slow it was wonderful ... I was a quiet but observant child.

[Badger's Mate Profile]

It was always lamb hearts when Mum cooked them, in an old enamel roaster. Mrs B's the same, although she felt the need to check with her Mum when I first did them for us.

Low and slow is the way to go, but ox heart can be sliced thinly and cooked very briefly. That's how they do it at St John and very nice it is too.

[Grasshopper Profile]

Does anybode remember lights? They were like unwanted bits of an animal. We used to feed them to the cats, (cooked, of course), and our last 2 woofs sometimes got heart as a treat.


Grasshopper