Re: Christmas came early at casa holymadness -- UPDATED with photos

[acidboy]

Originally Posted by holymadness

the steady reduction of meat on offer to the least "offensive" pieces, e.g. steaks, breasts, chops. Good luck finding tail, tongue, tripe, brain, or sweet meats in most supermarkets.

mmmmmm.... callos ala madrilena......

 

[edmorel]

Originally Posted by holymadness

I think people should know where their food comes from. The North American "sanitization" of food has had two sad consequences:

a) the illusion that meat is something trimmed, de-boned, pre-cut, packaged and kept fresh in a cooler under halogen lights rather than the product of a lifecycle that ends in death and butchering.

b) the steady reduction of meat on offer to the least "offensive" pieces, e.g. steaks, breasts, chops. Good luck finding tail, tongue, tripe, brain, or sweet meats in most supermarkets.

you are over analyzing this. The reason you can't find offal in supermarkets (I don't buy supermarket meat) is because it is not popular, not because people think their meat comes from a meat fairy and don't know what an animal looks like. I have no issue with the "sanitization" of meat as you call it, large scale meat processing has brought protein to people on a scale that was not possible (and to an income demographic that could not afford it). In many countries, offal are peasant meats, when people immigrate to the "first world" they consider it a huge step up to get "sanitized" cuts like supermarket steaks, chops etc. As a matter of fact, I would say that in North American cities, it is the foodie/high income earner/food snob that has an affectation for offal and looks at it as some sort of next level enjoyment and something that puts them 'in touch" with the life cycle. Find a poor third world person and ask them if they prefer a nice boiled tripe or a T Bone Steak and see what they tell you. Now if you want to touch on the issue of waste, that is a horse of a different color but everytime someone complains about large scale farming, I roll my eyes as I find it akin to asking why doesn't everyone eat organic/local produce.

 

[itsstillmatt]

Well, there is a difference in the cultural standing of tripe and of sweetbreads or calf's liver. I don't think you can lump them into one pot.

 

[SField]

Originally Posted by edmorel

you are over analyzing this. The reason you can't find offal in supermarkets (I don't buy supermarket meat) is because it is not popular, not because people think their meat comes from a meat fairy and don't know what an animal looks like. I have no issue with the "sanitization" of meat as you call it, large scale meat processing has brought protein to people on a scale that was not possible (and to an income demographic that could not afford it). In many countries, offal are peasant meats, when people immigrate to the "first world" they consider it a huge step up to get "sanitized" cuts like supermarket steaks, chops etc. As a matter of fact, I would say that in North American cities, it is the foodie/high income earner/food snob that has an affectation for offal and looks at it as some sort of next level enjoyment and something that puts them 'in touch" with the life cycle. Find a poor third world person and ask them if they prefer a nice boiled tripe or a T Bone Steak and see what they tell you. Now if you want to touch on the issue of waste, that is a horse of a different color but everytime someone complains about large scale farming, I roll my eyes as I find it akin to asking why doesn't everyone eat organic/local produce.

You're exactly right. Offal is a foodie, rich person's obsession. If given the choice, most people would in fact not opt for innards. However, it is a different argument altogether of whether or not large scale farming is of benefit to the world.

Ultimately it might actually be better if meat is more expensive, because the effect that industrial farming has on the product itself and on the environment is fairly alarming.

 

[edmorel]

Originally Posted by SField

You're exactly right. Offal is a foodie, rich person's obsession. If given the choice, most people would in fact not opt for innards. However, it is a different argument altogether of whether or not large scale farming is of benefit to the world.

Ultimately it might actually be better if meat is more expensive, because the effect that industrial farming has on the product itself and on the environment is fairly alarming.

yes, industrial farming is something that I can very easily be convinced does more harm than good, but if you put a gun to my head I would have to say that I am for it.

 

[edmorel]

Originally Posted by iammatt

Well, there is a difference in the cultural standing of tripe and of sweetbreads or calf's liver. I don't think you can lump them into one pot.

I know, I've had calf's heart and it was treated as a delicacy but I figured offal was the easiest way to talk about the tripe/tongue/etc

 

[rnoldh]

Offal or oysters?

FTW!

 

[HORNS]

Originally Posted by holymadness

I finally had the time today to get started on the jamón. Since this was my first attempt to carve one, I figured I'd give a fairly detailed walkthrough for anyone who's interested in a step-by-step guide. First, a couple details about the equipment. You saw the jamonero (the wooden support structure in the first picture), which holds the jamón in place. It does so by means of a nail set into a bracket on the bottom and a pointed screw near the ankle at the top which pierce the fat and keep it from wobbling about during carving.

Pictures

Awesome! Thanks for sharing this.

To follow up on Iammatt's suggestion on what to do with the fat, I would consider rendering the fat, jarring it, and refrigerating or freezing it so you can utilize it when needed. If you freeze it, I'd get an ice cube tray, freeze the fat in individual portions, then package them (do you get freezer burn on something that's 100% fat?). A thought that's going through my head is using it as the fat/oil to cook a filet mignon, if you are pan-cooking it. Many recipes for chili con carne call for kidney suet as the fat in which you brown the meat and onions, so you can also use this fat for uses related to this.

This is also the time of the year in which Brussels sprouts are in season (if you like them), and I think they'd do well sliced thinly and sauteed in that fat with salt, pepper, chili flakes, lemon juice, and a little sugar. The whole sugar idea might not be something everyone agrees with, but I've always added it to cruciferous vegetables - not to sweeten, but to enhance the flavor when I sautee them.

 

[itsstillmatt]

Originally Posted by edmorel

I know, I've had calf's heart and it was treated as a delicacy but I figured offal was the easiest way to talk about the tripe/tongue/etc
IIRC, they are classified as red and white offal, but I don't remember which is which. I like some, not others. I know what you mean, BTW, I was just arguing to argue. FWIW, the only two I really like are sweetbreads and pigs feet. Tongue can be alright. My parents both ******* loved tongue sandwiches when I was growing up, so I am used to it, if not in love.

 

[Mr Herbert]

FWIW, i know alot of chinese living in first world countries who eat offal. do they prefer it to a T-Bone? probably not, but they still enjoy it.

anecdotally, i believe most people dont like offal because of its context purely by the fact that most of them have not tasted it.

plus most of them munch down on terrine without a second thought but turn their noses up at something like Peri Peri Chicken Livers.

 

[itsstillmatt]

^ I forgot about chicken livers. Hard to grow up Jewish without consuming a shitload of them.

 

[Mr Herbert]

not a fan of brain?

how about marrow? obviously not a plate full of it.

 

[itsstillmatt]

Originally Posted by Mr Herbert

not a fan of brain?

how about marrow? obviously not a plate full of it.
I've had good brains once, but it was not an entire dish. I am a bit squeamish about them to be honest, but in the right circumstance I would try again. I've had bad ones a few times. Marrow is alright. I like it in risotto and some other things, but some people like to slurp the damn stuff up. Not me, though my wife loves it.

 

[CBrown85]

I'm uneducated. Why is this particular piece of ham so special? (and gross why should it last forever)

 

[Mr Herbert]

Originally Posted by CBrown85

(and gross why should it last forever)

because its dry and salty